Our Story

InterVarsity was established in Utah in the 1960’s and had staff and students on several campuses into the early 1980’s. IVCF had no influence on the campuses in Utah for the next two decades. Then, in 2003, God called 2 young InterVarsity staff workers to move to Salt Lake City to start a chapter at the University of Utah. Dave & Keri Brown, from Boise, and Seth and Jill Neal from Montana, left their friends and families and moved to Utah to replant a work that had been absent for 18 years. A year later God called Brad and Shelley Bertelsen of El Paso, TX to leave behind a flourishing ministry at UTEP to move to Utah to help lead the planting work that needed to be done on all the other campuses in Utah

​In 2007 God called Mac and Amy Smith from Reno, NV to leave a thriving ministry at the University of Nevada Reno. They moved to Ogden, UT where Mac would work to develop the ministry at Weber State and Amy would work together with Brad to help lead the fledgling area forward.

We rejoice that God has provided a way to plant and establish ministries at campuses across Utah! Today there are over 400 students that are actively involved in the ministry of InterVarsity on 10 campuses, hundreds of students have made decisions to follow Jesus, each year we work with and develop many student leaders who lead Small Group Bible Studies that meet weekly. InterVarsity is a shining beacon of hope for students on all of these campuses.

Years ago we dreamed about being on every campus in Utah and never imagined that in just over a decade we would be on nearly every campus!  We praise God for his work in Utah but we are not content when we think about thousands of students who graduate each year without the opportunity to know and follow Jesus.  Our vision is to reach every corner of every campus! How might God be calling you to be involved in this vision? If you are a student we invite you to join us and be involved with InterVarsity on campus? If you are a parent or just have a heart for college students would you consider partnering with InterVarsity in Utah & Southern Idaho by praying for or supporting one of our staff? What part of this story is God calling you to be a part of?