Who We Are

The Sanctuary is a faith community for those who seek an open, inclusive Christian community, grounded in Scripture and authentically faithful. Our primary ministry is to witness to the University of Utah community that there is a way of being Christian that welcomes LGBTQI+ folks, not as tokens or afterthoughts, but as essential, beloved members of the body of Christ. We exist to provide ALL students -- straight and queer -- with authentic spiritual experiences, study, and relationships, that will allow them to develop a mature faith, one that does not require them to sacrifice their God-given identity or sense of justice.

Sanctuary is a ministry of the Episcopal Church of Utah, a diocese of The Episcopal Church, USA. It was founded as a direct response to legislative acts of the state of Utah in 2024, that prohibit state Universities and colleges from providing any aid or benefit to students based on what are called “personal identity characteristics” such as sex, race, or sexual orientation. What this means is that any effort by state-owned schools to support to students based on such innate features is now considered illegal “discrimination” against all other students. We are stepping in to support students who have been abandoned by their government at a time of their lives when they most need acceptance, clarity, and understanding.

Unlike many churches, the Episcopal Church is not founded on comprehensive positions on theological questions or tests of doctrine, but by our love of Jesus Christ and our shared experience of God through our traditional prayers, corporate worship, fellowship, and lives of community. In doing so, we exclude no one, and pledge to respect the dignity of every human person.

If this sounds interesting to you, please come and be with us.

“When I pray, coincidences happen, and when I don’t pray they don’t.” +Abp. Wm. Temple +

“You become like what you worship.” + Bp. N.T. Wright +

“When you wash your face, remember your Baptism. + Martin Luther +