The PEACE (Presbyterian Episcopal Alliance for Campus Engagement) Center at the University of Delaware (UD) is pleased to announce the call of the Rev. Dr. Rachel Hébert as its new campus minister. For many years, the Episcopal Church in Delaware maintained a presence at the University of Delaware through its Episcopal Campus Ministry, housed at St. Thomas’s Episcopal Parish in Newark. In recent years, a renewed sense of call has emerged — one shaped by the changing realities of campus life and a deep conviction that ministry with college students remains vital and necessary. Out of that discernment, leaders from the Episcopal and Presbyterian traditions came together to form the PEACE Center, a new ecumenical initiative rooted in collaboration, shared mission, and Christ-centered engagement. The seeds of the PEACE Center were planted in the summer of 2021, when an ecumenical gathering of University of Delaware campus ministers and supporters met to reflect on the “why” of campus ministry in a post-COVID context. As the Rev. Miriam Foltz, chair of the PEACE Center Board, recalls, the conversation consistently returned to Jesus, while also naming the many ways campus ministry fosters hospitality, beloved community, connection, advocacy, and health and wholeness. While participants agreed that campus ministry felt more important than ever, they also acknowledged the growing challenges denominations face in sustaining and resourcing this work on their own. Over the next two years, representatives from Presbyterian, Episcopal, and Methodist ministries at UD met regularly to explore new models of collaboration. These conversations led to the development of a shared mission and vision for an ecumenical campus ministry that embodied the values first articulated in 2021. By early 2024, it became clear that formal organization was needed in order to call a leader to carry this vision forward. While Methodist partners were not yet able to enter into a full partnership, they offered their blessing as the Episcopal Church in Delaware and the Presbytery of New Castle formally established the PEACE Center in November 2024. Guided by prayer and discernment, the PEACE Center Board undertook a comprehensive search process and called Pastor Rachel to shepherd this ministry into its next chapter. As Pastor Rachel shared with the Board, “Working with college students is a passion of mine, as I firmly believe that these young adults are having some of the most honest and authentic conversations about life, faith, the church, and more. It is an honor and privilege to not only listen to these conversations, but to provide pastoral care as students navigate their journeys.” Pastor Rachel will begin her ministry on January 15. She can be reached at peacecenter_ud@outlook.com. | 
