The Belfry

http://www.thebelfry.org/

The Belfry is a meeting place and the name for the Lutheran Episcopal Christian Fellowship, representing campus Lutheran and Episcopal and other Christians. Worship is held every Wednesday night at 7 pm, and is immediately followed by dinner and discussion. Worship is held in the Ranstrom Chapel and is traditional Lutheran/Episcopal liturgy with readings from Scripture, a brief homily, prayers, and Holy Communion, lasting about half an hour. All are welcome at worship! Check out their website http://thebelfry.org.

The Belfry is also a meeting place for the Orthodox Christian Fellowship at UC Davis and the Unitarian Universalist Campus Ministry Group. The Belfry is a center for campus ministry, owned and operated by the Lutheran Campus Council of Davis, CA Inc., a campus ministry agency of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It gives both groups a location very near campus to have religious meetings in a place with meeting rooms, couches, a kitchen, and a TV.

The Belfry is an active participant in the Interfaith Campus Council

If you're curious what a "belfry" is, go here. These structures were commonly attached to churches.

*Warning: They will kick you out if you are not a "UCD student, staff, or faculty". This isn't speculation, this actually happened to me. This disturbed me greatly, but did lead me to do a lot of soul searching into my roots as I come from an evangelical Lutheran family. Oh, and it wan't because I was bothering anyone as I had just stepped through the front door. It was for an advertised bible talk. I forgive, and don't hold anything against them. For students I would still recommend them. I have had no unpleasant experiences with any other church, incidentally. —SteveDavison

• I would like to hear of the experience when this is has happened. From what I have seen of the Belfry, they are welcoming to anyone who has come in good faith to experience their hospitality and and fellowship, whether related to the University or not. However, as they are a University organization, I can only assume that if a guest is being problimatic, rude, or disrespectful, that their not being associated with UCD is a good reason for them to leave. -Janelle
  • I had just walked though the front door and the pastor (? -main guy in charge there) was standing there and said "Are you a UCD student, staff, or faculty?". I truthfully replied "No." He then said "This place is [only] for students, staff, and faculty." I was stunned. I turned and left. That was the end of it. This happened years ago (2005), and I'm pretty sure that person has left the organization (retired?), and the two times I have visited there since everyone has been hospitable. —SteveDavison
• The only person I've ever seen get thrown out was a guy that I'm told has verbally abused people there in the past. Everybody is usually very nice and accepting of anyone who wanders in. - MarieHuynh

I would like to see something about the Taize service as well, but I don't know enough about it to add it myself. :) -Janelle

2006-05-21 23:56:48   FYI, they ARE welcoming to all. It was (surprise surprise) Crazy Joe Sherman whom they finally had to boot out and put out a restraining order against. He used to disrupt various gatherings, hectoring people and berating them for not accepting his theology. Offhand I don't know whether other non-UCD people have ever tried to stop by, but I can't imagine that they would be turned away, provided that they behaved themselves appropriately. —GeheimNis

2006-06-18 22:06:29   Confirmed. I attend their Wednesday evening dinners quite regularly, and a few weeks ago a young fellow who has just moved to Davis, doesn't know anyone and works as a junior-high substitute simply wandered in. He was of course welcomed immediately and has become a regular himself—and he is not affiliated with UCD. So Crazy Joe is definitely the problem, not the solution, to paraphrase the way we used to put it in the Sixties. —GeheimNis

2009-01-15 08:11:43   My friend went to the unitarian dinner at the belfry and they didn't let him eat there becuase he wasn't a student @ UCD. He goes to Sac City's extension in South Davis. I went to the Lutheran / Episcopal dinner last night and also checked it out the afternoon before. They were really friendly. That being said. I am a student at Davis and it seemed like they really push being a student here. "Give us your UCDAVIS email if you want to be contacted" or at the dinner: "Give your name, year (at Davis), and major." —BryceH