The history of college campus ministry in the Texas District goes back to the very founding of the district in 1906. Funds were collected to help support young people seeking education to become church workers. While much the focus in the 1920s revolved around launching a Lutheran college, Texas District campus mission was mentioned for the first time in the 1924 Lutheran Annual under the section “Student Pastors: Pastors Doing Pastoral Work among Our Students at Universities and Colleges” that states, “Texas: Austin, State University: Rev. K. G. Manz, E. 16th St.”
Other mentions in Texas District Convention Proceedings include:
1910 District Convention
“Since the state is building the ‘West Texas Normal School’ [now West Texas A&M University] here, Canyon City will become even more important for us.”
1925 District Convention
“In Denton itself, the missionary also provides for our students in the two large institutions, Normal [now University of North Texas] and C.I.A. [College of Industrial Arts, now Texas Woman’s University] during the school year.”
“Kurten…the missionary also regularly ministers to the Lutheran students at A&M College [now Texas A&M University].”
1934 District Convention
“The [Lubbock] missionary is also taking care of the students at the Texas Technological College [now Texas Tech University].”
Today the Texas District serves approximately two dozen colleges and universities through 13 different campus ministries.
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