Finding A Spiritual Home

We strive to be welcoming to all people of faith— and people of no faith background— at Pacific University.

Our community is diverse and we find strength in the pluralistic society that makes America. Regular worship services are not held on campus. However, there are faith communities in the Portland-Metro area that welcome Pacific students.

Historic Ties

Members of the Congregational Church, now the United Church of Christ (UCC), founded Pacific University. While Pacific is an independent institution the university is a full member of the UCC Council of Higher Learning. The Central Pacific Conference of the United Church of Christ offers links to UCC congregations in the Metro area. Forest Grove United Church of Christ is across the street from Old College Hall.  Many Pacific students, staff, and faculty attend.

Prayer & Reflection Room

Located in Washburne Hall / University Center Room 104, the Pacific University Prayer & Reflection Room is an inclusive and welcoming space for members of the Pacific University community of diverse religious, spiritual and non-religious backgrounds and practices. The room is a private space intended for quiet prayer, meditation, reflection, and exploration of spiritual identity. Anyone wishing to use the space must observe the guidelines for use. Pacific students and employees can access the door code when logged in with their PUNet ID.

Worship Opportunities

The following websites provide information on diverse religious traditions across the Portland-Metro area.

Forest Grove Communities of Faith (various churches in Forest Grove area)

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (provides links to most Protestant denominations — including historic African-American denominations— and many local churches, both Protestant & Roman Catholic)

Archdiocese of Portland

Jewish Federation of Greater Portland

LDS Temples and Mormon Church Units In Oregon

Muslim Educational Trust

Oregon – World Buddhist Directory

Bright Way Zen (Beaverton, Aloha, Hillsboro, Forest Grove)

Unitarian Universalist Church of Washington County (Hillsboro)

Humanists of Greater Portland

Community of Welcoming Congregations (LGBTQ welcoming faith communities)

Hindu (no central website available – best tool is Google to search for locations)

Worship at Pacific

Regular worship services are not held at Pacific University. However, there are times when special interfaith services are planned. If your place of worship is interested in holding services on campus please contact Stephanie Stokamer, Interim Director, at 503-352-1571 for additional information.

Additional Opportunities to Explore Faith, Peace, and Spirituality

Sophia Circles: Forest Grove United Church of Christ, Sundays, 7-8 PM, in the social hall of the church (in the entrance off the courtyard on College Way)

The hour will consist of a brief reflective reading like a poem or meaningful passage, simple meditation instruction, 20 minutes of meditation, followed by tea and circle discussion. "Sophia" means sacred wisdom in Greek. Throughout Judeo-Christian scripture, the indwelling presence of the divine, spirit, and sacred wisdom is personified as a woman and referred to with feminine names like “Sophia." Sophia is wisdom in all her many forms and expressions. These circles are offered to nurture a non-oppressive and co-creative space for people of all gender identities and expressions, beliefs, ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, classes, physical and mental abilities to explore meditation techniques and wisdom in an open circle of sharing. All are welcome!

About the facilitator: Brendan Curran is the pastor of the Forest Grove United Church of Christ. They will be facilitating Sophia Circles and offering meditation instruction during the meetings. Brendan studied meditation while practicing and living at the Cambridge Zen Center, an urban residential Korean Zen Buddhist community from 1999-2009. They have given meditation instruction in that context as well as congregational settings. Brendan is passionate about liberation theologies, sacred activism, inter-faith/inter-spiritual dialogue, their own inherited earth-based Celtic spirituality, and contemplative practice in community life.