Sometimes, all it takes is an email to make things happen.
“(This chapel) was completely Austin,” said Reverend Gregory Dyson, Taylor’s vice president of spiritual life and intercultural leadership, said. “If somebody asked a question, ‘How did this (chapel) happen?’ Austin was the reason it happened.”
When Taylor sophomore Austin Snively messaged his favorite worship artist, Benjamin William Hastings, about visiting Taylor’s chapel, he did not expect a response. However, when Hastings’ management team responded and expressed interest a few days later, the ball began rolling to bring the singer/songwriter to Upland, Indiana.
Hastings, a renowned Christian artist and former member of Hillsong United, led over 1,500 Taylor students in worship during the university’s Wednesday chapel Feb. 19. During the chapel service, Hastings sang multiple worship hits such as “So Will I (100 Billion X)” and “Gratitude.”
Snively, a discipleship assistant (DA) on Sammy 2, was introduced to Hastings’ music in 2022 when the artist opened for Cody Carnes. He walked away impressed by Hastings’ songwriting ability and Christian walk.
In August of 2024, Snively was perusing Hastings’ website, and the artist’s booking page caught his eye. At that moment, he decided to message Hastings. He asked the artist if would be interested in coming to Taylor’s chapel.
Snively contacted Hastings without notifying Dyson who heads the chapel process, so Snively worried about Dyson’s reaction to the news, he said.
“The next chapel I went to Greg,” Snively said. “I was like, ‘Greg, I did something.’ And I was pretty nervous. I'm not gonna lie. I didn't know what Greg would say.”
However, Dyson appreciated Snively’s initiative.
While many students suggest speakers, Snively’s willingness to take the first steps in establishing a connection set his request apart, Dyson said.
“(Snively) actually came (up) with the solution,” Dyson said. “And I just think that's a great sign of good leadership.”
Once Snively presented him with the idea, Dyson involved his team of all-student chapel coordinators.
Sydnee Follett, a senior Christian ministries major and Taylor’s lead chapel coordinator, led the process, messaging Hasting’s management to flesh out the details. The Hastings’ chapel operated like a normal chapel after settling the price, confirming a date and signing contracts, she said.
“It was months of communication (and) working with his team,” Follett said. “And then he came that morning (and) was here for about three and a half hours. So (a) super short trip, but (it was) really exciting that he was willing to spend the time with us.”
Snively described that day in chapel as “surreal.” Because Snively arrived during sound check, he didn’t meet Hastings till he introduced the artist onstage and hugged him.
At the end of chapel, Snively prayed over Hastings and the entire student body, an experience he said was a complete surprise.
“Greg hid that in his back pocket and totally surprised me,” Snively said. “I was like, ‘Holy Spirit, help me.’ But looking back on it, I'm glad I didn't know, and (it was) such a blessing to pray over the student body, to pray over Ben (and) to pray over chapel. That is just a dream come true.”
After the service, Hastings talked with 30 to 40 Taylor students, Snively said. Many people expressed appreciation for the artist’s work, sharing how his songs influenced their faith.
“That was fun to see all this unfold and be like, I literally just sent an email,” Snively said. “And then this is where the Lord has taken (it)...I was like, Lord, this is all a gift from you.”
Along with Snively, several other Taylor students stepped up to make the Hastings chapel happen, including chapel coordinators, prayer coordinators, presidential fellows and other volunteers.
Follett emphasized that chapel is a student-run event. Without Snively’s inquiry and other students’ participation, the event would have never left the ground.
“It's also a really cool opportunity within Taylor to know that you have ownership over your work and that student work is celebrated,” Follett said.
If Taylor students feel God has given them an idea or a passion, Snively encouraged them to leave their comfort zones and pursue it. Rather than avoiding opportunities out of fear, he urged students to work toward things in love, remembering the Lord’s ability to work in their lives.
When Snively took the initiative, he saw results beyond what he imagined, he said.
“I was not prepared for … how much the Lord would move,” Snively said. “The Lord's amazing. He's a big God. So I should have been prepared. But he blew my little box that I too often put him in, and I know he'll do it again.”
