Our purpose is to actively pursue and serve Christ in every individual, extending our reach across campuses and beyond.

Our primary objective is to bring the transformative presence of the Episcopal Church, exemplifying the loving, liberating, and life-giving ministry of Jesus Christ, to previously unengaged areas. We anticipate a strengthening of young adult leadership in the Houston area, both within the church and in community engagement. Furthermore, we aim to cultivate innovative approaches to ministry that specifically cater to commuter, community college, and first-generation college students.

Houston Canterbury stands apart from traditional Episcopal Student Centers, operating as a dynamic network of missional communities both on-campus (at UH, TSU, and UHD) and off-campus. Our community-based approach positions us as a valuable ally for families, parishes, and community organizations seeking to support students on their educational journeys, particularly those who are first-generation college students.

The origins of the Canterbury Association at the University of Houston can be traced back to 1951, and since then, it has undergone various transformations. At one point, University of Houston Canterbury was situated in a house near Wheeler Street, where students would gather for lunch from campus and celebrate Eucharist in a chapel located in the attic. On hotter days, services were conducted outdoors in the backyard, complete with kneelers, an altar, and vestments.

Subsequently, it was affiliated with Autry House at Rice, the Church of the Redeemer, and Iglesia Cristo Rey. The Canterbury ministry experienced a period of transition following the tragic death of Fr. Israel Ahimbisibwe, during which an Anglican graduate student provided guidance to the small group based at the AD Bruce Religion Center. In 2015, a year marked by grief, learning, and visioning, Houston Canterbury was officially launched in January 2016. Rev. Eileen O'Brien, alongside Maria Bautista Vargas, led the ministry until 2019, expanding its reach from UH to include Texas Southern University, Houston Community College, San Jacinto College, and the University of Houston Downtown. In 2019, Rev. Charles Graves IV assumed the role of Campus Missioner. Additionally, in 2020, Houston Canterbury entered into a collaborative partnership with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and its ministry, Houston Area Campus Ministries (HouMin), overseen by Pastor Morgan Gates.