Episcopal History

Highlights in Campus Ministry
Diocese of West Texas

1898 Deaconess Alice G. Cowan began a day school at St. Philip's Mission, San Antonio, which grew to become St. Philip's College.

1946 State of the Church Committee, Dr. A.H. Nolle (of SWT) chair, called for creation of a Commission on College Work, with proposals for work in Kingsville and San Marcos. Diocesan Council concurred.

1947 Key centers for college work from this period through about 1974 were Kingsville, San Marcos, and San Antonio, in about that order of success.

1948 First Diocesan College Conference held at Camp Capers during Christmas week. The Rev. Gray Blandy was the speaker.

The first full-time priest in 12 years was appointed for San Marcos, the Rev. D. W. McClurken, who began work at SWT immediately.

1949 The Commission was reorganized as a separate division under the Department of Christian Education.

1951 Campus ministry first began in Corpus Christi.

1952 First of several interdiocesan college conferences were held in joint sponsorship with the Diocese of Texas.

1956 An Episcopal Bible Chair was created at Texas A&I and continued until 1963, when it was absorbed by the Campus Christian Fellowship.

1961 Full-time lay campus worker and Bible Chair instructor (Mrs. June Bonfield) began at SWT, funded by grant from the National Church (through 1963)

1963 Division of College Work transferred to the Department of Missions

1964 The Rev. Cliff Waller began weekly services in San Antonio.

New work began at Pan American in Edinburg

1967 The Rev. Charles Henry served as full-time chaplain at SAC and Trinity, funded by private grants. Canterbury House begun. Chaplain terminated Dec. 1968 due to lack of funds.

1969 Mrs. Zona Berry began work as director of Canterbury House, SAC (through 1978). Preparations began for CMHE (Cooperative Ministry in Higher Education) in San Antonio.

1971 The Rev. Bob Soper offered Episcopal Bible Chair courses at Pan American University, Edinburg (through 1974)

First annual diocesan college conference (new series) at Camp Capers.

1972 Division reorganized to include faculty and students. (Similar moves in 1950, 1954-57, 1959)

CMHE opened work at St. Phillip's College. Episcopal Student Association rented the former Catholic student center at A&I (through 1975).

1973 The Rev. David Veal became full-time Coordinator of College Ministries.

"Morningstar," national Episcopal student conference, held in Miami.

1974 Work Scholarship Program (Student Peer Ministers) began with eight students at SWT, A&I, SAC, and Trinity.

1975 First "New Cor" retreat for college students, less structured predecessor of Vocare. First official campus recognition for Episcopal students at Trinty, San Antonio.

1977 Episcopal ministry at A&I joined United Campus Ministry. (Had participated in predecessor Campus Christian Fellowship 1957-63, 1965-68.)

1978 Rev. Mssrs. Waller and Acosta began ministry at UTSA. New work in Corpus Christi.

1979 First College Happening held at St. Mark's, San Marcos.

1980 Canon Veal resigned as Director of College Work, with no replacement.

1983 (Dec.-Jan./84) National Student Gathering, Estes Park, Co.--first since 1973--drew 16 West Texas participants.

the Rev. Milton Brown, new full-time San Antonio Campus Minister; he was succeeded in 1985 by the Rev. Rick Benson (-1988).

1986 Bishop's Vocare Movement organized as a renewal movement for young adults separate from Happening.

1987 College Division reorganized as a separate non-departmental unit under supervision of the Suffragan.

College Division Board organized.

1990 Full-time position for Diocesan Coordinator for College Ministry re-established. The Rev. Doug Earle called to the position.

1994 Bishop Folts became Bishop Coadjutor and Chair of M.H.E. Decision made to restructure M.H.E. and Vocare Boards the way ministry in higher education is performed in West Texas.

1995 Position of MHE Coordinator is eliminated. Diocese funds five part-time (25% or less) parochially based chaplains in San Antonio (the Rev. Mssrs. Doug Earle and Kip Ashmore), San Marcos, (the Rev. Betty Fuller), Rio Grande Valley (the Rev. Steve Westin), and Corpus Christi (the Rev. Sherri Walker).

1996 Ripp Hardaway hired as Diocesan Coordinator for Youth Ministry, Camps & Conferences, and Ministry in Higher Educaton.

1999 Campus ministry in San Antonio, which had been moved from Jones Center to St. Luke's, now moved to Holy Spirit.

2000 Ripp Hardaway resigned to attend seminary. The Rev. John Hill began work as Bishop's Deputy for Youth Ministry. Amy Moehke hired as Diocesan Coordinator for Campus Ministry. Diocese began developing plans for parish-campus ministry partnersips.

2000 Chaplain Susan Hanson began working with Lutheran chaplain Lou Flessner to integrate the two ministries more closely. Their first joint service was held on the evening of All Saint's Day.

2001 Beginning in January, the Episcopal and Lutheran campus ministries at SWT began holding combined worship services on Wednesday and Sunday nights. Worship on Wednesday was usually Evening Prayer or Compline, while the Sunday night service was Holy Communion. In the fall of 2001, the two groups officially merged to create a single organization. Each group employed three peer ministers, resulting in a total of six student peer ministers.

2002 After much discussion and brainstorming, the peer ministers and chaplains settled on a new name for their combined ministry--Higher Ground. A logo was also created during the spring semester. In April, chaplains Susan Hanson and Lou Flessner, along with St. Mark's rector Bruce Wilson, made a presentation to the Diocesan Executive Board proposing that St. Mark's building be purchased by the diocese and synod and converted into a center for spiritual formation and religious studies. The center would also house the Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry. The proposal was endorsed unanimously.

2002 In December, chaplains Susan Hanson and Lou Flessner, along with rector Bruce Wilson, made their presentation to the Diocesan Development Committee. Members asked a number of questions about organizational structure and funding, but their response was positive.

2003 After considerable editing of both the script and the slides, Hanson, Flessner, and Wilson gave their presentation at Diocesan Council in February, an event held on the campus of TLU in Seguin. The response from Council was enthusiastically positive. The proposal received unanimous endorsement.

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*Student* *Peer Ministers at Texas State*
*Student* *Peer Ministers at Texas State*

William (Bill )Beechinor	1974-75	Kim Broyles	1984
Nita & Ken Shaver	1974-75	Rob Montgomery	1984
Bitsy & Mike Mayberry	1975-76	Susan Hopper	1984
Gary Lillibridge ++	1976-77	Jack Weir	1985-86
Jane Ellen Weatherford	1977-78	Tess Walton	1985-86
Patricia Beebe (Salcher)	1978-80	Ram Lopez +	1986-88
James (Jim) Friedel +	1978	Elizabeth Dubose	1986-87
William (Bill) Love ++	1979-80	David Read +	1987-88
Rob Irwin	1979-80	Leslie Theis	1988
Alex ("Sandy") Beebe	1980-81	Jacqui Cheeseman (Read)	1988-89
Juley Lamb	1980-81, 84-85	Carl Keprta	1988
Glenn Foster	1981	John Morales	1988-89
Denise Wilson	1981-83	Joe Pelfry	1989
Laura Minnich (Lockey) +	1982-84	Jill Bates	1989-90
Paul Hanson	1982-83	Melissa Spenser	1990
Mark Gitterle	1983	Joel James	1990-93
D'Alice Belanger	1984	Joey Chapman	1993

Pete Ford	1994-1995
Cari True	1994-1995	Rolyn Washington	1999-2000
Julie Canaday	1996	Leanne Richeyhave (Boddie)	2000-2001
Kerri Cheeseman	1995-1996	Billy Tweedie	2000-2001
Kirstin McStravick	1995-1996	Jonathan Gilpin	2000-2002
Lisa Charette	1996-1997	Keely Rowe	2001-2002
Rae Downen	1997-1998	Damon Read	2001
James Derkits +	1996-1998	Heather Fourmaux	2002-2005
Laura Keelan	1997-1998	Spencer Stocker	2002-2003
Erin Shaver	1997-1999	Erin Winter	2002-2003
Bryce Boddie	1998-1999	Jacob Trevino	2004-2005
Rachel Graves	1999-2000	Abbie Alleman	2005-2006
Christopher Murphy	1999-2000	Tyler Pruessner	2006-2007

*Episcopal* *Chaplains at Texas State* *(incomplete list)*

the Rev. D.W. McClurken	1948	Mr. Bill Hitch
Mrs. June Bonfield	1961-65	the Rev. Betty Fuller	-Dec. 1994
the Rev. James Folts		Ms. Susan Hanson	1995-Aug. 1, 2007
the Rev. Chuck Woehler
the Rev. Frank Fuller
Ms. Ann-Jeannette Marantino
Ms. Rose-Marie Penzarro
Mr. Ron Salazar

*Faculty* *Sponsors (incomplete list)*

Dr. Caroline Benjamin (Biology)
Dr. Peter Coulson (Theatre)
Dr. Robert David Ogden (Computer Science)
Dr. Dickie Heaberlin (English)	1999-2001
Ms. Sue Cole (University Advancement) (Higher Ground sponsor)	2002-