Many campus events encourage diversity and multiculturalism at Iowa State, including one campus group that is reaching out and bringing individuals of different faiths together.

Representing various denominations, the Campus Ministers Association is a professional organization of ministers from the campus churches. The association also represents “everything in the Student Directory under ‘religious organizations,'” said Beverly Thompson-Travis, campus minister.

“Campus Ministry Association operates on several levels,” Thompson-Travis said.

The association serves as a professional organization that governs its own members in regards to professional conduct. It even has a code of ethics that members are expected to follow, Thompson-Travis said.

CMA also functions as a support system for people in campus ministry, Thompson-Travis said. She said it’s an organization for people with different beliefs — but the same general mission — to talk and sponsor programs to help them with their work.

The association also recognizes one member of the ISU faculty who has been active in campus ministry with an awards service each year, Thompson-Travis said.

The association not only supports programming for its members, but for the ISU campus as well.

An upcoming example is a gospel choir event at St. Thomas Aquinas Church on Lincoln Way.

In past years, CMA has sponsored more programs for the general ISU community, but this year it focused on reaching out to other faiths at ISU, said Sarah Shofstall, president of CMA and Episcopal chaplain.

The association now represents mainly Christian denominations, but wants to include “anyone of any faith,” Shofstall said.

CMA has “been around for decades,” Thompson-Travis said. It’s an organization of long standing that is recognized by the university and is affiliated with the student government, Thompson-Travis said.