• Ben • Calvin • Nancy • Meesh • Noah •
Ben
The current CCO church partner to ACF is ‘New Life‘, Glenside (New Life Presbyterian Church). As of 2019, since that partnership began, Ben Thompson has been the staff member serving the fellowship. He is a salaried staff member of both CCO and NLC. Practically, and particularly because NLC formally ordained him the Reverend Benjamin Thompson, he divides his time between church and ACF responsibilities.
Read more: Pastor Ben on CCO’s ministry at ACF (MailChimp)
Arcadia University recognizes Ben’s presence on campus, but is precise in pointing out that it does not employ him nor any other “volunteer adjunct religious advisor” (VARA).
Postscript: Ben ended work in campus ministry with CCO on 30 June 2026 (Official Announcement).
Go to Ministerial Leadership list
Calvin
I joined the staff of CCO on 15 February 2026 from my 8-month-old previous role as a volunteer (iCandybyWangC.com). My part-time status is at 30% of full-time: 12 hours/week. (Learn about becoming an organizational partner and donor through Calvin Wang @ CCO [iCandybyWangC.com].)
Read more: iCandybyWangC.com Author
READ and COLLAPSE to read my text as a volunteer
[Until 2026’02’15’U] I am odd in my own right because I am a volunteer member of CCO and that at a ¼ part-time level. I draw no salary from CCO and draw no formal guidance from a partner church. CCO does recognize me as an official volunteer, so I benefit from its organizational resources and the privilege of using its name. (As far as AU is concerned, you might call me a volunteer volunteer.)
This is not to say that I am independent of any church leadership. That would be spiritual suicide for any Christian. [iWC]
I am also under the authority of a registered church’s leadership. To not be would be spiritual suicide for any Christian.
I have been a member of Philadelphia Chinatown’s Chinese Christian Church and Center (C4) since 1989, when my wife and I first moved to the area as new professionals (CCCnC.org). While I have served the church in many different leadership and teaching capacities, C4 does not formally recognize my role with CCO and ACF.
My relationship with AU and ACF is as odd as I am because I was literally an AU employee for 17 years—as the Sciences librarian—beginning in 2005 and ending in 2022. During the majority of that time, I was the institutional staff advisor to ACF and saw its organizational support migrate from IVCF to CCO and, with the latter, from Glenside Bible Church (before Ben Thompson) to NLC. Since there was always a VARA supporting the fellowship, my role was not primarily spiritual, but official. I would occasionally attend fellowship meetings and provide institutional and some spiritual guidance.
Read more: Emotional, Social, and Spiritual Support – Your role in my journey
Now Ben and I are official staff colleagues.
Go to Ministerial Leadership list
Nancy
As far as being a CCO volunteer (formerly known as an ‘associate’), I am preceded by another, Nancy Bower (@ CCO), who began her own tenure as a part-time organization member (at the same time Ben did) in 2019. So, the CCO presence at AU’s ACF is 3 strong. (Mathematically, that would actually be 1½ strong, because Nancy and I are both ¼ time.) As a volunteer, like me, she is not officially supported by a local church. She is a member of Bridge Community Church, Jenkintown, PA.
Go to Ministerial Leadership list
Meesh
There is a non-CCO volunteer who is supported by another local church. Meesh Yardumian (Michelle @ NLD) is on the staff of New Life Dresher—a church plant of NLC—where she also worships. Her designated role is in administration and young-adult service.
Go to Ministerial Leadership list
Noah
Then, finally, there is an actual Arcadia University staff member who coaches Men’s and Women’s Track, Noah Grimm. Noah is simultaneously a Westminster Seminary student studying for his master of divinity (M.Div.) degree (like Ben when he first started as an ACF volunteer before he joined CCO). Noah leads an Athletes’ bible study. We consider him to be a ministry partner who serves a number of the students that also attend ACF club meetings.
Postscript: Noah left his role as a staff member at Arcadia with the end of Spring Semester 2026.
Go up one level
2026’07’26’U: Converted to blogpost
2026’03’27’F: Updated Noah [block], reading duration
2026’02’25’W: Updated (Calvin details)
2025’09’11’R: Published
iCandybyWangC 