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."

Good news coming out of New York for Christians

(Photo courtesy InterVarsity Christian Fellowship)

USA (ICF) ― InterVarsity's chapter at the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) is once again functioning as a recognized student organization following a July 28th decision by UB's Student Wide Judiciary (SWJ). The chapter was de-recognized by the Student Association Senate on April 15, 2012. The de-recognition followed the resignation of the chapter treasurer, who stepped down from his leadership position after revealing that he did not agree with InterVarsity's Doctrinal Basis.

SWJ ruled that UB's Student Association Senate improperly failed to distinguish between leadership requirements and membership requirements. InterVarsity chapter activities are open to all students. The 16-page ruling said that "it is common sense, not discrimination, for a religious group to want its leaders to agree with its core beliefs."

InterVarsity chapter leaders were pleased to learn of their restoration to the campus community. "We hope the SWJ decision sets a precedent that protects all groups on campus and creates a genuinely diverse campus environment that values differences," said co-president Nicholas C. D'Angelo. "The chapter remained focused and united during this time. Having our presence on campus challenged served to strengthen awareness of our mission and our commitment to the mission."

Alec Hill, president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, was hopeful that the Buffalo decision indicated a trend that other colleges and universities would embrace. "InterVarsity believes that a diverse campus environment requires the presence of groups which authentically and faithfully reflect religious beliefs," said Hill. "Groups which cannot communicate or embody their creedal commitments cannot contribute to a truthful and robust dialogue."

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship is a campus ministry which has been actively involved with students and faculty on U.S. college and university campuses for more than 71 years. InterVarsity currently has more than 890 chapters on more than 575 campuses, ranging from Ivy League schools to community colleges. More information about InterVarsity's campus access concerns is posted atwww.intervarsity.org/about/our/campus-access.

InterVarsity suspended from New York University

InterVarsity is suspended
 from University-Buffalo.

USA (MNN) ― It happened again. An Intervarsity Christian Fellowship chapter is suspended from another campus. This time it happened at New York's University at Buffalo.

Vice President of Intervarsity Jim Lundgren says the suspension has been a couple of months in the making. "A few months ago, a student leader in the InterVarsity chapter came to the InterVarsity staff there and to a couple of the student leaders in the chapter, and confessed that he was in a same-sex relationship with another student and that he was inclined to continue that relationship and did not believe it was a sin."

In the process of the conversation he asked the leadership what he should do. Lundren says, "The student and the staff worker recommended that he step down from leadership, which he did."

Unfortunately, that didn't end the issue. Lundren says, "Apparently the gay and lesbian group on campus filed a complaint late last week with the university's student government association, saying that InterVarsity was discriminating against a gay student."

While the university has an "all inclusive" policy--meaning anyone can join a student group on campus, Lundren says that wasn't the issue here. "This involved leadership, not membership, because we welcome anyone to be involved in an InterVarsity Chapter, partly because of our commitment to evangelism."

Members of the student association at the university voted on Friday to suspend the school's InterVarsity Christian Fellowship chapter. Lundgren doesn't believe this suspension will last very long. "We have always been able to see our chapters reinstated because the Supreme Court decisions apply to state-funded schools like this."

The Student Association Senate declined to lift the suspension during a meeting on Sunday, choosing instead to appoint a special investigative committee to determine whether InterVarsity's leadership requirements violate the school's policy.

Lundren says InterVarsity is taking action. "We believe that it's actually the student government association that's breaking the law. So we're sending a letter to the school, reframing what happened, stating the law according to the Supreme Court, and asking that our chapter be reinstated."

This kind of antagonism isn't new to InterVarsity. "We've had 15 of these kinds of things happen this Fall, which generally we've had two or three a school year."

Are these concerted attacks against Christians? Lundren says, "I think 'attack' would be too strong. We have chapters on almost 900 campuses, and even though 15 is a lot, 15 out of 900 is not a majority. On the other hand, the gay and lesbian lobby on many campuses is getting more aggressive and working to attack other Christian ministries."

Lundren is asking Christians to pray for campus ministry which seems to be under more scrutiny.