Lutheran Campus Center @ WVU
Our Facilities

The Lutheran Campus Center is located on the corner of University Avenue, Willey Street, and Hough Street.  Bounded on three sides by WVU facilities, our plot includes a chapel building and an early 20th century house.

Our Center

Location

To learn about our neighborhood,
click here.
We couldn't ask for much more!  Situated directly across the street from the Wise Library (the main WVU library), a block from the Mountain Lair (student union building), and next to Admissions & Records, the Lutheran Campus Center provides a constant physical witness in the midst of the academic community.

Chapel

The Chapel of Christ the King was dedicated in 1968.  It stands on the site originally occupied by St. Paul's Lutheran Church.  When St. Paul's relocated to Evansdale, the property was deeded over to the Lutheran Campus Foundation at WVU.  The original church building, however, had aged so poorly and was so badly out of date that it was expedient to demolish the structure and start anew.

The chapel's unusual roof line stands out among the architecture of its neighborhood.  What is it?  Neo-Scandanavian?  Contemporary?  Certainly not Victorian!  There are some definite markers of 1960/70s church design.  Some love it, some don't.  Consider the benefits.  The chapel's incongruity vis-a-vis the neighborhood makes it very easy to direct people to the chapel.  Indeed, many people know the building even if they are not aware of it's name or religious affiliation.  The chapel's unusual architecture is itself a tool for outreach.

Sanctuary

The Chapel of Christ the King features a sanctuary on the upper level.  The free standing altar and pulpit can be moved in conjunction with the chairs to create a variety of worship environments.  Typically, we use two main formats: the traditional longitudinal and the monastic choir, depending upon the type of worship service and attendance.  We can seat over 120 when pressed, but a small gathering of fewer than 12 is not swallowed by the space.

Acoustically, the sanctuary is a musician's dream.  Music majors are periodically found practicing in the sanctuary--there was a dramatic increase in this type of use while the CAC was under renovation.  The Neva Russicum touring ensemble from St. Petersburg, Russia, gave a fantastic concert of Russian sacred and folk music in the sanctuary in April 2001, and, in December of 2002, music major Tim Patrie gave his senior trumpet recital in it.  At least three other music majors are considering giving their senior recitals in the space.

Glass doors were installed in Fall 2001, replacing the original solid wood entrance doors.  Not only do the new doors allow much more light into the sanctuary, they also allow passersby to see into the chapel.  It is much more inviting, and, at night, the light from within the chapel shines out upon the street.  For the presider, it is an interesting experience to stand at the dais and make the sign of the cross not only over the congregation but also over the easily seen passerby.  More than once, in the middle of the major elevation, has a pedestrian looked through the doors to see chalice and host held above the presider's head.  What is this saying to the world?

We attempt to leave the sanctuary open as much as possible.  It is to be a place of prayer--a refuge--a life boat (a.k.a. nave) for the tempest tossed.

Undercroft

The lower level of the chapel is our multi-use room.  It features a kitchen, dining area, library, lounge area, and fusbol table (if someone would like to donate a bumper pool table, contact us).  The undercroft has been the scene of many fellowship dinners.  It has also served as a lecture/forum hall and cinema.  Some students have discovered that it is a good place to study, using the large tables to spread out books and papers.  This particular use always increases at midterms and finals.  Some older computers are kept around for emergency word processing.  Again, access is import.  The space exists to serve students, faculty, and staff.  In December of 2000, a combination lock was installed on the outside door to the undercroft so that greater use may be made of the facility while maintaining a degree of security.  The most recent improvement was the February 2003 addition of a new 36" flat screen television (made possible by a parent's donation) and a PlayStation2 (made possible by the LSM@WVU).

In addition to serving the academic community, the undercroft serves the larger church.  Several committee and task force meetings of Community Lutheran Partners, Inc., and ELCMA have been held in the space.

Old Parsonage

The "Old Parsonage" was the residence of the pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church until a new parsonage was built in Evansdale in the 1950s.  Even before the relocation of the St. Paul parsonage to Evansdale, the building was home to campus ministry.  The Rev. W. Roy Hashinger (pastor of St. Paul, 1929-1957) established 'living room ministry' to dop-ins in this building.  Upon his retirement, the building was converted into a student center, the first Lutheran facility at WVU dedicated to campus ministry.

Until the construction of the Chapel of Christ the King, the "center," as the old parsonage was known, received heavy use as a meeting place and student lounge.  The upper floors were converted into apartments which housed at first seminarians, interning in campus ministry, and then WVU students.  Student residents often served as sextons.

With the Chapel of Christ the King completed, activity shifted from the old home of campus ministry into the newer structure.  Periodic meetings were still held in the old parsonage, and rental of the upper floors continued.  From time to time, WVU would use the main floor as classroom space.  Still, the building has been a quieter place for the past three decades.

What should be done with the old parsonage?  The building is in fine structural condition.  Original early 20th century wood work and flooring of fine craftsmanship fills the house.  Unfortunately, plumbing, gas, electrical, and telecommunications systems were failing.  Some have suggested demolition and creation of more parking.  Others have suggested conversion into office space.  Still others would prefer to stay the course and rent to 1-3 students each year.  So, is there a use for this building which would honor its proud history by resurrecting it as a place of vibrant campus ministry?

Eschewing these options, we've embarked on a bold project to renovate the structure with the goal of upgrading the house to accommodate a minimum of six residents in an intentional Lutheran community, commonly known as a "Luther House."  Imagine a 6-10 person residential unit--home for an intentional Christian community informed by the Catechisms of our confession.  The old parsonage could be that place, but, first, we need to finish the work.

Having begun in the summer of 2003, we've already replaced the entire natural gas system in the interest of safety.  Plumbing has also been 95% replaced--the original cast iron waste water pipes were collapsing and there was a need to add new bathrooms.  The electrical system is being upgraded.  To date, we have added an additional breaker box, grounded existing sections, and added new wiring.

There is still plenty that needs to be done.  Would you like to help?


 
Facility Improvements

Landscaping and Driveway Extension, July 2003-

As a consequence of the gas leak repair, we lost a small area of lawn in the front of the chapel.  Fortunately, two members of the faculty came forward at the same time, expressing an interest in paying for some landscaping in the front of the chapel.  We've removed all the shrubbery from the front of the chapel: much of it was badly damaged from freezing.  We've also constructed a three level terrace and intend to do some plantings.  All the work has been accomplished by our students and one towns person.

Gas Leak at Chapel Repaired, June 2003

Dominion Hope inspectors discovered a small gas leak in the service line to the Lutheran Campus Chapel.  Fortunately, the leak is minor enough that service was not immediately shut off.  The service line runs between the curb box and the meter.  No gas was venting into the building and gas levels were so low that initial inspection required confirmation with additional equipment.  Morgantown Heating and Plumbing completed repairs.  The chapel's HVAC and hot water heater are gas.

LM Constructs Split Rail Fence

A persistent problem with people parking their cars on the Hough St. lawn had resulted in significant damage to the lawn.  The men of the Lutheran Student Movement volunteered to put an end to the illegal and uncivil practice by erecting a fence along the Hough St. perimeter.  One student favored razor wire, but color heads prevailed, resulting in a very pleasing split rail fence.  It adds a rustic touch in the middle of the urban campus.  In addition, rails can be removed to allow overflow parking when necessary.  Thanks to the work of these fellows, the lawn has come back nicely.  Many people have commented about the improvement.  Ironically, a few students scowled at our LSM work crew and even voiced their opposition.  Perhaps they were put off at the thought of loosing  parking space--even if it was in our yard.

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia: Work Day, February 2003

The men of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia put in a full day of dusty, back breaking labor on the Old Parsonage one Saturday afternoon.  Over 1300 lbs. of water damaged plaster and tile backing were removed from the basement.  In addition, nearly half of the living room floor has been cleared of glued felt paper.  For more photos, click here.

Face Lift for Chapel: Paint Job, Summer 2002

The Chapel of Christ the King (a.k.a. the Lutheran Campus Chapel) received a new paint job.  Click here for more photos:
Paint Job 2002
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