Making Room for Faith, Friendship, and Belonging

At the heart of Cleveland’s college campuses, United Protestant Campus Ministries (known as UPCaM) is more than a ministry; it’s a home. Led by Campus Minister and Executive Director Amanda Powell, UPCaM serves students at Case Western Reserve University and across the city, offering a space to be known, supported, and celebrated for who they are.

“For many students, there’s a deep need for a safe, nurturing place,” Powell says. “Queer students, international students, and those navigating intense academic pressures all come seeking a soft landing. And they find it here.”

UPCaM’s work is hands-on and holistic. Students gather weekly for Dinner Church, explore faith in small groups, and care for their neighbors by providing meals and support for those experiencing housing insecurity. International students on full scholarships, who sometimes struggle to cover housing or food during breaks, find welcome and aid. Powell recalls a student from Ivory Coast mentoring new international students, while another student returning from surgery was embraced by the UPCaM community with cheers and love.

Last year, UPCaM received a Strategic Ministry Grant from the ELCA, enabling the ministry to plan long-term and expand its reach. “This grant gives us the resources to move from reactive to proactive ministry,” Powell explains. “We can hire administrative support, offer more programming, and empower students to lead projects and mission work.”

Powell believes campus ministry is not just the future of the church, it’s its present. Through UPCaM, students experience faith lived out inclusively, ecumenically, and vibrantly. “God is everywhere here,” Powell says. “In every meal shared, every prayer offered, every student stepping into leadership…you can see it.”
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Ministries like UPCaM are made possible because congregations and members provide support. Financial gifts sustain ministries that nurture, guide, and care for young adults, places where faith is explored, lived, and shared in real, transformative ways. Your Mission Support allows ministries to dream big, respond to real needs, and ensure that students across Ohio—and beyond—know they have a spiritual home ready to welcome them.