The Episcopal Chaplaincy to UC Berkeley

At this time last year we were still trying to make sense on campus about the upheaval in the Middle East following the October 7th attacks. One of the major areas of focus for the chaplaincy since then has been reviving the UC Berkeley Interfaith Council. This group began meeting in late October with support from the student activities office on campus. In the spring semester we began offering what we call the “Tent of Compassion” which is a small space with comfortable chairs, a portable labyrinth, and the faith leaders offering time for students to talk or simply to take a flower. This work culminated in the creation of a position for which I have been advocating for many years: an administration position specifically focused on coordinating student faith groups. Over the summer we continued meeting online and preparing for the new semester.

Activities for the semester so far have included a welcome week event and a multifaith dinner with “moth” storytelling (short five-minute stories from students on a particular theme). Both the dean and associate dean of students attended and have offered to fund future dinners. As UC Berkeley has historically been reluctant to promote interfaith activities, this is a major development. We are also going to host another dinner in late November and “tent of compassion” as well as quiet space during the election period.

Last year saw several special worshiping events for students including our Simpsons and Bible Readings “Lessons and Scarols” All Hallows Eve service, Evensongs for All Hallowstide and Advent, our annual Candlemas Celebration with Bishop Marc’s final visit, and an Eastertide Choral service and a creation focused Taize prayer for the anniversary of Earth Day. The campus ministry joined the parish of Good Shepherd Berkeley for their contemplative services during Lent and always followed with dinner. Throughout the year we participated in various formation activities including: art meditation conversations on art images for the Season of Creation, Advent wreath making, Lenten Book discussion of C.S. Lewis’s The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and engaging with the tough questions of the Christian Faith.

The campus climate remains a challenging one following covid. There is still some resistance to regular gatherings which is compounded by longer instruction periods during the day. A great deal of my ministry has more recently focused on one on one gatherings as well as promoting strategic group events. One of the ways that we continued outreach to the campus within these realities is our annual study hall where we provide warm, quiet, study places and food for students at St. Mark’s in Berkeley and at First Presbyterian in Berkeley.

A joyful event that also has impact on the campus ministry was my ordination to the diaconate in December and the Priesthood in June. While these expand the ministry I have been doing, it also impacts our budget which did not increase with this change. As a great deal of our ministry still focuses on food and hospitality, we are in need of your financial support to provide meals and programming as we continue to build the rising generation of church leaders!

Respectfully submitted: The Rev. Tom Poynor, Episcopal Chaplain to UC Berkeley