AU's Baptist Collegiate Ministry speak on COVID-19 guidelines

By Garrett Powell | Contributor

Members of Augusta University’s Baptist Collegiate Ministry have mixed feelings about the strictness of the school’s COVID-19 precautions. The vaccine has been available for almost a year, but some students are still uncertain if reducing the amount of precautions is wise.

Josh DePeaza, the current president of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, said not all students who participate in this ministry feel the same about the COVID-19 policies.

“It’s a mix. Some people are more concerned than others,” said DePeaza.

The Baptist Collegiate Ministry is student-led and one of several Christian campus ministries at Augusta University. The main large-group event held by the organization is a weekly meetup at a church where anywhere from 40 to 80 students gather.

This campus ministry is composed of all different types of people with various backgrounds. DePeaza said that approximately 30% of students in his ministry were very concerned with COVID-19 and were being very cautious, while the other 70% were less concerned with safeguards.

All of the student clubs at Augusta University have different requirements and precautions when it comes to the prevention of COVID-19. DePeaza said that Baptist Collegiate Ministry has various safety measures in place in order to align with school policy and also to protect students.

“We scan temperatures upon student arrival, require students to sign in so that they can keep attendance, provide hand sanitizer, and those who serve food are supposed to wear masks and gloves,” he said.

This specific campus ministry does not require students to wear masks, and during their weekly meets, the majority of the people who participate do not wear masks, but those who wish to wear masks are more than welcome.

Once the initial quarantine ended back in 2020 and things began to open back up, the Baptist Collegiate Ministry changed their weekly gathering location to be at a local church instead of the Summerville campus. This gave the ministry more freedom in regards to COVID-19 regulations since they were meeting at an off-campus facility.

DePeaza expressed his personal feelings about how strict precautions should be for campus clubs, saying that he believes they should be more relaxed.

“There is a vaccine out,” he said. “People should still be sanitary but not put strict rules on it.”

At top of page, AU’s Baptist Collegiate Ministry president Josh DePeaza, left, says the ministry works to ensure safety of students. (photo courtesy of Aubrey Smith)

Contact Garret Powell at gapowell@augusta.edu.