On July 16, 2026, it was announced that the board of the Wesley Foundation at Michigan State University had voted to close the foundation as an independent nonprofit and transition campus ministry to University UMC in East Lansing.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
We write today to inform you that the Board of the Wesley Foundation at Michigan State University has voted to close and dissolve our ministry. This is both difficult and significant for the Wesley Foundation at Michigan State University.
After receiving Executive Director and Campus Pastor Sonrisa Cortes’ resignation, the Board of Directors entered a season of prayerful discernment regarding the future of the Foundation. After thoughtful discussion and consideration of several options, the Board made the difficult decision to dissolve the Wesley Foundation at Michigan State University as an independent nonprofit organization.
At the same time, we are happy to share that campus ministry at Michigan State University will continue through University United Methodist Church in East Lansing. University United Methodist Church has accepted the opportunity to carry forward campus ministry at Michigan State University. Rooted in its own long history of ministry alongside the university, the congregation is committed to creating a campus ministry that responds to the needs of today’s students while carrying forward the same spirit of hospitality, community, faithful discipleship, and courageous faith that has long been at the heart of Wesley.
In the coming months, the Board will oversee the responsible dissolution of the Foundation and the thoughtful transition of its ministry and resources. We are grateful for the collaboration of University United Methodist Church and the support of the Michigan Conference throughout this process. If you want to make a financial gift to University UMC’s ministry with young adults, please include a designation to “campus ministry.” Learn more about giving at University UMC.
We know this news may bring feelings of grief and loss. The Wesley Foundation has been a meaningful part of countless lives, and organizations like this are never simply organizations. They are communities. They are sacred spaces where people discover lifelong friends, discern God’s call on their lives, celebrate milestones, grieve losses, and grow into the people they are becoming. While the Foundation’s organizational chapter is coming to an end, the relationships, memories, and faith formed through this ministry will remain an enduring part of its legacy.
Whether your connection to Wesley lasted one semester or a lifetime, you have helped shape a ministry that has impacted generations of Spartans. None of this would have been possible without the prayers, generosity, encouragement, and faithful support of alumni, churches, volunteers, donors, and friends like you. For that, we offer our deepest gratitude.
As we close this chapter, we ask for your prayers for everyone who has called Wesley home, for University United Methodist Church as it begins this new chapter of campus ministry, and for the students who will continue to seek community, purpose, and faith at Michigan State University.
The Wesley Foundation’s story has touched countless lives, and that story does not end because one organization closes. Its legacy lives on in every student whose life was changed, every friendship that endures, every act of service inspired, and every person who continues to carry Christ’s love into the world.
With Gratitude,
Rev. Sonrisa Cortes
Executive Director and Campus Pastor
Rev. David Berkey
Board Chair
P.S. We’d be honored to read your memories of the Wesley Foundation at Michigan State University. Share them here.
Our Michigan Conference campus ministries are funded, in part, thanks to generous financial gifts from local United Methodist churches in Michigan through Ministry Shares. Thank you! Learn about the impact of Ministry Shares on mission and ministry in Michigan and around the world.
Last Updated on July 28, 2026