A Message from the Interim Director
Welcome back or welcome for the first time to the University of Tennessee. My name is Jaclyn Beeler and I serve as the Interim Executive Director here at UKirk UTK. UKirk, which means “University Church”, is the collegiate ministry of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. We are located in an old, beautiful home at 1831 Melrose Avenue where we have been since the 1950s. At UKirk UTK, we believe that every person, without qualification, should have the opportunity for God’s amazing love to be made known to them. We believe what God intends for the world is a reality in which people recognize God’s image in the other and value diversity of perspective, race, class, gender, sexual orientation, ideological and political beliefs, or any other point of contention or division in our society. We believe all people are invited to Christ’s table, not to fit in, but rather to bring their honest, authentic, and, at times, broken selves to experience the grace of God. We hope that you will join with us and help create that kind of community here on the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. We never ask you to “fit in,” but rather we seek to fully include you in the life of UKirk so that we may gain a greater sense of God’s fullness from your experience. We hope that you will come and meet us and see what we’re all about at UKirk. Your presence will add to the vibrant community of faith in Christ that we are cultivating with God’s help.

Welcome home, Vols. We can't wait to meet you!


Jaclyn Beeler
Interim Executive Director
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What does UKirk have to offer?
UKirk-UTK seeks to be a “home away from home” for students to feel safe, grow, be challenged, eat (of course), serve others, worship, and grow closer to God. To provide this sense of “home,” we offer many services and programs for students including worship, a theological study group, pastoral care visits, a garden, “exam breakers,” a hang out, a coffee shop with great study space, a resident program and internships, just to name a few. Check out a full description of our programs and offerings below.
Every Wednesday evening beginning at 7 pm, we gather for food, fellowship, and a casual worship service with communion. This fall we will follow the revised common lectionary while also welcoming guest preachers from around our Presbytery. While we search for a new campus minister many pastors from supporting churches have stepped up to help us out during this time. We have a great line up and hope you will join us!

August 28th - "Welcome to UKirk" - Rev. Tim Reynolds, Second Presbyterian Church
September 4th - Rev. Katina Sharp, Powell Presbyterian Church
September 11th - All Music, Prayer and Communion
September 18th - Rev. Sarah Morgan, Second Presbyterian Church
September 25th - Kyla Duncan, Worship Intern
Seminary Light seeks to equip students with theological tools to become discerning people of faith. We'll meet on Mondays for an hour to eat lunch (FREE) and discuss challenging theological topics in a relaxed environment. We will begin meeting Monday, September 9th at 12:15.

For the month of September we will focus on Biblical Interpretation.

September 9th - Intro to Biblical Interpretation, Rev. Ann Brunger
September 16th - Feminist Interpretation, Rev. Meredith Loftis
September 23rd - LGBTQ Affirming Methods of Interpretation, Rev. Buran Phillips
September 30th - Understanding the Gospels, Darryll Rasnake
UKirk's garden gives students the opportunity to experience the joy of growing fruits and vegetables that will be donated to local ministries that seek to address food insecurities. 
During Exam week we offer activities and snacks to ease your end-of-semester stress.
Services to Students
Cable and WiFi  – Have a favorite show? Want to watch live sports? Need to catch up on an HBO or Showtime show? UKirk offers access to cable TV including ESPN, HBO, Showtime, Food Network, and all the other channels you may be missing.

Hammock Lending  – Want to ENO but don’t have one? Come in and check one out from UKirk. You’re welcome to ENO in the yard here at the house or anywhere on campus. We have both straps and hammocks to lend.

Free laundry  – Petro’s chili on your favorite shirt? Fear not! UKirk offers free laundry for students on our lower level floor. Just come in and do your laundry, you can take advantage of free WiFi and TV while you wait.

Free printing  – Forgot your student ID and need to print? No problem. Whether it’s a quick print before a paper is due or a major project, UKirk offers free printing for students (B&W or  c o l o r ).  If you want to have a study group meet at UKirk, they’re welcome to print too. 

Full kitchen  – Ran out of meal swipes? Unlikely. Tired of your meal plan? Likely. If you want to store and/or cook your own food, UKirk offers a full kitchen in our lower level. We only ask that you label and date your food and clean your dishes.
UPerk believes everyone should have a place to be: to be at peace, to be with friends, to be safe, to be studious, and so on. To live out this vision, we created an intentional space at UKirk for people to gather, host events, study, and drink great coffee from Vienna Coffee Company. We hope that you will come to UPerk and simply “be”. Along with the delicious coffee (hot, iced and cold brew) that we serve we also offer a variety of teas, hot chocolate, apple cider and Italian sodas and everything is just $1!

UPerk is open from 8am until 11pm every week night, come and be with us!
My name is Kyla Duncan and I'm going into my fourth year as a Religious Studies and Political Science major here at UT. I was born and raised in Bristol, TN. I came to UKirk out of curiosity one night as someone raised Baptist, and I never looked back. This place and the people in it welcomed me and have helped shape who I am today more than I ever could have imagined. I am looking forward to serving this school year as the worship intern and helping give back to this community that has given me so much.