Gardner‑Webb Celebrates Selah Week: A Christ‑Centered Pause with Purpose

Speaker Ronnie Parrott and Worship Leader, Alumnus Cialen Gadsen, Invite Campus Community to Grow in Faith and Service

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—“Selah, se·lah (SAY‑lah), a Hebrew musical or liturgical term appearing in the Psalms, generally understood to mean ‘pause,’ ‘rest,’ or ‘break,’ and is used to signal a moment of reflection or emphasis within a sacred text.”

Drawing from this definition, Selah Week at Gardner‑Webb University invites students to set aside time to strengthen their faith. “We want students to pause from their semester and consider who Jesus is more intimately,” explained Neal Payne, GWU associate minister for Student Ministries. “This year’s theme is ‘Belonging,’ and we will talk about how belief leads to belonging and how that moves us to being part of the larger Body of Christ, especially being part of a local church and using our spiritual gifts to serve one another and to glorify Christ.”

Payne, a GWU alumnus, said Selah Week, has been an annual Spring Semester event at Gardner-Webb for many years. Services will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 17, and Thursday, Feb. 19, at 9:25 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. in Tucker Student Center. The morning programs are part of the regular Dimensions series and include testimony from a student. The evening programs feature testimony from a faculty or staff member. 

The speaker is Ronnie Parrott, lead pastor of Christ Community Church in Huntersville, N.C. He completed his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., and previously pastored churches in Kentucky and Arkansas. (He is no relation to Dr. Josh Parrott, GWU vice president and university chaplain for Christian Life and Service.)

Leading worship for the evening services is Cialen Gadsen, a 2025 alumnus who is a graduate student in the GWU Master of Science in Strength and Conditioning program. A resident of Gaffney, S.C., Gadsen plays drums, piano and guitar. He serves in the worship ministry of a local church and leads a men’s faith group in Charlotte, N.C. 

“To me, Selah Week shows my intentional pause,” he acknowledged. “It’s me stepping away from the noise of everyday life to reflect, worship, and realign my heart with God. It’s another reminder for everyone that true rest, reflection, and worship are a necessity, especially in our walk with Christ.”  

Gadsen’s statement resonated with Millie Raymer, a Gardner-Webb junior psychology major who helped Payne plan the event. She serves in a work-study role with Campus Ministries United (CMU) and appreciates the mission of the student-led group and its passion for service. “The heart behind this special week is to allow students the safe space to draw nearer to the Father or even get to know Him for the first time,” she emphasized. “This year, Selah Week is loosely focused on each person’s unique spiritual gifts and how they fit into the body of Christ. We will explore what the spiritual gifts are and what that means in one’s own personal walk with the Lord.”

Remembering his own experience, Gadsen noted that he is honored to participate in the services. “Events like Selah Week were times where God truly met us in a real and personal way,” he said. “I want to help create space for students to pause, reflect, and encounter God.”

He added that CMU and the Office of Christian Life and Service significantly shaped his faith journey. “They created spaces where faith was lived out authentically, not just talked about,” he affirmed. “Through worship, community, and leadership opportunities, I was able to serve others, alongside friends, with humility and purpose. True connections and friendships were made because of it.”

Auxiliary aids will be made available to persons with disabilities upon request 10 working days prior to the event.  Please call 704-406-4270 or email [email protected] with your request.

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Become More at gardner-webb.edu.