For more information on our chaplaincies and faith communities, click HERE.
Chaplains are listed in alphabetical order:
Rev. Rhoda Barron
Assistant Chaplain
Historically Black Church*
rbarron@syr.edu
Rev. Devon Bartholomew
Chaplain
Advisor, Christian Outreach
Christian Outreach of CNY*
dtbartho@syr.edu
716.983.7786
Rev. Devon Bartholomew moved to Syracuse when he became a student at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF). He later became an ordained minister at Hendricks Chapel in 2018 after years of working with the Baptist Chaplain. Devon also serves the community as Hendricks Chapel’s Christian Protestant Chaplaincy coordinator and sometimes teaches First-Year Seminar (FYS) at Syracuse University & Intro to Arboriculture at SUNY-ESF. Devon loves talking about trees and mushrooms, foraging for apples and berries, and hiking with his wife Kate and three daughters, Mira, Anastasia and Rosemary.
Sensei JoAnn Cooke
Chaplain
Advisor, Buddhist Meditation Association
Zen Center of Syracuse*
jmcooke@syr.edu
315.559.7013
Imam Hamza Gürsoy
Chaplain
Advisor, Muslim Student Association
mhgursoy@syr.edu
224.382.1206
Imam Hamza Gürsoy is the Muslim Chaplain at Hendricks Chapel, Syracuse University, where he serves as advisor for the Muslim Student Association. Originally from Bursa, Turkey, Chaplain Gürsoy previously served as a chaplain at Swedish Hospital in Chicago and as an Islamic Studies teacher at the Science Academy of Chicago. He holds a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Chicago Theological Seminary and two bachelor’s degrees in Islamic Sciences from the American Islamic College of Chicago and Bedir University of Tirana, Albania. Gürsoy is passionate about teaching religious studies, ethics, spiritual development, and fostering meaningful connections through faith-based counseling and mentorship.
Pastor Daren C. Jaime
Chaplain
Advisor, Glorify God
Historically Black Church*
dcjaime@syr.edu
512.992.8743
Pastor Daren C. Jaime moved to Syracuse 17 years ago and hails from Harlem, New York. His ministerial journey began in 1994, when he acknowledged his call to ministry at the Saint Frances A.M.E. Zion Church in Port Chester, New York. He is currently the senior pastor at People’s A.M.E. Zion Church in Syracuse and is very active in the local community. Pastor Jaime has also been privileged to reach a global community as an award-winning journalist, educating minds across the world through his former radio show “Power Perspectives” and his weekly live television broadcasts of “Perspectives” and “Open” on Bronxnet.
Rev. Jeff Kane
Associate Chaplain
Upstate New York Synod (Lutheran)*
jkane@syr.edu
518.522.9300
315.355.7900
Rev. Julie Kelly
Chaplain
Upstate New York Synod (Lutheran)
jkelly56@syr.edu
Rev. Julie Kelly is the Lutheran Chaplain at Hendricks Chapel, Syracuse University. An ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), she brings over 30 years of experience working with military families, specializing in Family Readiness Groups, Suicidality Prevention, and Family Advocacy. Rev. Kelly is passionate about interfaith relationships and advocacy for marginalized communities. She has served as a chaplain at Los Angeles County Hospital, USC, and with Red Cross Disaster Spiritual Care, along with various Lutheran and Episcopal congregations. She holds a Bachelor’s in Organizational Leadership from Fort Hays State University and an M.Div. from Luther Seminary.
Jay Koshy
Chaplain
Advisor, Bridge
Evangelical Christian*
jekoshy@syr.edu
Rabbi Natan Levy
Jewish Chaplain
Advisor, Hillel Jewish Student Union*
mlevy12@syr.edu
Rabbi Dr. Natan Levy is Campus Rabbi for Syracuse Hillel and Jewish Chaplain at Hendricks Chapel, Syracuse University. Originally from California, he received rabbinical ordination in 2006 from Yeshivat Ha’Mivtar, Israel. Rabbi Levy previously served as Head of Operations for the Faiths Forum for London, Senior Lecturer at Leo Baeck College, and environmental liaison to the late Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. An internationally respected interfaith leader, he holds a Ph.D. in environmental theology from the University of Bristol. His scholarly work focuses on interfaith understanding and ecological sustainability, and he has been awarded numerous fellowships for his interreligious dialogue work.
Sanjay Mathur
Chaplain
Advisor, Hindu Student Association
North American Hindu Chaplains*
smathu02@syr.edu
Sanjay Mathur is the Hindu Chaplain at Hendricks Chapel, Syracuse University, where he serves the campus’s Hindu community and interfaith efforts. A founding board member of the North American Hindu Chaplains Association (NHCA), Mathur is a national leader with deep ties to Central New York. He also serves as Hindu Chaplain for Rochester Institute of Technology and University of Rochester, and previously served as president of the Board of Trustees for the Hindu Temple of Rochester. A sought-after speaker and teacher on spirituality and health, Mathur is dedicated to reflective listening, compassionate care, and inspiring students.
Rev. William Payne
Chaplain
Advisor, Fellowship of Christian Athletes*
wmpayne@syr.edu
315.664.2338
In March 2018 Rev. William Payne was appointed as campus director of the University’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Payne started playing baseball at an early age, sustained a love of sports throughout his youth in Maryland, and continues to blend athletics and ministry. After graduating from Liberty University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1996, he went on to graduate from Baptist Bible Seminary in Pennsylvania in 2004. He served as a pastor in Michigan and Syracuse before joining the FCA. Payne is enthusiastic about ministering alongside students of the campus community.
Sophia Perez
Assistant Chaplain
Christian Outreach of CNY*
sperez21@syr.edu
956.502.2400
Sensei Jikyo Bonnie Shoultz
Assistant Chaplain
Zen Center of Syracuse*
bshoultz@syr.edu
315.492.6341
Rev. Jee Hae Song
Chaplain
United Methodists of Upper New York*
jsong11@syr.edu
Rev. Jee Hae Song is a first-generation immigrant from Seoul, South Korea who arrived in Syracuse in 2016 to serve two United Methodist Churches just after graduating with her master’s degree in divinity. As a passionate storyteller, who speaks both Korean and English fluently, she weaves biblical and modern-day stories, inviting congregants to strengthen and grow their relationship with God. Reverend Song is passionate about community-building, education, and assisting young adults in navigating life paths. She loves to read, travel, hike, eat Korean food, and sing.
Fr. Gerry Waterman
Chaplain
Advisor, Catholic Association at Syracuse University
Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse*
fwaterma@syr.edu
315.443.2649
Fr. Gerald (Gerry) Waterman, OFM Conv. is a Conventual Franciscan Friar of the East Coast Province of Our Lady of the Angels, headquartered in Ellicott City, MD. Fr. Gerry hails from Bridgeport, CT, and in 1973 entered the Novitiate. He professed Solemn Vows in 1981 in Chicopee, MA and in 1985 was ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, NY. After ministering at Elon University, he joined Syracuse University. Fr. Gerry enjoys being outside in nature, especially by the sea.
For more information on our chaplaincies and faith communities, click HERE.
*Denotes Sending Organization or Tradition
Syracuse University seeks to host chaplaincies that represent religious and spiritual expressions that contribute toward Hendricks Chapel’s mission to “lead in service to the common good through religious, spiritual, moral and ethical life.” In addition to their presence on campus, chaplains are also expected to meet the professional expectations within their particular Sending Organization (i.e., the external religious organization from which the chaplain comes). Chaplains serve at the pleasure of the Dean of Hendricks Chapel in collaboration with the respective Sending Organization. To qualify as a Chaplain at Hendricks Chapel of Syracuse University, one must be, among other things, appointed by, and be in good standing with, a Sending Organization with an established presence, appropriate resources, and transparent beliefs, traditions, and operations.