By Mackenzie Grizzard | Staff Writer
In the 1940s, Baylor was the birthplace of a youth revival that swept through an uncertain post-war generation of college students. Seventy years later, a small group met in a Baylor student’s living room, adopting that revival movement’s slogan: “I’d rather have Jesus.”
Today, Vertical Ministries is a 1940s revival, a living room worship movement and a campus-wide ministry. With a history as rich as its mission, Vertical holds a special place in the hearts of Baylor students, echoing roots planted by generations before.
Dallas junior Catherine Kramer has been a frequent participant at Vertical worship throughout her time at Baylor and currently serves as the media team lead.
“Vertical found me at a time [when] I was super uncertain about what my community looked like and who my people were,” Kramer said. “Vertical has been just an answered prayer in that.”
Kramer said she always loved attending Vertical with her friends and soon realized she was being called to serve the organization that had served her.
“I became really passionate about wanting to pour back into college students from a ministry perspective,” Kramer said. “The ministry landscape and the college Christian community had really poured into me a lot and served me really well at my time at Baylor so far.”
Serving on Vertical’s media team, Kramer has the opportunity to pursue another passion of hers — photography. Telling stories through a lens has been one of her favorite parts with Vertical, she said.
“It was kind of a perfect storm of things that came together with God’s timing, where I could serve through media for Vertical and serve my community super well,” she said.
Vertical Ministries is non-denominational and student-led, dedicated to creating an opportunity for a weekly worship gathering. Despite echoing a traditional church service, Kramer emphasizes that it doesn’t take away from prior affiliations, but it adds “fuel to the fire.”
“It’s not a replacement for going to church; it’s more of a supplement to further your relationship with God and getting plugged into the community,” Kramer said. “It’s an extra outlet that campus provides.”
Similarly to Kramer, Hudson, Wis., junior Christian Duffey has felt connected to Vertical since his freshman year.
“The very first night I attended Vertical my freshman year, I vividly remember thinking, ‘I want to experience the fullness of joy in the Lord that everyone around me seems to be experiencing,'” Duffey said. “It was truly beautiful and unlike any worship I had ever experienced.”
As the year wraps up, both Duffey and Kramer plan to continue worshipping at Vertical until their time at Baylor is up, and remain grateful for the ministry and community.
“The student-led worship, media team and dedicated leadership of Vertical is truly a testament to God’s faithfulness,” Duffey said.
Kramer highlights something that she hears regularly from Vertical leadership, which is that ministry is fun, but it’s more fun with friends.
“I feel like that’s the perfect way to describe my experience with Vertical,” Kramer said. “I really value the family that it’s given me away from home and being at college.”
