Cooperative Ministries in Higher Education of Northern California and Nevada, 1964-1994

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Summary

Creators:
Cooperative Ministries in Higher Education of Northern California and Nevada and Jentzsch, Trilla
Abstract:
The collection contains minutes of board meetings, administrative records, and program files of the Cooperative Ministries in Higher Education of Northern California and Nevada.
Extent:
6.5 linear feet (7 record boxes)
Language:
Languages represented in the collection: English
Preferred citation:

Cooperative Ministries in Higher Education of Northern California and Nevada, 1964-1994, GTU 94-11-04. Graduate Theological Union Archives, Berkeley, CA.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains minutes of board meetings, administrative records, and program files of the CMHE and local campus ministries. Of particular interest are campus ministry involvement in student activities in the sixties and seventies. The original order has been maintained.

Biographical / historical:

The ecumenical movement of the main Protestant communions led to the creation of shared campus ministry organizations on a national and regional level in the mid-20th century. The United Ministries in Higher Education (UMHE) became the main organizational body in the Sixties. In California and Nevada, the UMHE was divided between northern and southern regions. Organizations founded a few years earlier included United Campus Christian Fellowship and United Campus Christian Ministry.

The UMHE of Northern California and Nevada was formed in 1966 (For Southern California, see GTU 2003-10-02, Albert G. Cohen Campus Ministry, Social Justice and Environment Collection). The organization amended its name to CMHE (Cooperative Ministries in Higher Education) in 1974 to reflect a new cooperative operating agreement. The basic aims of the organization were "to be about the mission of the Church, to be ecumenical in intention and to be participants in the work of colleges and universities" (Theological-Philosophical Statement of CMHE, September 12, 1981). Throughout its existence it continually revisited its mission and processes in order to remain an effective organization. Trilla Jentzsch, who donated the collection, served as secretary-treasurer for nearly all of its history.

Similar to the national UMHE organization, the initial communions were United Church of Christ, Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ) and United Presbyterian Church. This organization had briefly been preceded by a similar group, the United Christian Campus Fellowship. Other denominations, such as the United Methodist Church, Church of Brethren and American Baptists, joined (see Timeline below for a list of membership). The Episcopal Church joined briefly to coordinate efforts on community colleges. The eight core ministries were San Francisco State, San Jose State, Stanford, UC-Berkeley, UC-Santa Cruz, UC-Davis, Fresno State, and UN-Reno. However, other campuses in the Northern California and Nevada region were members from time to time, including schools in the Sacramento area, UC-San Francisco, and junior and community colleges.

Founded during one of the most contentious periods on campus during the Sixties, the organization struggled to be effective. Campus ministers faced a new role providing direction on civil rights and social justice issues, as well as counseling for draft and drug issues along with unplanned pregnancies. A number of campus ministers became mediators between groups in conflict. The collection includes materials that document the role of campus ministry during events such as the San Francisco State Strike in 1968-69 and the failed tenant collective at the Westminster House in Berkeley in 1970. Local congregations often disagreed with activism and new initiatives promoted by the campus ministry, resulting in additional conflict within denominations and greatly reduced local contributions and support.

During the late seventies and eighties, the CMHE worked to expand their support to other campuses within the region. Marna McKenzie, a staff member and interim director for a campus ministry, was hired to spearhead funding and direct developing ministries (see GTU 94-11-01, Marna McKenzie Developing Ministry Collection). At this time, evangelical and other non-mainline Protestant organizations, along with non-Christian religions, grew in prominence on campuses.

In the early nineties, ongoing lack of funding and denominational support forced CMHE to create a new identity. On January 1, 1995, CMHE became the Association of Campus Christian Ministries (ACCM), a voluntary organization that continued the legacy of the UMHE.

Campus ministry efforts were left to the individual campuses. Local organizations at some schools continued a coordinated presence as before, for example, the United Campus Christian Ministry at Stanford and the Edge at San Francisco State. At UC-Berkeley, specific communions rather than ecumenical organizations provided a physical presence, as with the Westminster House (Presbyterian) and Wesley Foundation (Methodist). At other schools, campus ministry came to be either supported by local churches within these denominations or closed completely (San Jose State).

Date Event
1966 United Ministries in Higher Education of Northern California and Nevada formed by United Church of Christ, United Presbyterians, and Disciples of Christ
1969 United Methodists and Episcopal Church (community colleges) join. American Baptists join and then leave
1970 Church of Brethren joins
1973 Church of Brethren leaves
1974
Episcopal Church leaves
UMHE of Northern Californai and Nevada renamed Cooperative Ministries in Higher Education of Northern California and Nevada
1977 American Baptists re-join
1985 American Baptists suspend formal relationship but continue funding
1991 American Baptists suspend funding
1995 CMHE becomes Association of Campus Christian Ministries (ACCM)
Acquisition information:
Materials were donated by Trilla Jentzsch on November 17, 1994.
Physical location:
4/D/4-5
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Copyright has not been assigned to The Graduate Theological Union. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Graduate Theological Union as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Preferred citation:

Cooperative Ministries in Higher Education of Northern California and Nevada, 1964-1994, GTU 94-11-04. Graduate Theological Union Archives, Berkeley, CA.

Location of this collection:
2400 Ridge Road
Berkeley, CA 94709, US
Contact:
(510) 649-2523/2501
archives@gtu.edu
Website