Faith, fellowship and free food: a guide to UF’s religious organizations
This guide highlights the religious opportunities available on and near campus
With three-fourths of Florida’s population identifying with a religious faith, UF has a variety of religious-based organizations for its student body. Here are some organizations around campus.
Baháʼí Association at UF
Baháʼí Faith is a 19th-century Abrahamic religion born from prophet Baháʼu'lláh’s teachings in Iran. It has more than five million global followers.
The UF Baháʼí Association’s president, Matteen Kashef, a 24-year-old UF dental student, said the faith emphasizes religious tolerance.
“The main principles of the Baháʼí Faith is this idea that [there is] oneness of religion, oneness of mankind, equality of women and men, harmony of science and religion, among others,” he said.
The club meets every Tuesday. It also participates in the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program, where organization members teach children ages 12 to 15 about the religion. The club occasionally hosts guest speakers, including Rainn Wilson, who practices the religion and attended a meeting when his flight was delayed in Gainesville in November 2023.
“We’re going to talk about deep spiritual concepts, and you’re going to be around good people, eat good food, and your thoughts and opinions will be valued,” Kashef said.
Baptist Collegiate Ministries
The Christian organization Baptist Collegiate Ministries is an extension of Gainesville’s Southern Baptist churches.
Among the organization’s goals is to build “a bridge of trust” between Christianity and the community, according to 62-year-old BCM Director Eddie Gilley.
“A lot of students don’t know any Christians; they don’t trust Christians,” Gilley said. “What we want to do is introduce people to real followers of Jesus who can then demonstrate love and compassion and friendship, and, by doing so, can have an honest conversation about who Jesus is.”
BCM holds trivia game nights and weekly men’s, women’s and co-ed Bible studies and worship at its building every Tuesday at 8 p.m. BCM also connects members with missionary opportunities worldwide through its network with other Christian organizations.
Islam on Campus
Islam on Campus brings Muslims of all backgrounds and regions together, according to executive board member Omar Al-Ruzzeh, an 18-year-old UF biochemistry sophomore.
During its annual Islam Appreciation Month, the organization hosts an Islamic guest speaker and candle-making event. There is also the Fast-A-Thon event, which is held in the Reitz Student Union, where speakers discuss social issues. Islam on Campus invites attendees to fast before the event and break the fast when it begins.
Beyond holding large celebrations and informing non-Muslim students about Islam, the organization provides its members with workshops designed to deepen their understanding of Islamic teachings. Workshops planned for the fall include a masculinity workshop and an Islam 101 workshop.
The organization welcomes members from both branches of Islam: Sunni and Shia. The Sunni-Shia divide dates back to the seventh century when Muslims developed two distinct views as to who should succeed the Prophet Muhammad. Both ascribe to Islamic religious teachings called Hadith, but they differ as to the validity of many of each others’ Hadith.
Islam on Campus workshops and meetings are inclusive to non-Muslims as well.
“We’re trying to educate our valued Muslim members, but we are also trying to educate the people who are curious and want to learn more about the religion,” Al-Ruzzeh said.
Lubavitch Chabad Jewish Student Center at UF
The Chabad Jewish Center at UF is a part of the worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch organization, which provides theological study and social services.
“We’re very well known as a home away from home for every Jew,” said Berl Goldman, Chabad Jewish Student Center rabbi and co-director.
Among Chabad’s services are kosher meal plans, Torah study classes, Thursday night challah bakes and Friday night Shabbat, alongside Passover and Rosh Hashanah celebrations.
Chabad provides Jewish students a safe space to express their identity and seek help if experiencing antisemitic acts or rhetoric, Goldman said. Non-Jewish students are always welcome at Chabad UF as well, he added.
“No matter race, religion, ethnicity, sex, color of the skin–all those barriers do not exist here and never will,” he said.
Orthodox Christian Groups
UF has two Orthodox Christian groups: the Orthodox Christian Fellowship and the Orthodox Christian Community Ministries. Though the former represents Eastern Orthodoxy and the latter Oriental Orthodoxy, both serve to bring communities together to learn about Orthodox Christianity, which split from the Roman Catholic church in the 11th century.
OCF Vice President Ryan Shehan, a 21-year-old UF history senior, said learning about religious traditions allows the members to connect with their culture.
“By connecting us to our ancestors and the Fathers and Mothers of the faith, we’re drawn into this broader tradition that Orthodoxy has preserved,” he said.
Club events include Bible study, pilgrimage to holy places, including the Saint Photios shrine in St. Augustine, Florida, and guest speaker presentations. Friar Anthony Salzman, an iconographer who specializes in Orthodox religious imagery, gave a demonstration to the organization last year.
The OCCM holds similar events, but it invites different speakers, such as the bishop of Gainesville’s Coptic church, who discuss topics related to Oriental Orthodoxy.
OCCM President Veronia Sadek, a 21-year-old UF biology senior, said the club serves to help enrich students in Orthodox tradition through five key pillars of education, outreach, worship, service and fellowship.
She also said the club hopes other Oriental Orthodox communities such as Orthodox Ethiopians, Armenians and Syriacs will join the club.
UF Sikh Student Association
Sikhism has about 25 million worldwide followers since it originated in India’s Punjab region in the 1400s.
UF’s Sikh Student Association President Jasdeep Singh, a 25-year-old UF horticultural studies doctoral student, strives to make sure Sikhs do not get misidentified as Hindus or Muslims.
“Another purpose is to propagate the message of oneness,” he said. “That’s the whole philosophy of Sikhism — that we try to bring everyone together, irrespective of their religion, caste, color. We see the human race as one.”
During its annual Turban Day, held in Plaza of the Americas, the association offers students the opportunity to wear a turban, which Sikhism recognizes as an anti-oppression symbol. Another significant Sikh Student Association event is Diwali, which in Sikhism celebrates important events in Sikh history.
Gainesville does not have a Sikh temple, called Gurdwara. The Sikh Student Association holds religious services once every month on different days and at different locations.
Contact Avery Parker at aparker@alligator.org. Follow him on X @AveryParke98398.
Avery Parker is a third-year English and History major covering university affairs for The Alligator. Outside of reporting, Avery spends his time doting on his cats, reading, and listening to music by the Manwolves.
