Hendricks Chapel dean to take helm of Indiana-based Lutheran college

Dean and Vice President of Hendricks Chapel Reverend Brian Konkol announced on December 2 that he will be stepping down, effective January 2026. Reverend Konkol has accepted a position as the 20th president of Valparaiso University, a Lutheran-affiliated college in Indiana. 

 Konkol has been a part of Syracuse University’s faculty since 2017. In addition to his role in Hendricks Chapel, he is a professor of practice in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, the Chancellor’s Council, the University Leadership Team, and a member of Chancellor Kent Syverud’s Executive Team. In his role as dean, Konkol oversees the religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical life of the university community. The announcement comes a few months after Syverud said he would step down from his 12-year role next summer. 

Before his service at Syracuse University, Konkol held various religious leadership roles across the globe, including positions in Guyana and South Africa. Prior to arriving at Syracuse, he served as chaplain of Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. He has also served as an honorary professor in the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and co-founded the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Ministry, a partnership with Le Moyne College.

Konkol, himself having received his Master’s of Divinity from a Lutheran Seminary, will become chancellor of Valparaiso University, following a national search. He said in a Facebook post that he has always admired the school, especially for its upholding of the “Lutheran tradition of scholarship, freedom, and faith.” Valparaiso University Board of Directors Chairman Robert D. Hansen said Konkol “embodies the heart of Valpo through deep Lutheran roots, a passion for students, and a steady commitment to excellence.”

During his tenure at SU, Konkol developed a strategic plan for Hendricks Chapel that transformed it into a major fixture on campus. According to a university press release, the chapel’s enrollment increased by over 933% under his leadership, and it now sponsors more than 2,000 programs.

Looking back on his eight years at Hendricks Chapel, Konkol said he is most proud of how the chapel grew into what he described as a “home” for all faiths and a place for all people. The chapel evolved beyond a physical space into the spiritual heart of Syracuse University, reaching every corner of campus life through programming, relationships, and service. Konkol credited Chancellor Syverud’s long-term support and the collaborative efforts of chaplains, staff, faculty, advisors, and students for making that growth possible.

Faculty and faith leaders across campus described his leadership as deeply personal, empathetic, and student-centered. Rabbi Natan Levy, SU’s Jewish chaplain, said Konkol always demonstrated care for individuals by taking time to learn about their lives, families, and experiences, and by offering support during both challenges and milestones.

Students echoed that sentiment, describing Hendricks Chapel as a space that reflected shared values of openness, respect, and bridge-building across faiths. 

“Religion can be a force for good and connection rather than division,” said sophomore journalism major Lillie Kochis, who works at Hendricks Chapel as a hospitality associate. 

Kochis said the chapel consistently felt welcoming because it encouraged students to embrace difference rather than fear it. 

Konkol’s approach to leadership also positively shaped the experiences of Muslim students at Syracuse. According to Amir Durić, the university’s former imam and current assistant dean at Hendricks Chapel, Konkol’s “deepening roots and broadening reach” model created an environment where Muslim students can fully express their identities and share their values. That framework ensured that students’ religious needs, including adequate prayer spaces, accommodations for Ramadan meals, and access to Halal food across campus, were consistently met.

Devon Bartholomew, Hendricks Chapel’s non-denominational pastor, explained that Konkol supported a collaborative vision among Christian chaplains that allowed different traditions to work together. As part of that effort, Hendricks Chapel created the Christian Protestant Chaplaincy Coordinator role to better support and connect multiple Christian chaplaincies across campus.

As part of Hendricks Chapel’s expansion, the space became home to a wide range of faith-based communities and initiatives. Among them is the Christian Outreach, a student-led ministry that meets weekly in the Noble Room for worship, Bible study, and discussion centered on its mission to “love God, serve others, and share Christ.” 

“I have connected with people on a deeper level through my faith, and that has helped me in the transition to college my first semester,” said freshman journalism major Elizabeth Swart, a member of the group. 

Under Konkol, Christian programming also expanded in scale and collaboration. Bartholomew said annual programs such as the Easter Community Dinner, Advent services, and Ash Wednesday worship grew significantly. Attendance at Ash Wednesday services rose from about 700 participants in 2024 to roughly 1,250 in 2025. 

Konkol’s leadership also extended beyond the chapel itself. Levy said Konkol made a deliberate effort to engage with Jewish students in their own spaces and take part in events hosted by Jewish organizations on campus. 

“When Konkol attended our family breakfast at Syracuse Hillel, I learned an important model of leadership,” Levy said. “Just as he was willing to open the doors of Hendricks Chapel to Jewish students, so too was he incredibly receptive to meeting students and their families where they are.”

Durić said Konkol’s support also allowed him to thrive in his role as Muslim chaplain, allowing him to focus on student leadership development and wellbeing. He described Konkol as a constant presence during moments of challenge and grief, noting that Konkol regularly attended Muslim-led services and events and remained available to students and staff during times of crisis. 

“I felt the tremendous impact of his leadership on a daily basis,” Durić said.

Konkol explained that working closely with students fundamentally shaped his approach to leadership. He said students taught him that leadership begins with listening, authenticity and shared responsibility rather than hierarchy. Kochis said Konkol connected with students in personal, memorable ways, often using metaphors and adages to help larger ideas resonate. 

She recalled a staff meeting when Konkol spoke about the importance of “paying attention,” explaining that giving someone attention is a way of giving them time. Kochis said those small moments and stories stay with her to this day, shaping how she understands leadership and care within the chapel.

Konkol also emphasized that students are not simply participants in chapel programming but partners in shaping a sacred and inclusive community, a dynamic that pushed him to lead collaboratively and relationally. 

Kochis witnessed that approach firsthand through her work on the Dean’s Advisory Council, where Konkol invited open and honest feedback from students during their first meeting. She said his willingness to engage students in small, personal settings set him apart from other university leaders and demonstrated how much he cared about the everyday impact of the chapel’s work. 

Konkol also stated that creating an inclusive, interfaith space was a central priority because SU’s diverse student body deserved a place where religious and spiritual identities could be explored without judgment. He said Hendricks Chapel sought to model service to the common good by honoring differences while fostering meaningful relationships and connections. 

According to Konkol, many students arrive at college seeking belonging and understanding, and the chapel offered a setting where “difference was something to learn from rather than overcome.”

Bartholomew said Konkol’s long-term impact on Hendricks Chapel lies in his willingness to invite chaplains into shaping its future, describing him as a leader who trusted others to help guide the direction of faith life on campus. “Dean Konkol is a visionary,” Bartholomew said.

Kochis will miss seeing him consistently champion Hendricks Chapel’s values and model interfaith collaboration as a lived practice rather than an abstract ideal.

“His care toward interfaith collaboration isn’t some act,” Kochis said.” He lives it daily.”

And she will, of course, miss his bow ties.

Following his decision to leave Syracuse, Konkol expressed a message of gratitude in his Facebook Statement to the Syracuse community and Syverud.

“I thank God for our truly life-giving time together, and I wish for you to know that a large part of my heart will always be Orange,” Konkol said.

Syverud also praised Konkol’s impact, calling him an “exceptional leader” who brings a strong commitment to student success, interfaith understanding, and academic excellence across campus. “We are deeply grateful for Brian’s service to the Orange community and wish him every success in his new chapter,” Syverud said.

In a final message to the campus community, Konkol encouraged students, faculty, and staff to continue showing up for one another and to remain committed to listening, compassion, and shared purpose. He said Syracuse University has the opportunity to keep modeling how people with different beliefs can live together with respect, reminding the community that education, at its best, forms not only minds, but hearts.