The Rev. Albert Mosley, a United Methodist minister
with degrees from Duke and Yale
universities, has become The Johns Hopkins University's new
chaplain. The 36-year-old replaces
Sharon Kugler, a lay Catholic who left for Yale in 2007.
Kugler had served as chaplain at Johns Hopkins
since 1993.
Mosley is on the Homewood campus part time until July
1, when he will assume full-time duties
at the
Bunting-Meyerhoff Interfaith and Community Service
Center.
He comes to Johns Hopkins from the Eastern
Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist
Church in Philadelphia, where he also served as assistant
director of the Center for Civic Engagement
and an adjunct professor in the Pennoni Honors College at
Drexel University, teaching courses in
subjects ranging from comparative ethics to public life and
leadership.
"I was attracted to the chaplaincy at Johns Hopkins
because of the university's genuine
commitment to developing and fostering meaningful dialogue
among persons all along the faith
spectrum," Mosley said. "This dialogue is especially
significant at this point in the history of our nation
and in the history of our world. My impression is that
Johns Hopkins is one corner of the world where
a sincere effort is placed upon building a unique and
inclusive community of faith that has as one part
of its core values tolerance and a willingness to engage
otherness."
Mosley's hiring capped a two-year national search,
said Susan Boswell, dean of student life, to
whom he reports.
"The process to fill the position was a long and
intense one, but we are satisfied that we ended
up with the best possible person for the job: the Rev.
Albert Mosley," Boswell said. "From the first
time we met him, we had the feeling that he personified the
perfect mix of interpersonal skills and
strong background. We feel so fortunate to have him join
the Johns Hopkins community and know he
will make an incredible contribution to student life
here."
As part of his position at Johns Hopkins, Mosley will
head up the Campus Ministry Advisory
Board, comprising 18 other clergy of various faith
traditions who are not Johns Hopkins employees but
who have agreed to offer ministry services to students.
"Part of my job is to facilitate interfaith dialogue
and promote the integration of interreligious
sensitivity and understanding among the different faith
traditions here on our campus," Mosley said.
"Additionally, I am the public face of the university when
it comes to anything related to faith and
religious practices. As such, there will be occasions where
I will relate to members of the larger
community, especially in terms of programming and providing
other services."
Born in rural Shuqualak, Miss., Mosley graduated Phi
Beta Kappa with a degree in molecular
biology from Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss. He earned a
master of divinity degree from Duke
University in 1998 and a master of sacred theology degree
from Yale in 1999.
He also previously served as the interim chaplain and
director of the Multi-Faith Center at
Albright College in Reading, Pa., where he directed the
work of several associate chaplains, including a
Roman Catholic priest, an Orthodox rabbi and an Imam, all
of whom provided services to a diverse
student body. In addition, Mosley was assistant dean and
director of religious life at Duke University,
where he supervised a department that included 25 chaplains
and a variety of student religious life
groups representing numerous faith traditions.
For the last several years, Mosley has served as the
spiritual and administrative leader of a
diverse urban religious community in Philadelphia that "has
a rather significant social justice leaning,"
said Mosley, who has won a wide variety of awards and
honors, including the Bishop's Medal, given by
the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church
for meritorious service to church and
society; the Harry Denman Award for Social Outreach, from
the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of
the United Methodist Church; and the Richard R. Hernandez
Religious Leadership Award, bestowed by
the Northwest Interfaith Movement of Philadelphia, a
nonprofit group of interfaith leaders.
Mosley said he believes that his extensive background
in urban interfaith work is a perfect
springboard into his new role at Johns Hopkins.
"My goal is to continue and expand upon the work that
has already been done in providing
spiritual, intellectual and moral leadership to the campus
community, fostering within the community
an understanding of the interaction of faith, intellectual
inquiry and social responsibility, and serving
as a safe haven and resource center for the many faith
traditions that are present on campuses
today," he said.
In addition, he said he wants to ensure that all faith
traditions on the campus are aware of
opportunities to express their faith and that those who are
not affiliated with any faith traditions
also feel welcome.
"We look forward to welcoming Albert and working with
him as he joins Campus Ministries," said
Kathryn Schnurr, assistant chaplain at Johns Hopkins. "We
are eager to introduce him to our many
families of faith and begin a new chapter together."