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Campus Outreach History
The Campus Outreach Story: A Single Decision Video
Campus Outreach (CO) had its beginning in 1979 in Birmingham, AL at Briarwood Presbyterian Church. The ministry began with one full time staff person who was a recent graduate from Samford University. At that time it was the desire of the leadership at Briarwood to have an influence on the college age students in their church, in their denomination, and at the campuses in their region. These student groups are those for which the church felt responsible to establish and maintain a Christian influence.
The ministry enjoyed a great beginning and within a couple of years began to expand to new campuses in different cities in the Alabama region. Strong connections in each community and good relationships with local churches and campus administrations provided fertile ground for continued growth. By 1988, CO had expanded to 9 campuses with full time staff around the state of Alabama and into Georgia.
In 1989 the ministry continued to expand into the Georgia region through the leadership of First Presbyterian Church in Augusta, GA. During that same year some opportunities to expand into Cross Cultural environments became a reality. Campus Outreach staff moved to Bangkok, Thailand and began ministering to Thai college and university students. By God's blessing the ministry continued to grow in measurable and immeasurable arenas. In 1992 the ministry expanded into Southern Florida focusing primarily on Latin American students in the same fashion as when the ministry began. From that time through 2006, CO expanded in connection with other churches into South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Central Asia, Brazil, South Africa, Minnesota and Virginia. Today, CO ministries are ongoing in 14 states in the US and in five countries abroad. Each of these ministries is based out of the churches listed here. These churches provide each regional CO ministry with supervision and a substantial percentage of the resources necessary for their effective existence.
1978
- Campus Outreach Birmingham founded under Briarwood
Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, AL
1981
- First campus ministry outside Birmingham begins
- First Collegiate Christmas Conference
1982
- First Summer Training Project
1983
- First Summer Cross Cultural Training Project
1985
- Formation of Campus Outreach Board
1989
- Campus Outreach Augusta franchised to First Presbyterian
Church, Augusta, GA
1990
- Campus Outreach Thailand formed under Briarwood Presbyterian
Church, Birmingham, AL
1992
- Campus Outreach Montgomery formed under Briarwood
Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, AL
1993
- Campus Outreach Miami formed under Briarwood Presbyterian
Church, Birmingham, AL
1995
- Campus Outreach Charlotte franchised to Christ Covenant
Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, NC
- Campus Outreach Memphis franchised to 2nd Presbyterian
Church in Memphis, TN
1996
- Campus Outreach Brazil formed under Briarwood Presbyterian
Church, Birmingham, AL
1998
- Campus Outreach Greenville franchised to Mitchell Road
Presbyterian Church, Greenville, SC
- Campus Outreach Gulf Coast franchised to Eastern Shore
Presbyterian Church, Fairhope, AL
- Campus Outreach Central Asia formed under Briarwood
Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, AL
1999
- Campus Outreach Atlanta franchised to Perimeter Presbyterian
Church, Atlanta, GA
- Campus Outreach Australia formed under Briarwood Presbyterian
Church, Birmingham, AL
2000
- Campus Outreach Florida formed under Briarwood Presbyterian
Church, Birmingham, AL
2001
- Combined Franchises Global Christmas Conference in Atlanta, GA
- Campus Outreach Charleston franchised to East Cooper Baptist
Church, Charleston, SC
2002
- Campus Outreach Indianapolis formed under CO Memphis and
2nd Presbyterian Church and then franchised to Christ Community
Church in 2006.
- Campus Outreach Louisiana formed under CO Gulf Coast and
Eastern Shore Presbyterian Church
- Campus Outreach Johannesburg formed under CO Charlotte and
Christ Covenant Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, NC
2003
- Campus Outreach Lexington formed under CO Birmingham and
Briarwood Presbyterian Church
- Campus Outreach Minneapolis formed under Bethlehem Baptist
Church, Minniapolis, MN
2008
- Campus Outreach Lynchburg formed under Rivermont Presbyterian
Church, Lynchburg, VA.
- Campus Outreach Peoria formed under Grace Presbyterian Church in
Peoria, IL.
2010
-Campus Outreach Washington DC formed under Capital Hill Baptist Church, Washington, DC.