Shared Ministry in Utah photograph collection, circa 1980-1995

The Shared Ministry in Utah (1977-1996) was a coalition of Protestant denominations established in 1977 with the goal of cooperating to increase their power in an area where they viwed themselves as a religious minority. Initially the group was a loose partnership between two denominations in 1971, growing to three by 1977, at which time it adopted the name “Shared Ministry.” The coalition was particularly focused on community service and ministry to college-aged students and provided programs such as summer camps and leadership training. By the 1990s, the Shared Ministry had grown to six participating denominations: Presbyterian Church USA, United Methodist Church, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), United Church of Christ, American Baptist Church, and the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The Shared Ministry in Utah dissolved through mutual agreement of the six participating denominations in 1996.