FAQ
What is a Wesley Foundation?
United Methodist Church. We are an advance special of the Indiana Conference of the UMC. It is primarily a ministry for and
by students, serving them and helping them to grow in faith and Christian leadership. We are open to students, staff, and faculty
from all denominations and faiths.
Where is the Wesley Foundation located?
435 West State Street; Across the street from the Purdue Memorial Union, next to Krannert. It is also on the South-east corner of Sheetz and State Streets
where State is a one way street which curves South into Sheetz. Look for the cross and flames on the corner! P.S. There is a parking garage just beyond the
curve where you can park since we have limited parking at Wesley.
What does it mean that Wesley Foundation is a United Methodist Campus Ministry?
There are over 200 Wesley Foundations around the world started by the United Methodist Church to serve students at state universities. Wesley Foundations are also generally supported by their annual conference as one of their extension ministries and missions. We work consistently out of a Wesleyan perspective. This means the Bible is our primary guide but we also look to tradition, experience, and reason for faithful discernment. We follow the Discipline of the UMC and utilize the Social Principles in all that we do and decide at Wesley Foundation. We reach out to United Methodist students but we also gladly minister to students of all faiths and all denominations.
Where can I park?
Well, sadly, parking is an issue at Wesley. We have only a limited number of spots since Krannert was built around us. These places are reserved for staff and residents (we have 2 students living at Wesley) and 3 for visitors. But there is parking on Sheetz Street and at the Marstellar garage on Sheetz St. (catycorner from Wesley) after 5 pm.
Do I have to be United Methodist to participate?
Nope! We welcome all denominations and faiths. We've had a good number of Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Wesleyans, Quakers, Mennonites, etc.
Why is it named "Wesley Foundation"?
Well, Wesley is for the founder of the Methodist movement in the late 1700's in England, John Wesley. However, we also claim the legacy of John's mother, Susanna Wesley, and his amazing hymn-writing brother, Charles Wesley. Wesley also points us to use of the "Wesley" Quadrilateral which claims four sources for understanding faith: scripture, tradition, experience and reason.
Foundation is because we deal alot with faith foundations at Wesley. Sometimes students are building from Ground Zero. Others come with a firm foundation of faith, and just need some nurturing as they go through their college years. Yet others have a shaky foundation and need lots of renovations as they go before it all crumbles away into dust. We deal with lots of foundational questions at Wesley, like how does God love, how do we deal with suffering, how do faith and sexuality go together, etc.
How do you interpret the Bible?
Scripture is at the center of all our worship, Bible studies, service, prayer, etc. The Bible is holy in that it conveys God's vision for humanity and everything necessary to our salvation. It contains stories of people's interactions with God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and God-loving people. However, we do not read the Bible literally. We also see the Bible as a book that was shaped by human perspectives, history, cultural context, time and language translations. As we try to understand the scriptures' import for our lives and world, we also look at traditions of the Church, human experience, and reason (this is known to us as the Wesley Quadrilateral).
