A Legacy of Welcome: Mike and Lesley Butler's Gift to Wesley

As part of A Legacy of Welcome: The Campaign for Wesley Foundation, we are honored to share the stories of individuals whose generosity is shaping the future of Wesley Foundation at Purdue. Mike and Lesley Butler, both Purdue alumni, are among those helping lead the way. While Mike was involved in Wesley as a student, Lesley’s connection has grown through witnessing its lasting impact. Together, in memory of Mike’s parents–Henry and Dorothy Butler–they have made a $100,000 gift to support the campaign and ensure future students experience the same sense of belonging.

For Mike, Wesley played a formative role during his time at Purdue. He shares that the community created at Wesley by Rev. John VanVactor, the director at the time, and his fellow Wesley friends was a space where he could ask and explore deeper questions about faith.

“I had a call to preach when I was 17 years old and though I avoided that call for several years after leaving Purdue, my involvement in Wesley Foundation proved instrumental in me finally following that call,” Mike says. “Even after my graduation, John helped me navigate my way to following my call into ministry as a United Methodist pastor.”

Mike went on to attend United Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, where he spent four years preparing for ministry. After graduation, he became associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Griffith, Indiana. It was during this time that he met his wife, Lesley. Together, they built a life shaped by ministry, serving congregations in Indiana, Ohio, and Florida, where they are now settled.

“My connection to Wesley is through Mike and how it impacted his life and his call to ministry,” Lesley says. “My nephew was also involved with Wesley. We’re strong supporters of Wesley’s amazing work and its impact on students.”

The Butlers’ long-standing association with Wesley eventually led Mike back in the form of various leadership roles. Through board and committee service, he has helped shape the vision for Wesley’s future. Today, Mike serves on the campaign committee for the new Wesley Student Center.

“It’s been meaningful to stay connected to a place that had such an impact on my life,” Mike says. “Wesley helped shape who I am, and it’s important to me to support others by being a part of something that will impact future students.”

For the Butlers, the new building reflects something that has always been central to Wesley’s ministry: creating a space in which students feel known and welcomed from the moment they arrive. At the heart of their gift is a shared belief in what “A Legacy of Welcome” truly means. For Mike, it is rooted in the biblical call to hospitality.

“If you look at the ministry of Jesus in the New Testament, it was a ministry of hospitality,” Mike says. “Wesley has been a ministry of hospitality for many years, and the new building will help continue that legacy. Wesley will continue to be a place where people know they are loved and cared for.”

For Lesley, “A Legacy of Welcome” is about creating an environment where people not only feel accepted, but expected.

“Wesley has always been a welcoming place, and that’s where the legacy comes in,” she says. “The new building will be even more welcoming as a newer, more accessible facility. When someone walks through those doors they’ll feel, ‘I’m welcome here. They’ve been expecting me.’”

The Butlers’ gift is an invitation for others to be part of that legacy. Whether through financial support, prayer, or simply showing up, every contribution helps create space for students to belong and grow.

To join the Butlers in building a lasting legacy of welcome for Wesley students, we invite you to make a gift or pledge to A Legacy of Welcome: The Campaign for Wesley Foundation today.