Frequently Asked Questions

where is Motor City Campus Ministry Active?

Our goal is to support young adults in world-changing Christian discipleship on every campus across Metro Detroit. Currently we have student connections and some activities at Wayne State University, Henry Ford College, University of Michigan - Dearborn, and Oakland University. We are eager to make connections with more campuses and the churches who want to support students there. We also support young adults in local churches, resourcing them for small groups, service, and creative witness in the world. Shared gatherings like Dinner + Worship, Fall Retreat, and Spring Break Trips are open to all young adults connected in any way to Motor City Campus Ministry.

Are you a religious organization?

Why yes we are! Motor City Campus Ministry is connected with progressive Christian faith communities and we claim our Wesleyan/Methodist heritage. This means we believe in a God who offers grace to all, even before we know it. Further, we believe that serving others and building a more just world is a holy response to the grace, forgiveness and inspiration announced and enacted in the teachings and life of Jesus Christ. We also believe that there is no barrier to welcoming and working with students of all faiths or no faith, since working toward goodness in the world is consistent with our understanding of God’s hopes for everyone.

Aren’t Christians anti-Gay?

Unfortunately some are. But we believe this is a misreading of the Bible. We believe that the story of Jesus is all about making room for the marginalized - particularly those marginalized by religious doctrines. We believe that the church’s historic teachings against homosexuality are based more in an attempt to preserve patriarchy than in the biblical commandments to Love God and Love Neighbor. We recognize the harm that such doctrines have done to the LGBTQIA+ community. We repent of our complicity in that harm. And, we commit to deconstructing and eliminating the teachings, policies and actions that continue to perpetuate such harm.

Aren’t “conspiracies” bad?

This is probably the questions we get asked most. And, the world has experienced a whole different level of violent conspiracy theories lately, so we get it. But we are continually informed and inspired by those who have conspired for goodness in the world even when those actions put them at great risk. One story from WWII was particularly formative for us when we first started to encourage students to get into #goodtrouble and holy mischief: The Conspiracy of Kindness in Le Chambon France. We hope this is the kind of conspiracy the world never forgets.