Student Soul is a church based around the student populations of The University of Otago – Te Whare Wānanga o Ōtākou and Otago Polytechnic – Te Kura Matatini ki Ōtāgo (Te Pūkenga).

Background

Studentsoul began as an initiative of the Synod of Otago and Southland a funding body of the Southern Presbyterians set up by the settler church in the 1850’s. Synod set up a number of longer term projects under the title of ‘Metamorphosis’ projects.
Setting up a student outreach was one of them and it began with a half time. Minister attached to Leith Valley Presbyterian church. The project began in 1999 and by the end of 2001 the group running the project were ready to employ a fulltime minister to run a student church. This person was the Rev Helen Harray who led the ministry she called Studentsoul for 12 years until 2014.

The ministry greatly profited under her leadership and in 2006 was attracting well over 100 to every service. Many other mission initiatives were made during this time including trips to Uganda and to southern Africa as well as significant outreaches in
and around the campus area. The church emphasized the importance of artistic contributions and creativity and established a reputation of leading worship at national church events throughout the country. Many musicians and worship leaders
were raised up during those years and some have gone on into ordained ministry.

Studentsoul continues to disciple students coming to Otago though the Covid years were particularly difficult for churches in and around the campus because so many of the student colleges had to isolate their students and keep the college buildings mostly quarantined.

Tom Mepham now leads the ministry and is seeing good recovery after Covid.