Campus Ministry: Finding Meaning and Purpose in Higher Education

The campus minister's role in vocational discernment is to accompany students on their spiritual journeys. In Campus Ministry: Finding Meaning and Purpose in Higher Education, FTE Senior Director of Learning Design Patrick Reyes, compiles and edits contributions from leaders who represent theological, ecclesial, racial-ethnic, and gender diversities in campus ministry.

With discernment practices and essays that explore the importance of creating physical and psychological safety for students to explore ministry, to excerpts from the Sound of the Genuine podcast highlighting the vocational journey of faith leaders, this is an important resource to help a new generation of college students discern their call to ministry.

The Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) has since 1954 supported young adults discerning a call to ministry. Through grants, fellowships, and gatherings connecting mentors and mentees, FTE has helped future generations of pastoral leaders find their vocations. Dr. Patrick B. Reyes, PhD, is an award-winning Chicano scholar and author. He serves as an administrator, a strategist, non-profit executive, and higher education board member. He is the author of numerous academic articles and books including, The Purpose Gap: Empowering Communities of Color to Find Meaning and Thrive and the award-winning book, Nobody Cries When We Die: God, Community, and Surviving to Adulthood, which was selected by the Children's Defense Fund for their inaugural book club.

He is the host of the Sound of the Genuine podcast and serves as the senior director of learning design at the Forum for Theological Exploration. He was elected president of the Religious Education Association, serves on three boards in higher education, and several boards in the non-profit sector supporting the next generation of Black, Indigenous, and Chicano leaders and educators.

Prior to FTE, Dr. Reyes was an academic administrator, faculty member, and director at an international performance-based logistics firm. Patrick holds a PhD and an MA from Claremont School of Theology, an MDiv from Boston University School of Theology and is proud to be a graduate of the California State education system, California State University at Sacramento (Sac State).