What is the UCSC Interfaith Council?
ISI's ministry at UCSC campus for 22 years, and all the religious/faith groups at UCSC, are supported by the great work of the University Interfaith Council.
NOTE: The council does NOT try to merge our beliefs! Quite the opposite, actually. We want to be representatives of the diversity of religious and faith beliefs on campus, not one belief system. In fact, the more disagreement the better, in my opinion!
UIC is a monthly meeting of representatives from all faith/religious groups on campus. so enables the government funded university to support the diversity of all our faiths with our SEPARATE beliefs without "sponsoring" any one of them, ensuring Separation of Church and State policy, a win-win for us and UCSC!
UIC is all-volunteer run, so only exists with the hard and faithful work of Herb Schmidt and many others, including myself as new President for 2014-15.
We have been blessed for 50 years by the legacy of Rev. Schmidt in the work of the UCSC Interfaith Council, enabling not only ISI, but all faith groups on campus to operate legally and fairly with the campus's highest levels of administrative support.
NOTE: The council does NOT try to merge our beliefs! Quite the opposite, actually. We want to be representatives of the diversity of religious and faith beliefs on campus, not one belief system. In fact, the more disagreement the better, in my opinion!
UIC is a monthly meeting of representatives from all faith/religious groups on campus. so enables the government funded university to support the diversity of all our faiths with our SEPARATE beliefs without "sponsoring" any one of them, ensuring Separation of Church and State policy, a win-win for us and UCSC!
UIC is all-volunteer run, so only exists with the hard and faithful work of Herb Schmidt and many others, including myself as new President for 2014-15.
We have been blessed for 50 years by the legacy of Rev. Schmidt in the work of the UCSC Interfaith Council, enabling not only ISI, but all faith groups on campus to operate legally and fairly with the campus's highest levels of administrative support.
Happy 50th Anniversary to UCSC's University Interfaith Council!!!
and to Founding Pastor, our Banquet honoree, Rev. Herb Schmidt -- still strong in ministry at age 85.
Herb was also last year's UIC President, in which role I have now succeeded him as President this year -- at his insistence!
I have been blessed and delighted to serve alongside Herb in UCSC's spiritual leadership community for the past 20 of his 50 years at UCSC. Although our politics may differ slightly, he has been a true pleasure to work with. His kindness, love and unflagging zeal invigorates the spiritual life of our special UCSC community, while promoting his blazing vision for international peace and justice.
Herb is an icon of campus, and integral in the history of the University. He was invited by UCSC founding Chancellor Dean McHenry to start a Religious Council on campus at the very inception of the university. Herb has also been campus pastor at Stanford University, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church and interim pastor in many other churches, including in Bali (someone has to suffer for Christ there! haha!).
We are honored and blessed to have Herb share more at our banquet about his 50 year history with the University Interfaith Council.