In this episode host Jonathon Eder welcomes a robust assortment of voices, to discuss Christian Science activities on campuses around the world. Sparked by students who wanted to make their religion a greater part of the school experience, these grassroots endeavors began in the early 1900s. Mary Baker Eddy embraced the idea, adding a By-law to the Manual of The Mother Church in formal recognition of campus groups called Christian Science Organizations—often more colloquially referred to as CSOs. Learn about the Harvard University student who corresponded with Eddy on the By-law text, as well as Eddy’s relationship with a group of students at Wellesley College. We also examine how these hubs for student and faculty engagement with Christian Science operate today. Several guests in this episode currently participate in and support CSOs and draw from their own experiences in the discussion.
Access more on this topic:
- From the Collections: Christian Science on college and university campuses
- From the Collections: A history of Christian Science youth meetings
- Podcast: Christian Science: The greatest gift I’ve ever received with Kaye Patterson, Christian Science Sentinel, June 9, 2025
- Podcast: New insights at the Archives Open House
Rebecca Joy Clower is Archival Assistant for The Mary Baker Eddy Library. A graduate student in Library and Information Science with San Jose State University, she holds bachelors and masters degrees in art history. She has experience managing historic sites as both an art appraiser and museum registrar. Clower is a former member of two CSOs—including one she started as an undergraduate—and has written several related articles on the Library’s website.
Oliver Simpson is Christian Science Organization (CSO) and Intern Coordinator at The Mother Church in Boston. Originally from the United Kingdom, he has participated in the CSO at Principia College as an undergrad, as well as at South Bank University in London. While his specific area of focus is North American CSOs, he loves supporting these organizations around the world.
Reagan Kabuluku is from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and holds a master’s in English from Southern New Hampshire University. He is listed in the directory of The Christian Science Journal as a Christian Science nurse and has experience as a former member of the CSO at Université Pédagogique Nationale (DRC), where he earned his bachelors in language and literature. He started working at The Mother Church in 2020 and currently serves as the Africa/Francophone Field Support Specialist in the Church Activities Department, supporting Christian Science branch churches, societies, informal groups, and organizations worldwide.
Carson Oleksy is a rising senior at James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where he is active in his campus’ CSO, video adventure club, and sports creative media team. This summer he has been engaged in a media production internship at Slam Magazine in New York City, doing basketball-focused videography. He loves sports, skiing, Christian Science, the color green, and adventuring—and he is grateful to have gotten the chance to be part of this episode.
John Bosco Ssemujju recently graduated with a bachelors in commerce and accounting, and is currently a master’s student in business administration at the International University of East Africa in Uganda. He recently served as an intern with the Church Activities department at The Mother Church. Chairman of the organizing committee for the 2024 Christian Science Youth Spiritual Summit in Kampala, he co-founded the CSO at Ndejje University. He is strongly committed to spiritual growth, youth empowerment, and community development.
Kaye Patterson founded her own consulting firm in 2009. In her career she has guided companies in creating partnerships and plans related to leadership, community, public affairs, and philanthropy. She has extensive experience as a business and development leader, including roles as Director of Development for the University of Houston’s Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and President of the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. An organizer and the current point of contact for the Christian Science Organization at the University of Houston, she is also an active alumnus of that institution, where she earned a master’s of business administration.
Collage images, from top: Flyer advertising the film “Ambassadors for Christian Science at the university,” circa 1960s; Mary Baker Eddy to Emma Shipman/Undergraduates of Wellesley College, April 13, 1901, L08916.
Guest headshots used by permission.
