TWU Richmond has a new campus pastor. Please join us in welcoming Thomas Goodfellow, who is now part of the Richmond Student Life team, serving the campus’ global student community.
Anyone who knows Thomas Goodfellow, knows that he loves working with college students.
Thomas, who began his role as TWU Richmond’s campus pastor in August 2021, discovered his life calling while serving in a variety of ministry contexts.
After teaching and serving congregations in several churches in the U.K. and the U.S., Thomas discovered that – while he was excited to work with many age groups, one demographic in particular captured his heart.
“The people that I was most excited to work with – that I found myself celebrating and enjoying – were the college students,” he said.
“The more that I explored this, the more that I saw God could use me in this area.”
For a while, Thomas held onto his dream of being able to work especially with college students. Then one day, in the summer of 2021, a family member referred Thomas to an opportunity at Trinity Western University.
Through a series of online interviews, Thomas met several people from TWU Richmond with whom he shared an immediate connection, “Everything from our passion for Jesus to talking (to Kim Chen) about Star Wars,” he recalls.
Soon, Thomas and his wife Erin found themselves moving from Washington to launch a new adventure in Richmond, B.C.
Summing up his journey from the U.S. to Canada, Thomas said, “God was good and provided a way.”
Welcome to Trinity Western
Here in Canada, Thomas was welcomed by the TWU Richmond community. “I entered into a fantastic team,” says Thomas, referring to his colleagues Director of Student Life Kim Chen, and Student Life Coordinators Vera Xiong and Amy Saya. He adds that Allan Kotanen, from Student Life in TWU Langley, is an honorary member of the Richmond team.
Thomas describes the TWU Richmond team as very focused on the task at hand, “All of them sharing their love for Jesus and introducing students to a God who loves them,” he said.
“In this role I have been blessed with the opportunity to re-launch Chapel services, start a men’s group, form a community group for seeking students, and practice relational ministry in a context where students are seeking answers to the biggest questions in life.”
In addition to a variety of clubs and student leadership opportunities, TWU Richmond has been running Alpha courses, community events, and a podcast called Refocus.
As the campus pastor, Thomas describes his role in terms of relationship-building.
“I’m responsible for spiritual care for the Richmond campus, actively working on student discipleship and ministry, while also serving with spiritual care for staff and faculty,” he said.
“In this role I have been blessed with the opportunity to re-launch Chapel services, start a men’s group, form a community group for seeking students, and practice relational ministry in a context where students are seeking answers to the biggest questions in life.”
“We meet them where they’re at, and we help them to move forward and move in relationship with God.”
Global community
TWU Richmond has a very international mix of students. While most of the students are from mainland China, there is also an increasing population from Iran, Bangladesh and India, just to name a few countries. The campus’ global make-up provides an opportune context for staff and faculty to demonstrate the love of Jesus to students.
Although many students come from a non-Christian background, Thomas noticed that they are excited to talk about God, spirituality, and love. “It’s a really good environment for student outreach,” he says.
He is further encouraged by students’ level of interest and involvement. Partly because students have classes that integrate Christian beliefs – for example, classes that teach leadership from Biblical examples – they are interested to see the lived experience of Christian teachings in believers’ lives.
Campus ministry at TWU Richmond
Currently TWU Richmond is running Chapel services every other week, followed by a Men’s Group on the alternate weeks. An ongoing Alpha course is coming near to completion. As well, the campus hosts many special events. Upcoming, the community looks forward to a retreat at Thetis Island, B.C. with a focus on exploring servant leadership through Biblical examples. This December, the team hopes to include worship in the campus Christmas events.
On Sunday nights, Thomas and his wife Erin host a community group at their home, to connect with students.
Supporting TWU Richmond in prayer
When asked, “How can we be praying for TWU Richmond?” Thomas shared several key themes.
- Pray that TWU staff and faculty can have good conversations with students.
Thomas and his team value relationships with students. “We meet them where they’re at, and we help them to move forward and move in relationship with God,” he says.
- Pray that the team does God-honouring work.
When it comes to ministry, Thomas and his team desire to do the right things. “Pray that we do things that are meaty, meaningful and refreshing,” he says.
- Pray that the students can enjoy a healthy rhythm of life.
Thomas and his team seek to support students in sustainable, life-giving practices. “Pray that students have time to breathe and to refresh – and also to engage well in intense times of ‘digging in,’” he shared.
- Pray that students can have good social services, good relationships and good support.
One common challenge that many students face is homesickness. That’s when being in community can help. “Pray that students are able to plug into good wellness services,” says Thomas.
About Thomas Goodfellow
Thomas Goodfellow was born in North West England, in a “recovering mill town” called Wigan. After coming to know Jesus Christ at age nine, Thomas says, “I am still on the journey of getting to know him today.”
As a young adult, Thomas studied at Capernwray Bible School and Trinity College Bristol (at the University of Bristol), before moving to the U.S. to pursue further theological studies. He graduated from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois, with a Bachelor of Arts in Pastoral Ministry and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry and Congregational Leadership. Thomas served at Elmbrook Church, a megachurch in Wisconsin, teaching in adults, young adults and middle schoolers. He also served in the roles of Family Pastor, Associate Pastor, and Director of Student Ministry at several churches in the U.S. before coming to TWU in 2021.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to establish meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four campuses: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vital faith community committed to forming leaders to have a transformational impact on culture. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.