Our religiously diverse staff of chaplains and ministers are available to journey with any student as they pursue their spiritual path. All of our chaplains are active members of the Association for Chaplaincy and Spiritual Life in Higher Education. Please contact us to schedule a time to meet.
Rev. Stephanie McLemore
University Chaplain
Associate Dean of Wellness
mclemore@lynchburg.edu
An ordained Disciples of Christ minister, Stephanie McLemore has served as the University of Lynchburg’s Chaplain since 2009. Prior to her time at Lynchburg, she served as the Associate Regional Minister for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Virginia. She has also served as the Campus Chaplain at Tiffin University in Ohio and as a pastor in congregations in Ohio and Illinois. Stephanie earned a Bachelor’s degree from Kalamazoo College and a Master of Divinity from the University of Chicago. She is the proud mother of two daughters, Sophia and Ellory.
Rev. Nathan Albert
Associate Chaplain
albert_nd@lynchburg.edu
Nathan Albert is a professional actor turned ordained minister who earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre Performance from Rockford University, Master of Divinity from North Park Theological Seminary, and a Certificate in Spiritual Transformation from The Transforming Center. After a career as a singer and actor, Nathan worked as a pastor at a church in Rhode Island, a campus minister at North Park University, a pediatric chaplain at a hospital in Chicago, and as the Director of Pastoral Care and Counseling for The Marin Foundation. He is the author of the book, Embracing Love: My Journey to Hugging a Man in His Underwear, and writes regularly on his website. He is married to Kate and they have two sons, Foster and Theo.
Rev. Katrina Brooks, DMin
Assistant Chaplain
brooks.ks@lynchburg.edu
Katrina Brooks holds a Bachelor of Arts from Samford University, a Master of Divinity from Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond, and has recently completed a Doctor of Ministry. An ordained Baptist minister, Katrina has served many churches including co-pastoring North Broad Baptist Church in Rome, Georgia for almost eight years. Born into a military family, Katrina is an extroverted adventurer who loves life fully. She and her spouse Tony have two adult children, Tara and Joseph. A fan of dense breads, Dr. Pepper, and good pizza, Katrina enjoys reading, music from the 80’s/90’s, and writing. A lover of hard questions, critical thinking and challenging the status quo, Katrina feels privileged to walk alongside students as they become the women and men God desires.
Jer Bryant ’03, ’10 MA, MFA
Interfaith Chaplain
bryant.j@lynchburg.edu
Jer Bryant ’03, ’10 MA is a two-time alumnus of the University of Lynchburg. He holds a master of fine arts in creative writing from West Virginia Wesleyan College and is a published poet, essayist, artist, and a human rights advocate. Jer, an assistant professor of English, serves as director of the Wilmer Writing Center.
Jer is highly influenced by Eastern religions, having independently studied various spiritual paths for over 15 years. One of his greatest passions is interfaith dialogue, and he enjoys building bridges between people of different religions and non-theists. Jer founded Q&Spiritual , the University’s Humanist Community, and University of Lynchburg’s Buddhist Community as well as co-founding Sangha. He is also the advisor for Hillel. Jer enjoys chanting, meditation, and spiritual artwork.
Christie Rapp ’83
Office Manager
rapp@lynchburg.edu
The glue that holds our office together, Christie Rapp has been employed on campus since 1989, the past 25 years of which were spent in the Spiritual Life Center where she has served with at least five different chaplains. She is a 1983 graduate of the University of Lynchburg (then Lynchburg College) with a degree in English, and a minor in Journalism. Other departments to which she has contributed on campus include the Economics Department, the Bonner Leader Program, the Summer Residential Governor’s School, and for two years as Vice Chair of the Commencement Committee. Christie and her husband, Chip, have three grown children, the youngest of which is an LC grad – woohoo! She is a native of Portsmouth, Virginia and loves water sports, southern rock music, and dining out. Her favorite thing about working in the Spiritual Life Center is learning more about and appreciating the many different religions and spiritualities of Lynchburg’s students.
Kayla Serratore
Director of Catholic Campus Ministry
serratore_kr@lynchburg.edu
Kayla Serratore is the Director of Catholic Campus Ministry at the University of Lynchburg. A graduate of Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science in Family and Child Development, she was the founder and president of the school’s first Catholic Campus Ministry. An avid reader, runner, and lover of the autumn season in Virginia, Kayla is very excited to be joining the Spiritual Life Center on campus.
Ministers on Call
Our Ministers on Call support our Spiritual Life staff through pastoral care and as on-call minister presence to the campus. During the academic year, a Minister on Call is available 24 hours a day for any crisis or emergency.
Ministers on call:
- Randy Bower, bower.r@lynchburg.edu
- Nina Salmon ’93 MEd, PhD salmon@lynchburg.edu
