Westminster Presbyterian Fellowship

Mission Statement

The Presbyterian Campus Ministries at Duke, Inc. is supported by 10 local PCUSA churches, one local UCC congregation, New Hope Presbytery and the Synod of the Mid-Atlantic. Our mission is to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the reformed tradition of the PCUSA and UCC denominations.

To fulfill this mission we are called to:

• Love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, strength;
• Invite students to live of deeper discipleship in Jesus Christ;
• Gather students together for fellowship, worship, study, reflection, service and fun;
• Provide pastoral care for students, faculty and staff at Duke University;
• Foster leadership and talent for the Church and the world; and
• Engage students in ministries of service to the Church, Durham and the world.

We are governed by a Board of local church members and recent alums. Current members of the PCM Governing Board at Duke are:

• Rev. Kevin McCalla, Chair
  • Representative from Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church
• Dr. Bruce Cunningham, Treasurer
  • Faculty/Staff Representative, Westminster Presbyterian Church
• Mrs. Nancy Lee, Secretary
  • Parent Representative
• Ms. Betsy Robinson
  • Representative from First Presbyterian Church
• Dr. Linda Barnett
  • Representative from Westminster Presbyterian Church
• Ms. Glory Gallucci
  • Representative from Blacknall Presbyterian Church
• Rev. Ingram Hedgepath
  • Representative from Mt. Bethel Presbyterian Church
• Mr. Carl Clark
  • Representative from Pilgrim Church of Christ, Duke Divinity School Student
• Ms. Alice Sharpe
  • Representative from Covenant Presbyterian Church
• Ms. Amy Irick
  • Duke Alumni Representative
• Mr. Stephenie Everett
  • Student Representative from Orlando, Florida
• Ms. Carlon Matthews
  • Student Representative from Norfolk, Virginia
• Ex-officio: Rev. Dr. Mark Rutledge and Rev. Cheryl Barton Henry

Our History

In 1946, Dr. Dwight M. Chalmers, minister at Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church, developed the idea that the Presbyterian students at Duke University should be organized; and therefore, the Westminster Fellowship was born. However, because he left Durham within two years, the project floundered.

Around 1950, through the combined efforts of Dr. Kelsey Regen, minister of First Presbyterian Church, and Dr. William C. Bennett, minister at Trinity Avenue , the Westminster Fellowship was reactivated. At first, both men ministered to the group, and their churches supplied any needed funds. All activities were centered in the Ark (a room at First Presbyterian Church). In time, Duke Divinity School students were hired part-time to be campus ministers. The first was Dr. Stuart Henry. Others included Dr. Isabel Rogers (later to be Moderator of the PCUSA General Assembly) and Sam Johnson.

In the mid 1950's Dr. Regen and Dr. Bennett were instrumental in persuading the Synod of North Carolina to maintain the project. They also started, a few years later, a campaign to raise money to build a Presbyterian Student Center . Mr. Charles Dukes from First Presbyterian Church was chairman of the building committee.

As a result, in the early 1960's, the Synod of North Carolina obtained from Duke University the right to build at 511 Alexander avenue . The building soon became the home of an active student minister. At this time the Rev. Charles E. Johnson became the first full-time Campus Minister. In the mid 1960's, the Rev. Clyde Robinson (currently retired with the PC (USA) General Assembly Committee on Higher Education) was the Presbyterian Campus Minister.

In the late 1960's and early 1970's The Westminster Fellowship at Duke along with other similiar institutions across the nation lost funding favor with the denominational governing bodies. This was in part due to social justice stands taken by such groups on unpopular issues such as the Vietnam War. As a consequence, funding of the Westminster Presbyterian Fellowship at Duke and other private institutions was eliminated by the Synod of North Carolina. In addition, the Synod of North Carolina leased the Alexander Avenue building to Orange Presbytery for its offices.

In the mid 1970's, the Westminster Presbyterian Fellowship continued as a united ministry with the Methodist Campus Ministry. Presbyterian funding came from Durham congregations. At that time, the basement of Duke Chapel was converted into campus ministry offices; and the PCM/UMCM was located in what is today the Wesley Office. The Rev. Mike Webber, a UMC minister, served these combined ministries.

On January 23, 1978 the rejuvenated Durham Presbyterian Council, launched an independent Presbyterian Campus Ministry at Duke, with Tom Davis on the job. The Rev. J. Michael Laidlaw served as the 1/4 time Campus Minister from 1982-83.

Following Mike Laidlaw's service, several Presbyterian students at Duke Divinity School (Sam Poore, '83-84; Terry Hamilton, '84-'85; Kathy Campbell, '85-'87) served as the Presbyterian Campus Minister for their field placements. At this time, funding came from the Durham Presbyterian Council. During her two years of service, Kathy Campbell built a solid core of students into the Presbyterian Fellowship. She also gained DPC support for making the Presbyterian Campus Minister at Duke a 1/2 time ordained call. Support also was promised from Orange Presbytery (and its successor The Presbytery of New Hope) and the Synod of North Carolina (and its successor The Synod of the Mid-Atlantic).

In the summer of 1987, Susan D. Fricks, then a candidate for ministry in Orange Presbytery was called to this position. She was ordained and installed as 1/2 time Presbyterian Campus Minister on November 23, 1987 and continued in that capacity until May of 1995.

On August 1, 1995, The Rev. Cheryl Barton Henry was hired to serve as Minister Advisor to the Westminster Presbyterian Fellowship on a part-time basis. During the 1995-96 year a self-study of Campus Ministry at Duke was conducted by Rev. Joe Harvard, Pastor at First Presbyterian and a committee appointed by DPC. Consequently in 1996, Rev. Henry was hired as the Presbyterian Campus Minister to Duke University on a half-time basis. With additional funds from Synod and Presbytery the position became a 3/4 time position in 1997. By 1999 with yet more funds from Synod and Presbytery, the position had once again become a full time position. It was that same year that the Rev. Dr. Mark Rutledge received approval from DPC to volunteer for the Presbyterian Campus Ministry as its UCC Associate Campus Minister.

In 2000 the Durham Presbyterian Council placed the governance of the Westminster Fellowship and the Presbyterian Campus Ministry into the hands of an incorporated board known as the Presbyterian Campus Ministry at Duke University Governing Board. Jack Walker, a local lawyer and member of Westminster Presbyterian Church provided the legal work for this transition as a gift to the ministry. The first Chair of the Governing Board was Sheila St. Amour, a member of Northgate Presbyterian Church. She was succeeded by the Rev. Cathy Church Norman, Associate Pastor of Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church in 2001. The Rev. Peter Hausman, co-pastor at Blacknall Presbyterian Church became Chair of the PCM at Duke Governing Board in 2002. During the 2001-02 academic year the Westminster Fellowship was served by the Rev. Susan Steinberg as the Minister Advisor to the Westminster Fellowship while Rev. Henry took a year of maternity/study leave. Rev. Henry continues as the Presbyterian Campus Minister until the present time. The Chair of our Board at this time is the Rev. Mary Seegars, Associate Pastor at Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church.