From the Princeton Weekly Bulletin October 6, 1997
AME elder joins Chapel staff
"Nontraditional ministry" appeals to former Navy chaplain
By Caroline Moseley
The Reverend Deborah Blanks has always been drawn to what she calls "a nontraditional ministry. I never felt a particular call to be the pastor of a particular congregation," she says. She has always felt a calling -- "a nudge from God in a certain direction" -- to work with diverse populations, especially those including young people.
That's why she looks forward to her first year at Princeton. "The chapel here is an integral part of the life of the University," she explains. At Opening Exercises, at which Blanks pronounced the Benediction, "People filled the chapel; they experienced the splendor and beauty of the sacred space; they joined together to celebrate the new academic year in the joy of a shared sense of community."
Ordained an itinerant elder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Blanks has long ministered to ethnically and religiously diverse congregants. In 10 years as a U.S. Navy chaplain, her assignments included the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Va.; the Naval Training Center in Orlando, Fla.; and the huge Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
In addition to coordinating "the largest Protestant worship service in the Navy, with more than 1,200 members of the command in attendance weekly" in Orlando and serving as sole pastor for more than 2,000 trainees at Camp Lejeune, she provided counseling to servicemen and servicewomen and their families over her years in the Navy. Throughout her various tours of duty, she says, the one constant was "ministering to people, especially young people, in a pluralistic setting."
Rutgers, PTS graduate
When she left the military, Blanks "wanted to continue in a nontraditional role." She became assistant university chaplain at Brown University in 1994. At Brown, in addition to pastoral duties, she was involved in an interfaith Dinner and Dialogue Program; served on the Racial Discrimination Policy and Procedures Committee; worked on a Black-Jewish Project of Understanding; developed diversity training sessions; and was an academic adviser for undergraduate and medical students.
Blanks grew up in New Jersey ("another reason I'm glad to be at Princeton") and is a 1980 graduate of Rutgers University. She earned her 1983 master of divinity degree in psychology and pastoral counseling at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Ga. She went on to the Princeton Theological Seminary, graduating in 1990 with a master's degree in theology and a specialty in pastoral counseling.
A positive presence
Though her experience to date has been with young people of differing backgrounds, she doesn't dismiss the possibility of expanding her ministry in the future. "This has been my calling so far," she says.
At Princeton, she hopes to "build bridges in the community." She plans to "visit and be a part of all of Princeton's religious communities -- Roman Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, all the groups represented on our campus." She also hopes to be a resource to "those many people who don't see themselves as part of any particular denomination." Her goal is "to be able to be a positive presence in people's lives on campus."
If you want to meet the new assistant dean, you can find her in the chapel on many Sundays. You can also find her leading Hallelujah! A Service of Worship, Praise and Testimony, which she describes as "less formal than the chapel service," Sundays at 1:00 p.m. in the East Room of Murray-Dodge.
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