Campus Life
Spiritual Life
University ministry is ecumenical in nature and open to all people of faith regardless of practices and denomination.
Amy Frost
Assistant, Department of Humanities & University Ministry
University Ministry is open to all people of faith.
Spiritual Life
As a university with close ties to the United Methodist Church, we pride ourselves on the opportunities we provide students to grow in their faith. University ministry is ecumenical in nature, open to all people of faith, regardless of practices and denomination. To comply with local regulations and keep the Baker community safe, this year during chapel services, we are practicing social distancing, wearing masks, meeting outside when we can, and listening prayerfully to the music instead of singing.
Baker University was founded by members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1858 and named for the Kansas-Nebraska bishop of the MEC at that time, Osmon C. Baker.
Since its founding, the university has held close ties with the Church, which became the Methodist Church beginning in 1939 and then the United Methodist Church in 1968, and has retained its affiliation. It is one of 196 colleges and universities in the United States with connections to the United Methodist Church.
Weekly chapel services are held in the Clarice L. Osborne Memorial Chapel on our Baldwin City campus on Thursdays at 11 a.m. No classes are held at that time to allow people who wish to attend chapel to do so. Throughout the year, University Ministry hosts guest speakers and special events.
We seek to continue the tradition established more than 160 years ago—devotion to the Christian faith and academic excellence.
Chapel Ambassador Program
Chapel Ambassadors seek to serve as role models and make an impact on the Baker campus. Chapel Ambassadors help lead the weekly chapel service through scripture reading, prayer, and giving the weekly message. Baker Chapel Ambassadors travel to United Methodist Youth events and local churches in the Great Plains United Methodist Conference to participate in worship services and talk with youth. The Chapel Ambassadors also participate in local and international mission projects. Recent international mission trips have been to Haiti, Thailand, and England. The group, headed by campus minister, Kevin Hopkins, meets twice a month.
Baker Chapel Ambassadors are chosen at the beginning of each new academic year.
Called to Greatness
Called to Greatness is dedicated to acknowledging the work that the Lord is doing at Baker and in the world. CTG helps students discover, build, and start living a life of greatness as they realize God’s plan and purpose for their lives. CTG encourages students to see that Jesus Christ wants to influence and reign over every area of life and that all of life is spiritual—including our interests, relationships, talents, and careers.
Through CTG, students develop in all areas of life so they might glorify God and advance His kingdom through their lives.
Minister to the University | The Rev. Kevin Hopkins
A regular participant in music camps on the Baldwin City campus during his youth, the Rev. Kevin Hopkins returned to Baker University in 2014 to serve as minister to the university. Known as “RevKev,” Hopkins was the senior pastor at Leavenworth (Kansas) First United Methodist Church from 2009 to 2014.
“I have been affiliated with several private colleges in Kansas, and Baker has always been the school that is highly respected by other regional schools,” says Hopkins, originally from Hutchinson, Kansas. “For the past several years now, I have felt God calling me to return to campus ministry.”
His experience in campus ministry includes stints at Grace United Methodist Church on Southwestern College’s campus in Winfield, Kansas, and as dean of students and campus pastor at Kansas Wesleyan in Salina, Kansas. He previously held faith-based leadership positions at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, and Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
“I embraced my calling to serve God because of my involvement in campus ministry,” he says. “I have always felt called to serve on a campus and give back. I hope I can help students juggle academic and social expectations while at the same time encourage them to grown in their faith.”
Hopkins earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas and a Master of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.
Hopkins has six children. His interests include running, playing basketball, ping-pong, and racquetball. Since 1999, he has served as a Chaplain (Lt Col) with the Kansas Air National Guard.
Rev. Kevin Hopkins