Jim Kirkpatrick once dreamt of being a gymnast and fought the pull of the ministry. That pull proved impossible for him to resist, and, despite his fears, his career has been anything but dull.
“God chose it,” Kirkpatrick, 58, said, speaking from his office which is lined with shelves filled with books and photos.
Kirkpatrick, eight-year director of ETSU’s Presbyterian Campus Ministry and director of youth ministry for 69 regional Presbyterian churches, has served in youth ministry since 1969.
Prior to his tenure at PCM, he was involved in Christian education at Waldensian Presbyterian Church in Valdese, N.C.
Kirkpatrick said it was an ideal situation, but after a while he knew it was time for a change.
“I was terribly, terribly restless,” he said.
He saw the ETSU position advertised and applied even though he lacked the appropriate qualifications. In addition, his resume was set aside because he was thought to be too old for the job.
Kirkpatrick said it was a fluke that he got hired. A friend who was working at a church in Kingsport came into the office of the person reviewing applications, saw Kirkpatrick’s resume on the desk and stated that Kirkpatrick was the person that should be hired.
Otherwise, Kirkpatrick said, his resume would have been thrown in the trash.
“Sometimes God mettles in our affairs,” he said.
PCM offers students opportunities for faith development, fun, fellowship, leadership opportunities and mission work. Because the college years can present many challenges, counseling is provided for those who need to talk things over.
Kirkpatrick said leadership development is a high priority of the ministry. Opportunities are provided for students to work in the Holston Presbytery’s youth ministries and as leaders in local churches.
Kirkpatrick helps students develop and discover their faith. PCM offers an open and accepting environment in which free expression and discussion of issues is encouraged.
He said he acts as a facilitator of discussion and growth. He does not force his opinions on students despite the fact he might disagree with the opinions they express.
“The belief is that students will learn more from what they say than what they hear,” Kirkpatrick said.
He said his job is exciting and stimulating because the students are so “dynamic and excited about life.”
“They don’t take what I say as gospel or truth,” Kirkpatrick said. “They are willing to challenge.”
One of the interesting challenges of his job is helping students deal with what he calls the “human predicament.” He counsels students facing credit-card debt, broken relationships and parent problems.
Kirkpatrick said when he went to college he was on his own and making his own decisions and plans.
He said one of the suprises of his job is how many “students are still dealing with their parents and how many parents are still dealing with their children.” He said it is hard for some parents to let go and let their children live their own lives.
He said the small size of the ministry, which doesn’t exceed 30 active participants, is a strength because it allows students to feel known, cared for and have a sense of belonging. It is a second home for students whatever their religious affiliation.
Kirkpatrick said an unfortunate and unintentional result of the family atmosphere is that it has contributed to a decline in new members. The experiences that the students share bond them together. When those students get together and reminisce, they unintentionally make newcomers feel there is not a place in the group.
A major challenge of his job is to keep the ministry growing.
He and the students actively search for new members so that when graduation time rolls around each year, the number of participants doesn’t decline too sharply. There is a place for all interested students at Presbyterian Campus House, he said, and those who make the effort will find a home there.
Kirkpatrick said group dynamics are not unique to PCM but for a ministry of its size, an attendance decline can have a “dramatic effect.”
He said he heard that it takes 18 contact hours to bond with any group. When a new student arrives, he sends them a welcome letter and tells them to give it a try for 3-4 weeks before deciding whether the ministry is for them.
He also attributes a decline in attendance to the fact that many interested students are having to fit full-time jobs in with their education and free time is something many students no longer have.
He has also witnessed a decline in those pursuing careers as Presbyterian ministers and Christian educators. Many Presbyterian churches now stand vacant.
The exact reasons are not known but he thinks it can be partially attributed to society’s emphasis on monetary reward and materialism. Money worries prevent some students from choosing church work and push them toward careers with greater financial payoffs.
“We are a very materialistic society and I can’t emphasize that too much,” Kirkpatrick said.

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