The future of a well-known breakfast program for the homeless and poor is in limbo after the director’s position was eliminated by the Episcopal Church.

The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas announced last week it was restructuring its campus ministry and eliminating the Kansas University chaplain position held by Joe Alford. Alford also co-founded and directed Jubilee Cafe, which provides breakfast to the needy on Tuesday and Friday mornings.

Alford now is hoping to start a community-based, nonprofit organization to continue the program, which started in 1994.

“The homeless and working poor clearly need this service,” said Dennis Dailey, a retired KU social welfare professor who has volunteered to serve on the new board. “I think it’s an essential service. If we didn’t do it, people wouldn’t be eating.”

The decision to eliminate Alford’s position and a similar position at Kansas State University came after a six-month study on Episcopal campus ministry, said Melodie Woerman, a spokeswoman for the diocese. Plans call for a central campus ministry coordinator based in Topeka, with student interns based at universities throughout the state.

Woerman said the goal was to provide services to more universities in the state.

At KU, the Episcopal efforts have been based at Canterbury House, 1116 La. Alford, who had the job 12 years, said he helped organize worship services Sunday nights and spaghetti dinners and discussions Wednesday nights.

Four students live at the house. Alford said he expected those students to remain through the spring semester.

Canterbury House has been the sponsoring agency for Jubilee Cafe since its inception. Between 30 and 40 volunteers help serve about 135 meals twice a week at First United Methodist Church, 946 Vt.

Kansas University volunteers, from left, Katie Hosack, Harlan, Iowa, Mary Westfall, Blue Springs, Mo., and Maria Clavijo, a friend of Westfall's from Argentina, serve breakfast to Leighton Watts at Jubilee Cafe. The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas has ended its campus ministry program at Kansas University, leaving the church's ministry and the Jubilee Cafe's twice-weekly breakfast program for the homeless in transition.

The Episcopal diocese has provided office space and insurance for the operation.

Alford, who does not have future employment plans, said Tuesday that plans for a new governance structure, probably through creating a new nonprofit entity, were being discussed. He said volunteers would work to continue the breakfasts without interruption.

“The jury’s still out on that,” he said. “Jubilee Cafe will continue. We don’t know what shape it will take.”

Dailey, who volunteers at least once a week, said he thought there was plenty of community support to keep Jubilee Cafe going. He said the new board might find a church to house the service’s administrative duties.

“Joe’s been very instrumental in giving Jubilee Cafe time and energy,” he said. “It takes somebody to do that, can’t do that by committee.”

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Woerman said the diocese wanted to see Jubilee Cafe continued, though she didn’t know whether the diocese would continue providing support for Jubilee Cafe.

“(Alford) has grown that ministry to a large enough extent, he created a structure that is of its own making,” Woerman said. “He’s been the driving force of it, but if he were not there, it would still go on.”

Meanwhile, students participating in the Episcopal ministry say they were stunned by the church’s decision to cut Alford’s position. Canterbury House has existed since 1959, though Alford said there had been periods without a full-time chaplain.

“I was dumbfounded,” said Sean Tucker, a student intern with Jubilee Cafe who lives at Canterbury House. “I couldn’t believe the actions they took. I thought they did not get enough second opinions on the matter. It’s destroying a spirit that has been around for ages.”