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Donor Profile
THE ROLE OF FAITH AND THE CHAPLAINCY:
Support for endowment campaign flows from service, faith and commitment
Top: Rev. Tom ’69 and Mary Peoples ’70/M ’98 Babler Below: Rev. Dr. Lynn ’67 and Donna Allison ’67 Pries
The new $3 million Chaplaincy, Faith and Action Endowment—part of the Brilliant Future Campaign—will secure the future of the College chaplain position and ensure that North Central’s faith traditions continue to transform student lives. Below, two alumni couples explain why they’re supporting this critically important initiative.
Rev. Tom ’69 and Mary Peoples ’70/M ’98 Babler met on Mary’s third day on campus, when a common friend introduced them. They’ve been fast friends ever since, recently celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.
But theirs wasn’t the only lifelong friendship built at the College. “Our family of North Central friends has roots in the past, but it’s very forward-looking,” observed Tom. Richard Peacock ’69, who founded the Dr. Jacob Sackmann Endowed Scholarship for Peacemaking with his wife Janice Fellers ’69 Peacock, was Tom’s roommate. Former College chaplain Rev. Mike Moser ’70 was in Mary’s graduating class, and Rev. Dr. Lynn Pries ’67 and his wife Donna Allison ’67 Pries are active members of Community Church, where they shared friendship and ministry with Tom during his 15-year pastorate there.
The Bablers have also dedicated their lives to service. Mary taught elementary school and earned her master’s of education at North Central in 1998. Tom led several United Methodist congregations while remaining active with Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, where he received his master of divinity degree in 1973 and serves as a life trustee. He received North Central’s Wall of Witness award in 2014.
The couple credits North Central’s chaplains with significantly expanding their worldviews. “We were both from small farming communities and small high schools,” said Tom. “So coming to Naperville and North Central was a big transition for us.”
Mary met Rev. Larry Bouldin as a prospective student, and during her first year began tutoring students in Chicago through a program offered through his office. "I learned then that the world was a much bigger place than I had realized,” said Mary. “That experience really expanded my horizons.”
It’s no surprise that the couple have been loyal supporters of the College for decades, giving to the Albright-Wesley Society, Cardinal Operation Hope and Help, and other funds close to their hearts. But on Sept. 9, 2021—55 years after the day they met—they made a major gift to the Chaplaincy, Faith and Action Endowment. “We never expected to be in a position to do that, and we feel so blessed,” said Tom. “So much is changing in the church, in the College, in the world. We felt an urgent call to do what we could to help secure the position of North Central’s chaplain.”
-REV. TOM BABLER ’69
He added that they are grateful their daughter Jennica Babler ’95 Smoke had her own experiences through New Visions with Rev. Dr. Barbara Isaacs and Rev. Carol Cory. Jennica also met her husband, Rev. John Smoke ’94, through campus ministry. “We’re glad the College’s faith programs are changing with the world, and we want them to be available to students in the future. We want students to be able to say, like we did, ‘This is where I did what I didn’t expect to do.’”
For Rev. Dr. Lynn ’67 and Donna Allison ’67 Pries, the campaign to endow the chaplaincy and Office of Faith and Action reflects a commitment to faith and social justice they developed as students. Lynn would spend 20 years as the College’s chaplain, building his own legacy in campus ministry.
“(The chaplain) provides a religious figure who offers services to all students,” he said. “It’s that person who designs and leads programs with a faith tradition and moral focus—as demonstrated by the numbers of students who’ve participated in mission outreach and activities like Focus worship services.”
The chaplain plays a critical role serving students of all faith traditions, he said. “So many students who’ve come to North Central are seeking to grow in their Christian faith. And those of Islamic, Jewish and other faiths have similar desires. The chaplain’s role is to serve students of all faiths, just as Chaplain Eric Doolittle does now. The United Methodist Church relationship is critical to the College’s mission.”
Pries grew up in Eyota, Minn., and attended North Central at the urging of his pastor, Rev. Dale Wordelman ’56. “One of the reasons I give is that someone …allowed the College to offer a scholarship to me,” he said. “My experience opened my eyes to the world, to evils of injustice, discrimination, and war. I found my life's calling, I met my wife, and developed the academic knowledge that allowed me to graduate from seminary, earn a doctoral degree and become a pastor and later, a college chaplain.”
-REV. DR. LYNN PRIES ’67
Lynn and Donna met when they were elected president and vice president of the Seager Association, a student organization for those who felt a call to serve God in full-time ministry. “We soon found that we had many things in common and similar goals,” said Pries.
Lynn was mentored by the Rev. George St. Angelo ’43, who served as a model for engagement in social justice and civil rights. When Pries was appointed chaplain in 1994, he hoped he could emulate St. Angelo’s leadership. “It’s important to offer opportunities for students to grow as whole persons, in their religious faith, their ability to work with diverse teams, and their leadership as they grow in their academic knowledge.”
Lynn has worked to expand financial resources for students through the Albright-Wesley Society and through a relationship with Grace United Methodist Church in Naperville, which gives scholarship support to students.
The couple has pledged $100,000 to the campaign which flows out of their deep commitment as College alumni. Added Lynn: “A College chaplain provides a moral voice for social justice when needed, compassion in times of crisis, advocacy for full inclusion for everyone, and support for students of every religious tradition.”
Tom Babler, Junior 1968
Lynn Pries, Senior 1967
Mary Peoples, Sophomore 1968
Donna Allison, Senior 1967
For more information about the Chaplaincy, Faith and Action Endowment, please visit brilliantfuture.northcentralcollege.edu or contact Mike Moser, major gifts officer, at mpmoser@noctrl.edu.
