Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! is not a chorus from the famous Handel’s Messiah, but rather a gathering of God’s people weekly in worship to lift the highest praise. The Hallelujah! community is a student-led Christian worship service established during the 1990-1991 academic year on the campus of Princeton University. The Reverend William C. Gipson, the Associate Dean of Religious Life at that time, along with several undergraduates, recognized the need for a regular worship experience in the African American church tradition that allowed students the freedom to "bless their origins." From its inception until the present day, Hallelujah! is an interdenominational worship experience that draws deeply from the richness and diversity of the African American church.
The vibrant weekly worship service has evolved into a dynamic and active faith community through preaching, teaching, fellowship and community service that seeks to make a difference on the campus and beyond. Through the ministry of proclamation, praise and prayer, Hallelujah! offers a sacred place of worship where all can experience the power and presence of God in an atmosphere of acceptance and authenticity. The Reverend Deborah K. Blanks, Associate Dean of Religious Life and of the Chapel has served as pastor of Hallelujah! since she arrived in the fall semester of 1997. Dean Blanks works with gifted seminarians from Princeton Theological Seminary, and the Hallelujah! Worship Committee to provide the leadership that enables all to celebrate the rhythm of God alive in their lives.