photo by: Joshua Thurston
Detective James Taylor from Evergreen, Ala. has started an on-campus mass to empower and engage Troy University students to pursue their callings in life while having a foundational and spiritual platform.
“Global Touch Ministries is the ministry I’m teaching through,” Taylor said. “I wanted to have a service here on campus that would not only be convenient for the students, but also a ministry that teaches qualities in a person such as the Trojan way.”
Taylor has ordained twice in both a non-denominational church and a Baptist church.
His masses are non-denominational services so he can cater to the student body as a whole and not just one denominational background.
Taylor wanted to give the students the freedom of worship seeing that Troy is a diverse university including international students who are welcomed to attend.
“As a licensed minister of the gospel, I felt that an on-campus service would be very important here,” Taylor said. “I saw a need for it and I’ve had a positive outpour of students who are all different walks of life. It’s growing and I’m excited to see where this goes.”
Taylor is currently the only minister that teaches on Sundays but he plans to find more ministers that could teach as well.
He believes that even though the university is coming together as a collective body in this religious way, Taylor hopes to help students with their individual needs.
“I see myself as a somewhat youth pastor because I have an open door policy,” Taylor said. “Students can come in and give concerns, and I can help them with what they may need in hopes that they will one day be a future alumni of Troy University that may come back and help or be active in this ministry.”
The ministry may have plans for bible studies and mid-week services as it continues to grow depending on the retention feedback from students.
Taylor is currently working on the possibility of a location for the Global Touch Ministries to have a community center in the future where students will have a positive place to study and talk to Taylor and other ministers.
Right now there is not a specific area, but Taylor wants to keep convenience in mind for students who live on campus so that a student may just walk from their dorm to a service or to spend time at another location.
“We wanted to do it for the convenience sake of the students,” Taylor said. “Not everyone has a car to drive off campus and there isn’t always a shuttle van that will take you to a facility. They can walk across campus and be here. We’re blessed to have a chapel open on Sunday mornings and the response has been awesome. No words can describe how great it’s been and every Sunday there’s a bigger crowd.”
Being an ordained minister and having the gift to preach the word, Taylor felt as if he was called to give his gift in a positive manner seeing as he thinks of the university as his extended family.
“Chancellor Hawkins always talks about Troy as a family, and now I get to help out my extended family and give back to them in a new way,” Taylor said.
Global Touch Ministries has a worship service every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. at Sorrell Chapel.
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