The Plymouth Congregational Church and Rev. Eric Jackson, Pastor, are delighted and honored to receive the Rev. Brian E. Konkol, Dean of the Hendricks Chapel at Syracuse University, to deliver a Lenten pastoral message at the church on Sunday, March 13, 2022, which the church invites the people of the city and surrounding communities to hear at 10:00am that day. Plymouth Congregational Church is located at 232 E. Onondaga Street in downtown Syracuse.
The Rev. Brian E. Konkol, Ph.D., as the Dean of Hendricks Chapel, guides, nurtures and enhances religious, spiritual and ethical life at the University and across its extended community. Appointed in 2017, Konkol works to strengthen the role of the chapel as the spiritual heart of the campus and a model for diversity and inclusion of philosophies and religions. He is also a Professor of Practice in the Department of Religion in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Konkol came to Syracuse from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, where he served as chaplain of the college since 2013. In this role, he provided strategic leadership to the Office of the Chaplains and was a faculty member of the Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies program. He also served as the faculty liaison to the men’s basketball team.
Says Rev. Konkol: “Since its founding in 1853, Plymouth Congregational Church has consistently dared to embody the Gospel as a vibrant vessel of amazing grace. To be invited as guest-preacher is an honor and delight, and my hope is to build upon historic bonds in ways that helps to spark and sustain future collaborations in service to our beloved community. I am excited for March 13th and far beyond!”
As the heart of Syracuse University, Hendricks Chapel leads in service to the common good as a student-centered global home for religious, spiritual, moral and ethical life. Hendricks Chapel opened its doors to the University community in September of 1930. Since that time, the University has changed from a relatively small, Methodist-affiliated academy to the large, diverse, multi-faith University it is today. With a focus on belonging and education of the whole person, Hendricks Chapel remains fully committed to religious and spiritual expression and serves as a center of activity for all members of the Syracuse University campus community.
Hendricks Chapel is home to all student religious and spiritual groups on campus. These groups span a wide variety of religious traditions and spiritual interests and are open to all students. While each group serves a particular faith constituency, all work together as part of S.A.I.L. (Student Assembly of Interfaith Leaders) on issues of interfaith engagement, student welfare, and spiritual programming.
Plymouth Congregational Church is an open and affirming, Just Peace, immigrant welcoming, Progressive Christian and Sanctuary congregation. Rev. Eric Jackson was called to Plymouth in the fall of 2019 and was installed as Senior Pastor on May 23, 2021.
Plymouth was founded in 1853 by a group of Syracusans who wanted to create a Christian abolitionist bulwark fighting slavery. Since then, the congregation continues to live their faith by standing against racism, white supremacy culture, poverty, and war; standing up for the rights of immigrants, indigenous people, workers, women and LGBTQ folk; and seeking to be agents of mercy in a hurting world. The people believe in beauty, laughter, the struggle for peace with justice, taking risks for building a diverse, equitable and inclusive Beloved Community in God, and the Way of Jesus Christ which is love and compassion for ourselves and our neighbors.
