History of the MCA

Our History of Supporting the Spiritual Life in Higher Education

A Brief History of the Dayton Ministry in Higher Education (DMHE) as authored by the late Reverend, Dr., Multifaith Chaplain, Barbara Battin, and edited by Sheranita Hemphill.

On July 17, 1965, the Dayton Area Campus Ministry (DMHE) board of directors (board) was incorporated to provide for a religious ministry for institutions of higher learning in the Dayton, Ohio area. As of 2020, this organization has taken shape through the presence of full and part-time campus ministry personnel for five and a half decades. The founding board worked with Protestant Christian congregations in the Dayton area to provide ministry at Sinclair Community College and Wright State University. The DMHE board focused its ministry at Sinclair Community College and also employed a part-time campus minister.

Until as recently as 2018, the board cooperated with the Archdiocese of Cincinnati as the Office of Campus Ministry: A Multifaith Center for Spiritual Life. Though this partnership, the DMHE provided a campus ministry presence that offered support and challenge to students already on a spiritual journey, welcomed spiritual seekers and extended hospitality to those who came with a need for a listening ear, an open heart and the experience of God’s compassion and grace.

In 2007, under the advisement of the DMHE board and the leadership of the late Reverend, Dr. Barbara Battin, the DMHE board assessed its mission and purpose. They recognized and valued the growing multicultural presence on the campus and so begin the transition from being an exclusive Protestant-based organization to include other faith-based organizations, the DMHE begin to incorporate interfaith outreach and initiatives.

In 2014, the DMHE changed its name to the Multifaith Campus Alliance (MCA) of the Miami Valley and updated its mission to reflect its new purpose. The current mission is the “MCA envisions a future where people of all spiritual backgrounds find a welcoming place at Sinclair to celebrate religious diversity and multifaith dialogue.” The MCA continues to be supported by individuals, families, a consortium of religions, denominations, and local congregations, and community organizations in the Dayton area, and the Ohio region.

Historic Leadership

Jane Steinhauser (1953-2020)

After completing her Masters of Divinity and her Doctorate in Ministry from the Chicago Theological Seminary, and at a time when women were struggling within the Catholic Church, Jane turned to sharing her strength of soul to a myriad of students and mental health practitioners through teaching in the mental health program at Sinclair Community College. Later, she served as Sinclair’s Director of Campus Ministry for 35 years and as Diocesan Director for Campus Ministry in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for 24 years. Jane graciously shared her intelligence and her sense of humor and opened up grace in all she met. She offered her gifts of creative prayer, counseling and spiritual direction to the campus, the Church, and local community. Jane taught us all the meaning of grace.

Barbara Louise Battin (1950-2019)

Ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 1979, Barbara served six churches in Ohio, Illinois and Minnesota, and served as Interfaith Campus Minister at the College of Wooster and at Sinclair Community College. She worked with the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, leading international travel study seminars, writing peacemaking resources for congregations, and assisting with the International Peacemakers Program and the Interfaith Listening Project. Locally, she worked for interfaith dialogue, multi-faith understanding, and the Beloved Community of economic, political, social, and gender justice of which Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed. She made the Great Transition with joy and peace and now is dwelling completely in the Sacred Mystery. Throughout her life she sought to fulfill the instructions of the Psalmist (34:14) to "Seek peace and pursue it" and the prophet Micah (6:8) "to do justice, love compassion and walk humbly with God."

Amanda Hayden's Tribute to Rev. Dr. Barbara Battin

Three days before she passed, I dreamt about Barbara. We were in a boat on a river and she was entering a large cave in this beautiful rock face of a mountain. I hugged her goodbye in the dream and said, "You'll get to meet the Dalai Lama!"

When I woke up, I immediately called her. Her weakened voice and words confirmed for me what my heart already knew - that there wasn't much time left. I quickly summarized the dream for her and she said softly, "Well, meeting the Dalai Lama sounds fun!"

There is no amount of room to express appropriately the influence Barbara has had in our lives over the past 16 years. She was a holy soul who truly lived the words of Jesus. She talked and practiced inclusion and compassion decades before this became common language. She performed multifaith blessings for my daughters when they were babies, creating such special ceremonies and memories. She sent special cards and books every single birthday to the girls, always with themes of compassion, kindness, the earth, love and peace.

Barbara LOVED our chickens and every time she visited us, delighted in their diverse colors and personalities. Barbara also loved bubbles, so much so that any birthday party, I always made sure we had bubbles "for Barbara."

Her delight in children's views of the world, in reading books, in feeding her backyard birds and ducks, in the existence of puffins and the gifts God has created for us on this earth always brought so much joy.

Barbara was my spiritual advisor, my favorite Presbyterian, my girls' fairy godmother. She is someone who always kept it authentic, whose wisdom never ceased and whose company I enjoyed whether we were participating in a religious ceremony (many over the years), on our porch while she read books with my daughters in her lap, or throwing back diet Dr. Peppers on campus while discussing the multiple lenses to read the Bible through.

Writing a tribute to express what such a special soul means to you feels like attempting to use a grain of sand to represent all a beach is and can be. Rev. Dr. Barbara Battin, we will miss you so much. There are so many things in this joyful life that we will remember and celebrate you through.

I have faith you are at peace, released of the pain of this body, now a pure lightning bolt ball of soul energy, free to be the angel you always were.

Margaret Haney

Margaret Haney has received degrees in history and sociology and has served as a professor of sociology and as an executive of church governance in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A). She is a life-long member of Christian congregations wherever she resided with a particular interest in dialogue across human boundaries through activities in local communities, national, and world organizations. She serves as a volunteer in organizations working with neighborhood interaction (Dayton Urban Ministry) and cooperation with persons in meeting their needs for basic necessities, ID credentials, and other opportunities for interaction—usually through the congregation where she is a member.

Nancy Jones

Nancy Jones grew up as a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers) in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When she was in eighth grade, her Quaker religious education class spent the year visiting services at a wide variety of churches and synagogues in order to broaden their experience with other faiths. That year fueled a lifelong interest in understanding other people's faith journeys. Nancy earned a B.A. in Government and a J.D., practiced law in Cleveland, and worked with numerous nonprofit organizations in Dayton. During her twelve years at Sinclair, she wrote grants for the Sinclair Grants Office and administered several grant-funded projects. Nancy enjoys writing, hiking and exercising her curiosity. You can read her blog at www.craftingacareer.com.

Amanda Hayden

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