Cooperative Ministries in Higher Education of Northern California and Nevada.

The United Ministries in Higher Education (UMHE) of Northern California and Nevada was formed in 1965 by three Protestant denominations, who were later joined by other denominations. The organization amended its name to CMHE (Cooperative Ministries in Higher Education) in 1974 to reflect its cooperative operating agreement. The goal of the organization was to promote the mission of the Church in an ecumenical way and to participate in campus activities. After struggling through the sixties and experiencing growth in the seventies and eighties, CMHE faced declines in funding and interest in the nineties. This led to its transformation to a voluntary organization, Association of Campus Christian Ministries (ACCM), in 1994.

Biography / Administrative History

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).

Chronology: Denominational Support