After nearly 15 years serving as a minister in Connecticut, the Rev. Jonathan Chapman received a letter saying Elon Community Church’s senior minister planned to retire.
“I burst into tears because I knew what it meant,” Chapman said.
Chapman is returning to Elon, this time as the senior minister of Elon Community Church.
For Chapman, the move marks not only a return to the church but to a community that helped shape his path to ministry.
Chapman first arrived at Elon in 2003 as a freshman. He lived in Jordan Center which at the time was across the parking lot from the Elon Community Church. He began attending services and eventually became a member during his junior year.
Chapman said his experience at the church helped pave his path toward ministry.
“All through seminary, I had said, ‘well, you know, if Elon ever opened back up, I would definitely apply for it,” Chapman said.
The church did have an opening around the time Chapman graduated, but he said he was considered too young for the position. Instead, he accepted a ministry position in Connecticut, where he remained for 14 years.
He had not been looking for another job when he received the letter about the opening, but began the process specifically to apply for the position at Elon Community Church.
The search began after former senior minister Randy Orwig announced his retirement in July 2025. When Orwig left, the church brought interim co-senior ministers Richard and Jill Edens.
The couple had previously served as senior ministers at United Church of Chapel Hill for 38 years.
Richard Edens said the church began its search for a permanent senior minister in January while he and his wife served in their interim roles.
Because Elon Community Church is part of the United Church of Christ, the congregation conducts its own search rather than having a denomination leader appoint a minister.
“All UCC churches are self-governing,” Edens said. “So it means when there is a vacancy, like a minister’s position, the church goes through the process of calling the person.”
The church formed committees to develop a profile of the congregation’s members and begin the search. The position description was distributed nationally through the United Church of Christ. Edens said about 25 people submitted applications.
After interviews, the search committee recommended Chapman to the congregation.
Chapman returned to Elon for a candidate weekend, where he met members of the congregation and preached during Sunday worship. The congregation then voted on whether to call him as its next senior minister.
He received 95.8% of the vote.
For Chapman, returning to Elon feels less like moving somewhere new and more like coming home.
Chapman will begin his new role Dec. 1. He said he hopes to help the Elon Community Church strengthen its role as a progressive Christian voice in Alamance County while continuing its work in social justice.
He also wants to strengthen the church’s relationship with Elon University and help bridge the divide between the university and surrounding community.
Chapman’s appointment also makes him the first openly gay senior minister of Elon Community Church. The church has been officially designated as open and affirming for more than 11 years, said Chapman.
Chapman said he hopes his appointment shows LGBTQ+ members of Elon University and Alamance County that they are welcome.
“There’s a place for you here,” Chapman said.
Chapman said the church has an opportunity to create a different model of Christianity for people who may not feel represented.
“I think we have a real opportunity here to help craft a new narrative about what church is, what church should be and what it can be,” Chapman said.
As he prepares to leave Connecticut and return to Elon, Chapman said he is looking forward to reconnecting with the community where his journey toward ministry began.
For Chapman, returning to Elon marks a chance to reconnect with the community that first shaped his path while beginning a new chapter of ministry.
“It’s coming home and a new beginning all at once,” Chapman said.