News

By: Rev. Julia E. F. Poulsen, chair, Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry An innovative and compassionate ministry is being led at Simpson College by Rev. Mara Bailey who is also a graduate of Simpson. Bailey is proud of her United Methodist heritage and training and helps Simpson College to maintain that connection to the United Methodist Church (UMC). Simpson has historically sent many of its students off to seminaries after college graduation. Bailey named four current Iowa United ...

The Iowa Conference Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry chairperson Julie Poulsen has been able to visit each of our campus ministries through online meetings hoping to build a bridge between the Conference and the campus ministries. Rev. Bill Poland, Conference Director of New Communities of Faith and Director of Connectional Ministries, also visits when he is available. When visiting, they learn that each campus chaplaincy program is unique, fits the Gospel message to that particular...

The Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministries’ mission is to equip young adults to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ toward becoming spiritual leaders who will transform the church and the world through the Wesley Foundations at the United Methodist (UM) campus ministries on selected non-UM-related campuses. They are at Drake University, Iowa State University, The University of Northern Iowa, and The University of Iowa. The Wesley Foundation at Drake University has recently undergone a lot...

General Board of Higher Education and Ministry — For release Sept. 2, 2021 The Reverend Gerald C. Liu, PhD, Director of Collegiate Ministries, Initiatives, and Belonging and ordained elder of the Mississippi Annual Conference is pleased to announce ten Francis Asbury Award winners for the 2020 – 21 academic year on behalf of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) and the Annual Conferences who have supported them. The award recognizes and encourages outstanding support of ...

Simpson becomes nation’s third college to align with Reconciling Ministries Network United Methodist-affiliated college asserts commitment to diversity and inclusion   INDIANOLA, Iowa — The Simpson College Board of Trustees on May 14, 2021, voted to affiliate the College with Reconciling Ministries Network, a nonprofit organization seeking the inclusion of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in both the policy and practices of the United Methodist Church. The decision to ...

For many decades, the Wesley Foundation at Drake University has been a ministry of the United Methodist Church of Iowa. Early adulthood is a season of life fraught with risk and rich with opportunity. It has been our aim to offer a mature, stabilizing, spiritual presence to the Drake University community. The Wesley House has been a beacon of radical hospitality and deep inclusion.  Investing in the spiritual and intellectual lives of young adults in higher education has been a hallmark of the ...

Rev. Dr. Catherine Quehl-Engel, Chaplain of Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, and member of the Iowa Conference Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministries offers this video highlighting the importance of campus ministries and how it has impacted the spiritual life of Cornell students.  For more information on Cornell College's campus ministries, visit their website.  

Submitted by The University of Iowa Wesley Center The University of Iowa Wesley Center is a welcome place to creatively explore spirituality within an anti-racist, queer-led, intersectional, and justice-seeking community. Every week at the Wesley Center, students are open to ask deep questions and share their stories as they seek to grow spiritually at an important intersection of their lives.  During a shared meal at the Tuesday Table or through rich conversation at Wednesday Bible Study, they...