Muhlenberg College Announces Appointment of the Reverend Kristen Glass Perez as College Chaplain
Glass Perez will oversee all religious life programs and serve as a member of the President’s senior staff, effective June 15.
By: Bill Keller Tuesday, May 8, 2018 04:55 PM
Muhlenberg welcomes Reverend Kristen Glass Perez as new College Chaplain.
Glass Perez comes to Muhlenberg from Augustana College, where she has served since 2012 as chaplain and director of vocational exploration. Previously, she served as the director for young adult ministry for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
In her role at Augustana, Glass Perez was responsible for worship and religious life programming, served as a member of the college crisis planning team and worked closely with student life staff and academic affairs staff, including Augustana's Title IX coordinator.
"I am excited to announce the appointment of Reverend Kristen Glass Perez as Muhlenberg's College Chaplain," said President John I. Williams, Jr. "It was readily apparent that she values the diverse perspectives and the spiritual, emotional and personal needs of our community. I express my deep gratitude to the members of our search committee (Allison Gulati, vice president of student affairs; Beth Halpern, director of community engagement; Natalie Hand, assistant Vice President of alumni affairs and career services; Christine Ingersoll, professor of chemistry; Chris Jackson, lecturer of choral conducting and voice; Max Kasler '20; CarolAnn Miller '20; Jeffrey Peterson, assistant professor of dance; Marta Rardin '20; Kammie Takahashi, assistant professor of religion; Eric Thompson, assistant director of admission, and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America liaison Peggy Wuertele) and join with them in extending a warm welcome to Kristen. Our entire community looks forward to her arrival on campus this June."
“I am thrilled to be called to the Chaplain position at Muhlenberg College,” said Glass Perez. “In my visit to campus, I was overwhelmed with the hospitality shown to me from everyone I met. I am impressed with Muhlenberg’s commitment to spiritual exploration across a variety of religious and non-religious traditions and am excited about working with a religious life team that serves the entire community. I understand the chaplain’s office to be the perfect place to offer space for hospitality, reflection and innovation as an integral part of campus life.”
Glass Perez received a bachelor of arts in speech communications from Gustavus Adolphus College, a master of divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and a theological education for emerging ministries certificate from Wartburg Seminary. She will succeed the Reverend John Gorder, who has served the Muhlenberg Community since January.
About Muhlenberg College
Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is a highly selective, private liberal arts college offering baccalaureate and graduate programs. With an enrollment of nearly 2,000 students, Muhlenberg College is dedicated to shaping creative, compassionate, collaborative leaders through rigorous academic programs in the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences; selected preprofessional programs, including accounting, business, education and public health; and progressive workforce-focused post-baccalaureate certificates and master’s degrees. Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, approximately 90 miles west of New York City, Muhlenberg is a member of the Centennial Conference, competing in 23 varsity sports. Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
