University Ministries

The Office of University Ministries equips students as they prepare for a lifetime of engaging the culture and changing the world. Our aim is holistic formation in students — spiritually, intellectually, and vocationally.

Components of our mission

Together, we view the following as essential components of our mission:

  • Worship, reminding us who God is, what God has done for us, who we are as a community, and what we are called to do in the world.
  • Discipleship, committing to individual and corporate habits by which students learn about and practice what it means to follow Christ.
  • Reconciliation, participating in God’s work of reconciling all things in Christ, whether personal or communal, physical or spiritual, local or global.     

Our departments

Under the direction of Lisa Ishihara, SPU’s campus chaplain, UMin comprises two departments:

The John Perkins Center develops global urban student leaders and supports organizations and institutions by modeling reconciliation and contributing to community health and wholeness. Students have opportunities to learn and serve in global and social topics, develop relationships with local organizations, and engage critical reflection and dialogue through academic partnerships.

Campus Ministries staff serve as SPU’s campus pastors, helping students build lasting relationships and discover how their lives fit into God’s plan for the world. Campus Ministries programs focus on gathering in worship and learning a lifestyle of discipleship.


Through the Office of University Ministries, the Perkins Center and Campus Ministries collaborate with curricular and co-curricular departments to encourage growth in all aspects of students’ lives. The UMin also partners with ministries and organizations locally, nationally, and globally so students have additional resources and opportunities.

Overhead of Students Praying

Campus Ministries

As campus pastors, we work hard to offer students a wide range of opportunities for worship, discipleship, and reconciliation at Seattle Pacific.

John Perkins

The Perkins Center

Founded in 2004, the John Perkins Center — a partnership among the John Perkins Foundation of Jackson, Mississippi, Seattle Pacific University, and Christian community leaders — equips students to model reconciliation and contribute to community health and wholeness.