New UJ chaplain says parenting helped prepare her for role

The Jamestown Sun - 9/15/2017

Sept. 15--The Rev. Dr. Candace Adams, who most recently was the pastor at Hope Presbyterian Church, Spicer, Minn., said it was meeting the UJ staff and faculty that convinced her the chaplain role was the next step in her 22-year ministry. The UJ mission, vision and statement of values are more than words but something that is embodied in daily life at UJ as much as heritage and tradition, she said.

"It pleases me and I am honored to be here in Jamestown as a servant of God," Adams said.

Adams was born and raised in Ellsworth, Minn., near the border of Iowa and South Dakota. She earned her Doctor of Ministry and Master of Divinity from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary and a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Dubuque.

Adams and her husband, Doug, a banker, were married just before she started her master's program. Following seminary she served congregations in Fort Dodge and Clarion, Iowa.

"I have been extraordinarily blessed with a husband who is so committed to my calling and to my service," Adams said. "He has been 100 percent supportive of wherever God has led us and he's just a very, very strong person and that has helped me a lot."

The couple adopted six children between the ages of 3 and 16, she said. The children are now grown and between the ages of 19 and 37.

"The oldest was only nine years younger than myself when we adopted her," Adams said. "All six came within seven years, and all of them were at different points in their lives."

The children had difficult upbringings before they were adopted and the roller-coaster ride of becoming a family together had many twists and turns, she said. God was always at the center, which Adams said helped her to become a more sensitive and compassionate pastor.

"We have learned to trust the Lord in all circumstances," Adams said.

For the past 11 years Adams was pastor of Hope Presbyterian Church in Spicer, about 10 miles northeast of Willmar. She has also served as moderator (chairperson) of the 56-congregation Presbytery of Minnesota Valleys along with other administrative roles.

Adams said it is a humbling opportunity to be invited into the sacred spaces of young adult college students during an important time in their lives. The experience of raising children helped to prepare her for a role that requires communication, compassion and encouragement, she said.

"I simply yearn to be a companion in faith," Adams said. "I didn't want to be in a faculty position but to be a chaplain."

One responsibility outside of the chaplain role is to co-chair the Journey to Success program, where new students take a self-assessment to examine interests, strengths and goals. Adams said her role will be on how to embody service as something more than a course requirement and to exemplify service in every area of life.

Adams was also appointed chaplain for the university faculty and staff. She said her role will make her central to the spiritual dimension of university life.

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9/15/2017 --

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