Jacob’s Porch Offers Ministry to Ohio State Students

For years, Presbyterian campus ministries have struggled to find balance and support amid denominational decline. Campus ministers, churches, and lay leaders have been stretched thin by limited time, energy, and financial resources. On campuses without Presbyterian ministry, students often joined other religious groups, drifting away from the PCUSA and leaving a critical gap in the transition from youth to adult faith.

In 2021, the Presbytery of Scioto Valley sought to address this challenge at The Ohio State University. While a UKirk ministry had existed previously, it declined due to familiar issues of leadership and funding. As leaders discerned how to serve a campus of over 60,000 students, a new vision emerged: collaboration. Rather than rebuilding alone, OSUKirk partnered with Jacob’s Porch, where progressive Protestant campus ministry was already thriving.

Jacob’s Porch has served OSU for nearly 100 years, evolving into an ecumenical ministry supported by Lutheran (ELCA), United Methodist, Episcopal, and now Presbyterian partners. Nearly three years ago, OSUKirk joined this collaboration by calling Rev. Taylor Barner as a full-time Presbyterian campus minister. For the first time in years, PCUSA students at OSU have a spiritual home where their faith can grow throughout their college years.

This collaborative model meets a growing need in higher education. In a landscape dominated by evangelical and non-denominational ministries, mainline Protestant collaboration allows campus ministers to share the burdens of fundraising and administration, freeing them to focus on students’ spiritual, mental, and physical well-being.

Because campus ministry is an outreach of the church, OSUKirk has launched a statewide capital campaign to raise $3 million for a sustainability fund that will permanently support campus ministry at Ohio State. This is an investment in the future of the church, nurturing new leaders and disciples already present on campus.

We invite your prayers, financial support, and partnership as we work together to cultivate new life in the Presbyterian Church. Learn more at osukirk.org.