Welcome Our New Campus Minister
With great excitement, the Board of Trustees of UKirk Nashville welcomes back an old friend to a new position! Not too long ago, we wished Rev. Mary Sellers Shaw all the best as she concluded her service to the Board of Trustees, including time as the board’s chair. After many Zoom interviews with search committee members and current students from Vanderbilt and Belmont Universities, the search committee felt Mary Sellers would make the ideal candidate to write UKirk’s next chapter. Like many churches, schools and non-profits, UKirk Nashville is at a crossroads. How do we keep a college student ministry vibrant when the world around us is constantly changing? The committee believes Mary Sellers’s steady leadership, knowledge of UKirk Nashville’s past, and connections to students and donors alike will be the combination of qualities to expand the ministry after Claire Berry’s years of dedicated service. We look forward to the energy, intelligence, imagination, and love Mary Sellers will bring as our new Executive Director and Campus Minister.
Rev. Mary Sellers Shaw is excited to join UKirk Nashville as the new Campus Minister and Executive Director! She served from 2018-2024 on the UKirk Board, including two years as Board Chair, and she is looking forward to "coming home." Mary Sellers is originally from Birmingham, Alabama. She attended the University of Alabama before moving to Nashville to serve as a Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) at Room In The Inn. She then attended Vanderbilt Divinity School before serving as the Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Franklin. Most recently, she served as the Director of Service Learning at the Martha O'Bryan Center, where she managed their AmeriCorps year of service. In her spare time, Mary Sellers enjoys reading, taking walks, trying out new restaurants, and spending time with her cat, Finn, and her fiance, Aldo. Aldo and Mary Sellers are looking forward to getting married this October! Mary Sellers has been an active member of the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee for over a decade, and she is grateful for the continued support of all our congregations to UKirk's mission. She is excited to connect and grow together in this new role!
All and y'all are welcome here
UKirk, or "university church," is a community dedicated to experiencing Christ on Nashville campuses through worship, service, and fellowship. We love to study scripture, ask hard questions, break bread, play, pray, and laugh together, and to extend the love of Christ to our neighbors.
We have a nearly nine-decades long history
here in Nashville as a non-profit of the local Presbyterian churches (PCUSA and CPC). UKirk is an official student organization at both Vanderbilt and Belmont.
We welcome any and all who would like to join us, valuing diversity when it comes to belief, perspective, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, class, and all other forms of difference. Everyone is beloved, made in the image of God.
All and y'all are welcome here.
What is UKirk?
UKirk is a place and time where all students and seekers can be at home.
Whether you're a lifelong Presbyterian, aren't sure what that means, or even have real doubts about the church, you are welcome to join us in worship, which includes a meal, every Thursday night during the school year.
Showing love for our neighbors is one way of connecting with God in daily life. UKirk takes part in service, offerings, and other forms of community engagement together, and we gratefully receive the service and generosity of our supporting churches, too.
Our weekly fellowship is really what makes us UKirk. We want to share life, and do life, together, as a community. Join us for coffee or a meal. See the events tab above or follow us on Instagram for more information.