Wesley Foundation
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A Wesley Foundation is a United Methodist campus ministry sponsored in full or in part (depending on the congregation) by the United Methodist Church on a non-church owned and operated campus. Wesley Foundations claim ancestry in the founding "Holy Club" of the Methodist movement, a group of students at Oxford University guided by Wesley in "methodical" (hence "Methodist") study, prayer, and self-discipline. Today a Wesley Foundation is the presence of the United Methodist Church on or near, and in service to, a state-run, non-church affiliated college or university (Church-related schools have Chaplains that may guide similar groups).
The first Wesley Foundation was established October 13, 1913 at the University of Illinois. Bishop James C. Baker's work in organizing this first Wesley Foundation chose the name Wesley Foundation to emphasize two spheres of outreach. Wesley refers to John Wesley the founder of the Methodist Church and first campus minister at Oxford University. While Foundation was selected to mean an "open movement," an ecumencial movement available to all college students.
Wesley Foundations are primarily found in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, but can also be found in a number of other countries around the world. They are governed by the basic unit of the United Methodist Church, the annual conference; ordained ministers are appointed by their annual conference to serve Wesley Foundations as campus minister in a similar manner to their usual appointment to a church or charge.
[edit] United Methodist Student Movement (UMSM)
The United Methodist Student Movement is the overarching organization of college students in the United Methodist Church, involving students participating in Wesley Foundations as well as others in Methodist-affiliated ecumenical ministries at public and secular private schools and chaplaincy-based ministries at Methodist universities. The UMSM operates at the annual conference level, as well as jurisdictional and national/international meetings.
The highest-profile UMSM program is Student Forum, an annual meeting held at rotating sites in the United States at the end of May bringing together delegates nominated by their respective annual conferences, mostly from the U.S. but usually including some international delegates as well. Past Locations have included:
| Past Student Forum Locations | City | Year |
|---|---|---|
| American University | Washington, D.C | 2008 |
| University of Puget Sound | Tacoma, Washington | 2007 |
| Adrian College | Adrian, Michigan | 2006 |
| Millsaps College | Jackson, Mississippi | 2005 |
[edit] Steering Committee
The Student Forum is planned by a committee of 10 students elected by their respective jurisdictions, as well as 5 additional members selected by the Steering Committee to reflect the cultural, leadership, racial, locational, and skill diversity of the UMSM. Collectively these students are known as the UMSM Steering Committee. Elections take place at every Student Forum, which each member both elected an appointed serving a 2 year term.
Co-Chairpersons:
Jonathan Fell (North Central)
Rachel Birkhahn-Rommelfanger (Northeastern)
Elected Members:
Audrey Banner (North Central)
Jennifer Heald (Northeastern)
Alex Brunson (South Central)
Jessie Waddell (South Central)
Joseph P. Mathews, OSL (Southeastern)
Shawn Foles (Southeastern)
Jesse Bale (Western)
Noel Estes (Western)
Appointed/At-Large Members:
Dominique Stephens
Khou Lee
Marcus Briggs-Cloud
Mark Skaggs
Semisi Semisi-Tupou
