By Rachel Chiang | Reporter
Delight Ministries at Baylor has been working to rebuild and sustain itself, all at the hands of Kyle junior Amariah Erickson. The ministry is a chapter of a national women’s ministry “focused on Christ-centered, vulnerable community with the hopes of transforming the stories and lives of college girls,” according to the chapter’s Instagram.
Erickson became director of Delight Ministries at Baylor just three weeks ago and is now running the entire ministry on her own.
“The leadership team that was there all just kind of overcommitted, and so they just couldn’t put the time into it that it needed,” Erickson said. “My main goal this semester is rebuilding it and getting it to a place where it can actually thrive, but my mission is just to create a community where we can just hang out and talk about Jesus.”
Erickson said she has been in contact with Kayla Salley, Delight Ministries’ Texas Regional director, to help her start the organization back up. College chapters of Delight Ministries are run by student volunteers.
“I think it’s also unique in the fact there isn’t really a leadership team, but it is run by girls that are at school,” Erickson said. “Everyone is at the same level; no one is higher. It’s just a ministry for young college women who are looking for a Christ-centered community to foster relationships with Jesus and each other, and we’re all doing this because we feel this is what God’s calling us to.”
Despite only being in Delight Ministries at Baylor since fall 2021, Erickson has immersed herself in the program. She said she plans to keep the program running because of the organization’s on-and-off history of activity, due to a lack of student availability.
“This semester, I’m really just hoping to retain some of the people that actually do care enough about serving and wanting to follow God that they’re willing to be leaders,” Erickson said.
Round Rock freshman Malena Dimartino said Erickson is one the main reasons she stayed in the chapter.
“She’s such a sweet person; she’s one of the main reasons I stayed too,” Dimartino said. “I was a leader of a Bible study similar to this in high school, and it was such a good experience. Amariah just is such a good person, and I feel like she’ll be really easy to work with, and Delight is such a good group.”
Like Erickson, Dimartino said she was saddened when people began to leave the program because she loves Delight Ministries at Baylor and sees its potential to grow.
Dimartino said she wants others at Baylor to be able to experience the same community that has had such a large impact on her faith and social life since coming to Baylor.
“That’s just what I want it to grow into: a community where any girl can feel welcome to come and have people around her support her in her relationship with God,” Erickson said.
