InterVarsity sees growth and resistance in 2012-2013

USA (MNN) ― On college and university campuses throughout the U.S., students are seeking God in droves. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship expects a record year of campus ministry during the 2012-2013 school year, topping the 3,000+ new believers who came to Christ throughout the previous term. In four months, InterVarsity will host the Urbana Student Missions Conference in St. Louis, with almost 20,000 students expected to attend. Register for Urbana 2012 on InterVarsity's Web site.

"In our 72-year history, we have never seen such a season of fruitfulness," said Alec Hill, president of InterVarsity. "God's Spirit is moving on campus, and this is an exciting time to be involved in campus ministry."

Yet with growth comes increased resistance. On a small number of campuses, InterVarsity chapters were "de-recognized." The decision was overturned this summer at the State University of New York at Buffalo, but officials at Vanderbilt University haven't changed their minds. Along with InterVarsity, more than a dozen Christian student organizations lost recognition because of a recent "all-comers" policy.

The policy, implemented in January 2012, prohibits campus groups from selecting members based on race, gender, religion or sexual orientation.

"InterVarsity believes that a diverse campus environment requires the presence of groups which authentically and faithfully reflect religious beliefs," said Hill. "We will vigorously defend our right to be on campus and to contribute to campus life."

Students respond to threatening 'anti-discrimination' policy at Vanderbilt

USA (MNN) ― Students all across the Vanderbilt University campus handed out 4,000 MP4 players loaded with one video yesterday. Today, the same group of students will be meeting with the Tennessee university's board.

The reason for the hype? An anti-discrimination policy that's being called discriminatory.

In late 2010, Vanderbilt changed a school policy to include a stricter anti-discrimination code. Essentially, the school's idea was that any student should be able to lead any group. If they're prohibited from doing so, it's discrimination.

The problem is: a large number of groups are discriminatory by nature. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship invites anyone and everyone to come to their meetings, but when it comes to leadership, that's a different story. Leaders have to at least be Christians, not to mention adhere to a number of other ethical and spiritual codes.

Religious groups aren't the only groups with such specifications. As the student, alumni, and faculty stars of the MP4 video point out, sororities would never induct a male president, and fraternities would never allow a female leader either. 

The video claims Vanderbilt has not, however, gone after Greek organizations. It seemingly has honed in on religious groups.

That could mean the end of groups like InterVarsity on campus.

"For InterVarsity specifically, because our constitution says that leaders of InterVarsity chapters have to be Christians and practice their Christian walk, we would be sent off campus because of that," InterVarsity's Andrew Ginsberg told MNN two months ago, following a meeting to decide InterVarsity's fate.

The meeting was inconclusive, but now students have begun their own campaign to put an end to the religious discrimination.

Yesterday, students distributed 4,000 MP4 players to students, faculty, and staff from 10 locations on Vanderbilt's campus. These MP4 players featured a seven-minute video presenting the response of Vanderbilt students, faculty, staff, and alumni to the administration's expanded non-discrimination policy. (View the video here.)

Last night, students, faculty, alumni, and concerned friends gathered for a prayer service at the Student Life Center Courtyard to worship and pray that God would bless administrators and the Board of Trust with wisdom. They also prayed that God would prepare the hearts of those in the faith community to respond in a way that reflects Christ, no matter what the outcome.

Today, students have invited board members to a barbecue lunch in the Student Life Center Courtyard. They ask for prayer that some board members would attend and that good conversations might take place between students and board members.

Religious freedoms are increasingly being attacked in the United States. Pray that the Gospel would prevail.

Follow InterVarsity students' progress at Vanderbilt here. 

Campus ministry chided for 'discrimination' among leadership

USA (MNN) ― The Gospel has offended enough people that InterVarsity Christian Fellowship has been threatened with suspension from another college campus.

Over this past school year, Vanderbilt University leadership decided to place on provisional status InterVarsity's Graduate Christian Fellowship and three other campus Christian groups for non-compliance with Vanderbilt's anti-discrimination policy.

The anti-discrimination policy, as it currently stands, would prohibit a Christian organization from using any religious criteria when selecting leaders. InterVarsity believes such a policy not only flies in the face of common sense, but is contrary to the spirit of the Freedom of Religion protections in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Senior Vice President and Director of Collegiate Ministries for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA Jim Lundgren has sent a letter to InterVarsity's Vanderbilt University chapter alumni and others asking for prayer in support of religious freedom at Vanderbilt.

"We love the university environment, and we welcome all students and faculty into our chapter activities at Vanderbilt," Lundgren said in the letter. "However, it is essential that InterVarsity student leaders be committed Christians who understand their faith as they seek to lead their peers. No organization of any kind can survive without leaders committed to its basic beliefs."

Lundgren is asking for prayers that Vanderbilt will change its position and allow religious organizations to choose leaders who believe in the principles and beliefs of those organizations.

A Town Hall meeting will be held on the Vanderbilt campus on tonight. University officials will explain how the anti-discrimination policy will be applied to student groups at that time.

For more background on the Vanderbilt situation, click here where you can check out statements by Vanderbilt's leadership, a response from an InterVarsity Campus Staff Member at Vanderbilt, and an open letter to Vanderbilt Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.