MEET YOUR CAMPUS MINISTER

The Campus Minister at the UVa-Wise Wesley Foundation is Beth Tipton. Beth is a candidate for Deacon's Orders in the United Methodist Church. 2006-2007 is her fourth year at UVa-Wise and she absolutely LOVES it!  She is originally from all over having grown up as a military brat. Beth has two bachelor's degrees in Biology and Chemistry, as well as a minor in music. She has a master's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Computer Information Systems. She enjoys her work with college students, and hopes to continue for a long time. Beth used to be Gibson until April 2006 when she got married and became a Tipton. She enjoys living with her husband and her cat Buddy.

The Wesley Foundation at UVa-Wise is here to provide students with an open arena for exploring one's faith and learning about what it means to be in relationship with God, others, and all of creation, through Jesus Christ. Through our many opportunities for worship, fellowship, spiritual growth, and service, students will experience the Christian faith as being very relevant to today and vital for lasting fulfillment.

The Wesley Foundation is a campus ministry of the United Methodist Church.  However, the Wesley Foundation is open to all students, faculty, and staff regardless of church background.

This particular Wesley Foundation is a part of the Holston Annual Conference, a geographic region that runs from the Radford, VA area south to Rising Fawn, GA and west to around Rockwood, TN.  On a much smaller scale, we are also a part of the Big Stone Gap District, one of 12 districts within the Holston Annual Conference.

Our ministry is funded by the Holston Annual Conference, the Big Stone Gap District, and local churches and individuals from within the Big Stone Gap District.  Our Board of Directors is also responsible for raising funds to supplement this income.  During the school year, students will be encouraged to assist in these fundraisers and have fundraisers of their own to raise money towards any trips taken for missionary work.

In the early 1960's, the Holston Annual Conference recognized the need for a campus ministry on the campus of, what was then known as, Clinch Valley College. By 1962 the first campus minister, Rev. Joe E. Baker, Jr., was serving the campus community, laying the groundwork for the continuing presence of the United Methodist Church on this campus. Through the work of these early servants, a solid program was developed, showing the need for a permanent facility that the students could call their own. In 1970 the current building was dedicated to the glory of God for use by the campus community. The Baptist Student Union used space in the facility in those early years until they constructed their own facility across the street. Through the years, the Wesley Foundation's influence on campus has continued to grow, giving students a place to learn about and grow in the Christian faith through its many ministries.