Chaplain Clement Mehlman’s first career was as a high school English teacher and department head in Nova Scotia. He holds degrees from Mount Allison, Saint Mary’s University, and the University of Toronto, as well as a degree in ministry and spirituality from the Toronto School of Theology. For a decade he served on the Board of Directors of the North American Association on the Catechumenate, an interchurch association that seeks to restore the Christian initiation rites around baptism. In June 2008 Clement was one of the recipents of Dalhousie’s Rosemary Gill Award, given annually to staff “for outstanding service to students.” In June of 2010 he will receive a 2010 Eastern Synod Leadership Award for Exemplary Service to the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.

A chaplain at Dalhousie since 1997, Clement has been involved in a refugee project to bring the family of a Dalhousie student from Liberia to Nova Scotia, in a project to develop a staff and faculty support association for lgbt students, in the formation of a food bank on campus, and in the expansion of the Dalhousie Multifaith Centre to include Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu chaplains. He works at programs that help students, staff, and faculty deepen their faith and explore questions. Often this friendly conversation happens over coffee or a meal. He attempts to offer space that is hospitable and welcoming to all. He is conscious that often we do not make enough time for others and so he invites you to come to the office as often as you like and to stay as long as you like.

Lutheran and other students are invited to join in small group discussions which are typically held on alternate Thursday evenings at the Dalhousie Multifaith Centre. He is on campus three or four days a week; his hours are posted on the Contact page. He travels to other Halifax and Atlantic campuses to meet Lutheran students. If you would like to have coffee or lunch on your campus, let him know. He welcomes the opportunity to get to know you.