Pastor Hannah Andres (Whitney United Methodist Church, Boise and Sophia’s Table) asked me to bring greetings to Whitney UMC and thank them for their partnership in campus ministry. What a wonderful morning! A BSU professor greeted me after worship. A few of his students came to worship at Whitney for the first time this morning and they were able to meet one of the students already involved in Sophia’s Table. This congregation, by the way, does an incredible job of loving their neighbors through food and clothing ministries. Thanks for the invite Pastor Hannah! Also a shout-out to the two current ELCA board members of Sophia’s Table: Pastor Mariah Mills (Redeemer, Boise) and Tom Trotter (Immanuel, Boise). Scroll down for my words of explanation and gratitude. Bonus, Pastor Hannah is doing a sermon series on Methodism so I got a lesson in Holy Conferencing.

Thank You Whitney UMC, Boise – Jan. 19, 2025

I am here to celebrate the ecumenical campus ministry at Boise State: Sophia’s Table, but first some background. My name is Meggan Manlove and since July 2023 I have served as bishop of the Northwest Intermountain Synod, covering mostly Eastern WA and Idaho, 88 ministries between Leavenworth, WA and Jackson, WY. Before my election, I served as pastor of Trinity Lutheran, Nampa for 12.5 years.

ELCA stands for Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. We are evangelical because we believe and trust in the good news, evangelion in Greek, not because we are part of the capital E Evangelical Movement in this country. The ELCA is one of several Lutheran families in the Treasure Valley, other families are Missouri Synod, Wisconsin Synod, Lutheran Church of the Brethren. The ELCA is the family that ordains women and LGBTQ individuals, and we practice what we call open table, non-members are welcome to Holy Communion.

Since the creation of the ELCA church body in 1988, this synod has supported Lutheran Campus Ministries on three campuses: Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington State University in Pullman, and University of Idaho in Moscow.

For many years, including during my 12+ years serving in Nampa, we ELCA Lutherans wanted to start some kind of campus ministry at Boise State, possibly ecumenically. When District Superintendent Rev. Karen Hernandez, Interim Presbyter Rachel Yates, and I started meeting for lunch, none of us dreamed this might be a fruit, but it is, in part thanks to you all! Rev. Karen suggested appointing a pastor at Whitney ¾ time. The other ¼ appointment would be to campus ministry IF two other ecumenical partners would join. We Lutherans and Presbyterians eventually said Yes. Last fall, the students named the ministry Sophia’s Table.

Why yet another campus ministry at Boise State? To be the bridge from the Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, UCC, Episcopal, Disciples of Christ congregations of students’ youth to their adulthood congregations, to be sure. But more importantly, to ensure there is a space where young adults can hear and explore the gospel, the gospel in which Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection liberates us from our bondage to sin, individual sin and systems of oppression. Further, young adult followers of Jesus, no matter their gender, first language, race, or sexual identity, need to know that they are loved and forgiven and freed by Jesus’ Christ. So, hear from your ELCA Lutheran siblings that we are incredibly grateful to be partnering with you in this ministry: Sophia’s Table.