Fall 2015 Christian Union The Magazine

COLUMBIA

Passing The Torch

YALE

Abundant Life, Pro-Life

Christian Union the magazine :: fall 2015

Study to Show Yourself Approved... page 14

Special Section: Sex and Spirituality The Spiritual Climate on Campus The latest from Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton & Yale New York City Christian Union: The Marketplace and Social Shalom

1

FULL-TUITION SCHOLARSHIP through the partnership program

How does it work? your partners you, equipped

you

gordon- conwell

stewardship training

your church

no debt

Prepare for a lifetime of fruitful ministry, surrounded by a network of support, equipped with stewardship skills and free from unnecessary debt.

Through the Partnership Program at Gordon-Conwell, you’ll bring a team of prayer and financial partners, and you’ll receive a full-tuition scholarship and biblical stewardship training.

www.gordonconwell.edu/partnership

80 0 .4 2 8 .7 3 2 9

table of contents

volume xiv issue iv

Christian Union the maga zine :: fall 2015

in e ach issue Letter from the President / 3 17

Donor Profile / 32 44

What’s Next / 35

14

6 Sex and Spirituality

on the web ChristianUnion.org Twitter.com/ChristianUnion Facebook.com/Christian.Union

c o v e r p h o t o : Students with Princeton Faith and Action, a leadership development ministry resourced and supported by Christian Union. p h o t o c r e d i t : Phil Anema

cit y chris tian union New York City Christian Union / 34

36 The Spiritual Climate on Campus

updat e s fr om l e ading univer si t ie s Unicycling for Justice (Cornell) :: First Night (Dartmouth) :: The Brief Life of John Harvard (Harvard) :: Race and Faith (Penn) :: International Students, Inc. (Princeton) :: News-in-Brief from Each University, and More

christianunion.org

............

Passing the Torch (Columbia) / 16 The Meaning of Life (Harvard) / 18 univer si t y chris t ian union updat e s Princeton / 20 Brown / 22 Cornell / 24 Dartmouth / 25 Penn / 27 Yale / 28 Harvard Law / 30

::

This magazine is published by Christian Union, an independent Christian ministry.

14 From the University to the City

2015

the maga zine

fall

............

fal l 2 015 fe at ure sec t ion Idolatry and Sexual Immorality / 8 Q and A with Caitlin La Ruffa / 10 Robert Gagnon / 12

1

Christian Union T H E

M A G A Z I N E

volume xiv issue iv fall 2015 editor-in-chief

executive editors

Matthew Bennett

Hutz Hertzberg Lorri Bentch

managing editor

creative director

senior writer

staff writer

field reporters

Tom Campisi Patrick Dennis Eileen Scott Catherine Elvy Luke Foster

Rosalie Doerksen

INVEST IN TOMORROW’S LEADERS...

STARTING TODAY.

Pam Traeger

photo editor

contributing editor

proofreader

Rachel Mari

art director

Michelle Taylor

production

Sarah Camp

Bethany Wakeley

feedback or subscription changes

240 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542 or via e-mail: TheMagazine@ChristianUnion.org new subscriptions

Do you know someone who would enjoy a free subscription to this magazine? Please use either address above to pass along their names.

Become a Monthly Sustainer: Making a monthly donation is a strategic way to invest in the men and women who will become the next generation of godly leaders. Joining Christian Union’s

By God’s power and with the help of other ministries, Christian Union’s mission is to transform the world by developing and connecting bold Christian leaders. The ministry was founded in 2002 in Princeton, New Jersey.

Learn more at ChristianUnion.org

monthly sustainer team allows you to make a powerful and long-lasting impact in the lives of these students, on these campuses, and in raising up the Christian leaders our nation needs so desperately. Sign up at:

ChristianUnion.org/GiveMonthly

©2015 Christian Union. All rights reserved. Christian Union: The Magazine is published quarterly. Its goal is to encourage and inform Christian alumni, students, parents, staff, faculty, and friends about Christian Union’s work—and about other spiritual activity—at eight of this country’s most influential colleges, and in key cities.

Our desire is that this publication would inspire readers to seek God, to use their influence for the cause of Christ, to pray, and to give financially to Christian initiatives that are bringing about culture change for God’s glory.

To request an advertising rate card, please e-mail Tom. Campisi@ChristianUnion.org. postmaster: Send address changes to: Christian Union, 240 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542

letter from the founder and ceo

Teaching Sexual Ethics

Christians are the salt of the earth and light of the world. Without fearless teaching, how will others have a chance to know any differently?

I

matt bennett is the founder and CEO of Christian Union. He earned undergraduate and MBA degrees from Cornell, and launched Christian Union in 2002 in Princeton, New Jersey.

christianunion.org

Matthew W. Bennett

::

Yours in Christ,

2015

severed in proclaiming the full gospel of the new covenant.

The motivation of Christian ministers to avoid teaching Christian sexual ethics is not bad per se, but can still be misplaced. Sometimes, we don’t want to scare people off before we get the chance to evangelize. Sometimes, we already have enough conflict in our ministries without adding a fight over sexual ethics; and sometimes we are just weary. However, we need to draw on the strength God supplies by the power of the Holy Spirit. Christians are the salt of the earth and light of the world. Without fearless teaching, how will others have a chance to know any differently? It reminds me of an instance a few years ago when a student, who was not involved in our ministry, asked to meet with one of our ministers on campus. They sat down face to face and the first thing out of the student’s mouth was, “Is it wrong to sleep with my girlfriend?” Our minister simply said, “Yes.” After some discussion, the student said, “Thanks, I just needed someone to say it.” All Christians, and especially ministers, need to teach sexual ethics, because so many are depending on it.

fall

n the 1960s, few foresaw that the sexual revolution would lead us to where we are today. God’s beautiful design for the complementarity of male and female, equal in dignity and worth and intended for sexual expression exclusively in the bond of an enduring marriage, has been exchanged for an unworthy substitute. In Mark 10:69, Jesus said, “From the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh.”

Given the controversial nature of Christian sexual ethics in our modern culture, ministers are tempted to downplay or ignore them, even though they are central to what it means to be human, reinforced from Genesis to Revelation. Andrew Walker highlighted their centrality recently by poignantly remarking, “If preaching ‘salvation’ excludes sexual ethics, John the Baptist’s corpse would have a head attached to it, and 1st Corinthians would probably never have been written.”

The godly Christian professional working in a secular context shrewdly decides when and where to advocate for the ways of God in the workplace and public sphere, modeling their lives on Nehemiah, Daniel, Esther, and others.

However, the role of the gospel minister is more forthright and open. Jesus, Paul, and others certainly were shrewd in their speech, but unequivocally and often they proclaimed even the most controversial doctrines of the kingdom of God. Even though their preaching resulted in their crucifixion and stoning, they per-

3

seeking god

Glory to God Christian Union Unites Hundreds of Believers for 40-Day Fast by catherine elvy, staff writer

christian union

::

the magazine

G

4

od delights in responding to the cries of His people.

As such, Christian Union Day and Night urged believers across the nation to join them in 40 days of prayer and fasting to coincide with the start of the new academic year.

“Our focus is that the nation would return to the Lord with its whole heart, energy, focus, fervor, and humility,” said Matt Bennett (Cornell ’88, MBA ’89), founder and CEO of Christian Union and Christian Union Day and Night, the ministry’s latest initiative.

The ministries put an extra emphasis upon the supreme importance of seeking the Lord via daily devotionals that were e-mailed and posted electronically to coincide with the initiative, which took place August 17 to September 25.

The materials were available via Christian Union’s Web site and Facebook page.

In January, Christian Union Day and Night plans to host another 40-day fast, complete with both print and video devotionals.

“Christian Union Day and Night seeks to bring praise, honor, and glory to God,” said Bennett. “Through fervent prayer, humility in fasting, repentance, and dedication to His ways as revealed in His word, Christians are asking God to have mercy and bring about the greatest revival the nation has ever seen.”

Believers across the nation asked the Lord of Hosts for revival at leading universities and in all spheres of society.

“I bless the Lord for the Christian Union 40-day prayer and fasting fellowship. It was a gift to join in this effort for the third time,” said Tonya Chisolm Miles, Princeton ’82, Penn MBA ’87. “I

sought the Lord in His Word and Holy Spirit each of the 40 days.”

The administrator from Maryland said the Lord blessed her in powerful ways during the fast. “The Lord heard my cry,” Miles said. “He strengthened my mind, spirit, and body for what He prepared for me to do, so that He alone would receive the glory and praise.”

Curtis McWilliams, a longtime commercial real estate executive based in Central Florida, echoed those comments.

“The Lord heard my cry. He strengthened my mind, spirit, and body.”

—Tonya Chisolm Miles, Princeton ’82, Penn MBA ’87 “I truly do welcome these days of fasting and prayer – they draw me closer to the Lord and remind me of how important it is to remain wholly dependent on His grace and mercy,” McWilliams said.

The Princeton alumnus of 1977 also noted he incorporated the ministry’s devotionals into his daily prayer sessions and even shared them with his children, who are young adults.

King Poor, an attorney in Chicago, shared similar sentiments, adding he was touched by the powerful content of Christian Union’s daily devotionals.

“On the one hand, prayer and fasting involves solitude in drawing closer to God. But, on the other hand, this time of solitude also connects us to a wider community with daily devotionals that were full of encouragement, insights, and

ways to grow in our faith,” said Poor.

“For each of the 40 days, I was grateful to all those writers who gave us daily bread with their thoughtful devotionals.”

Mona Odom of Linden, New Jersey, said she feasted daily upon the rich devotionals Christian Union posted on its Facebook page, especially one entitled Inner Poise.

“The Spirit of the Lord impressed upon me the importance of waiting for the ‘quiet hush,’” Odom said. “A quiet hush within that gave me the ‘inner poise’ to stay focused and strengthened throughout the day.”

Ultimately, Bennett said Christian Union Day and Night wants to educate Christ’s followers on the steps to draw closer to their Savior and to welcome a move of God across the United States.

“It was a fast to help call on God to see if He would come close, bless, and restore,” Bennett said. | cu For information on Christian Union Day and Night’s next 40-day fast or to read devotionals from the summer fast, visit www.christianunion.org/40days.

seeking god

Setting the Captives Free Christian Union Hosts Deliverance Conference with Ken Fish by catherine elvy, staff writer

D

Though Fish is quick to say such believers may not be possessed, they may still operate under sinister influences.

“The devil cannot own you,” Fish said.

“Many people are demonized in their emotions.”

Ken Fish is the director of Kingdom Fire Ministries.

Modern believers need to be alerted to some of the gateways for demonic operations, including participating in Eastern religions, ritual abuse, and engagement with the occult. Other poten-

subject to demonic strongholds should pray for wisdom and revelation.

That’s important because biological, chemical, and genetic co-variables also may be at play. Nonetheless, menacing spirits are “very real, and they are very powerful,” Fish said.

At the same time, most Americans are ignorant of scriptural principles and the dangers of dabbling in diabolic-inspired entertainment and leisure activities.

“We have become a paganized society,” said Fish.

Since launching Kingdom Fire, Fish has dedicated himself to showing Christians how to experience glimpses of heaven on earth.

“Jesus said, ‘Where there are two or more of you, I am there in the midst.’

We’re called to set people free,” Fish said.

“Deliverance is a power encounter.”

At the same time, believers need to be cognizant that they face a real enemy, one that is on the prowl.

“This is spiritual war,” said Fish, who invokes a plethora of military metaphors in conference sessions. “The enemy doesn’t play fair. He’s deceptive. The enemy hates you and has a horrible plan for your life.”

christianunion.org

Nonetheless, Christians possess dynamic spiritual offensive and defensive equipment. “We have a lot of work to do, but we can still win,” Fish said. | cu

::

tial windows for such influences include drug abuse, sexual deviance, and even some violent video games.

Possible signs of oppression include: confusion, sleeping disturbances, uncontrollable behavior, pronounced depression, and the like. As such, believers interceding for individuals who may be

2015

“This is spiritual war. The enemy doesn’t play fair.”

fall

eliverance can play a vital role in modern ministry.

While many believers are not aware of the dark spiritual forces that oppose them, such ministry can usher relief to Christians bound in carnality or other behaviors they cannot overcome.

“We live in a battlefield,” said Ken Fish (Princeton ’82), the director of Kingdom Fire Ministries. “We live in a world with evil spirits around us.”

Fish highlighted the demonic opposition some Christians confront when he spoke in July at a three-day training conference in Princeton, New Jersey.

Christian Union sponsored the event to equip ministers to understand better the strongholds behind some of the manifestations they encounter.

Christian Union Founder and Chief Executive Officer Matt Bennett called the conference a “very powerful time.”

Regardless of their awareness, “Christians can be harassed by demons,” said Bennett, Cornell ’88, MBA ’89.

While some of the foundational principles of deliverance ministry “may be hard to receive, we truly are in a spiritual battle. There are forces coming against us.”

With that as a backdrop, Fish, a former financial executive, offered training on ways to deal with a range of demonic influences and afflictions.

While Christians are temples of the Holy Spirit, their minds can be swayed by evil suggestions or the residual of wicked cultural messages.

“Your memory, mind, and imagination could all be darkened,” Fish said.

“Demons can affect us on multiple levels.”

5

6

christian union

::

the magazine

feature section :: fall 2015 Idolatry and Sexual Immorality / 8 Q and A with Caitlin La Ruffa / 10 Robert Gagnon / 12

Sex and Spirituality Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? (1

corinthians

6:18-19) fall

2015 :: christianunion.org

Society’s standards may change; yet, God’s Word remains the same. In this special section, Christian Union: The Magazine considers “What went wrong” when it comes to sexual immorality and examines how courageous young adults and a maligned theologian are doing their part to help steer culture in a righteous direction.

7 photo credit: istockphoto.com

feature section | sex and spirituality

Idolatry and Sexual Immorality Cause and Effect by nick nowalk

christian union

::

the magazine

A

8

soul that turns away from You therefore lapses into sexual immorality when it seeks apart from You what it can never find in pure and serene form except by returning to You. All those who wander far away and set themselves up against You are imitating You, but in a perverse way; yet by this very mimicry they proclaim that you are the Creator of the whole of nature, and that in consequence there is no place whatever where we can hide from Your presence.” − Augustine Sooner or later, all thoughtful and sensitive Christians who are immersed in the stunning biblical vision for the flourishing of human sexuality must ask a simple yet pressing question: What went wrong? All around us in society and within us in our own disordered desires (and, perhaps, practices), we are incessantly bombarded with daily reminders that God’s good designs for sex have been unjustly pirated through the deceitfulness of sin. Indeed, Reinhold Niebuhr once cleverly noted that the one empirically verifiable doctrine of the Christian religion was original sin— namely, that all human beings are by nature alienated from God and selfishly spurn the holy claims of His lordship over our existence. Every civilization and worldview has always implicitly recognized that things are not the way they are supposed to be in the world.

But what has gone so horribly wrong with human sexuality in particular? The Christian answer, in a word, is idolatry.

While the various forms which sexual sin can assume are innumerable, and while the harmful social consequences of our self-centered sexual practices

make themselves felt with frightful effect upon both us and others, it is nevertheless the case that only one basic reality constitutes the root of the overall human dilemma. Time and again, the Scriptures insist that everything that has gone wrong in God’s good creation can be traced back to the fundamental human sin of idolatry. The Christian faith, therefore, necessarily demands that a deeper theological diagnosis be provided for the surface moral problems which complicate human sexuality. Albert Wolters gives poignant expression to this conviction: “[It is] a central scriptural teaching… that wherever anything wrong exists in the world, anything we experience as anti-normative, evil, distorted, or sick, there we meet the perversion of God’s good creation. It is one of the unique and distinctive features of the Bible’s teaching on the human situation that all evil and perversity in the world is ultimately the result of humanity’s fall, of its refusal to live according to the good ordinances of God’s creation. Human disobedience and guilt lie in the last analysis at the root of all the troubles on earth.”

Idolatry can be summarized as the proclivity to turn away from God as the locus of one’s highest aspirations for fulfillment and significance, and to subsequently redirect these yearnings for worth and beauty and happiness (primarily) to various aspects of the created world. Richard Keyes provides a useful

psychological description of how idolatry actually functions in our lives: “At the most basic level, idols are what we make out of the evidence for God within ourselves and in the world—if we do not want to face the face of God Himself in His majesty and holiness. Rather than look to the Creator and have to deal with His lordship, we orient our lives toward the creation, where we can be more free to control and shape our lives in our desired directions…since we were made to relate to God, but do not want to face Him, we forever inflate things in this world to religious proportions to fill the vacuum left by God’s exclusion…An idol is something within creation that is inflated to function as a substitute for God.” And Tim Keller writes in Counterfeit Gods: “What is an idol? It is anything

more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give…A counterfeit god is anything so central and essential to your life that, should you lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living.”

Consider now how frequently idolatry and sexual immorality appear in tandem throughout the biblical narrative (see Exodus 32, Isaiah 57:7-8, Hosea 4:12-14, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:5, Colossians 3:5, Revelation 2:14, 20, 21:25). An

bly alienated ourselves from the only true Source of life and love.

However, Romans 1:18-32 is far and away the most important passage in the entire Bible for examining the intimate connection which exists between idolatry and sexual immorality, as here Paul provides a sustained reflection on why the former actually leads to the latter in human experience: “For the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth…

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their

ceiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

And because they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness….

They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”

Two primary conclusions flow out of

All sexual sin is, at the end of the day, merely a symptom of something else. It is not the main problem with human beings—not even close.

ing fellow.

is a Christian Union teach-

christianunion.org

nick nowalk

::

Romans 1:18-32. First, all sexual sin—no matter how seemingly benign or catastrophic—is at root a dark reflection of our prior idolatry. Our ultimate commitment to secondary creational goods (rather than to honoring the Creator) erupts in the inevitable direction of the dishonoring of our bodies. Second, worship must therefore become our core strategy; there is no other “solution” available to us if this is the true diagnosis of the problem. Indeed, this is precisely where Paul’s argument eventually turns (12:1-2 followed by 12:3-15:13). Any other strategy for fighting sexual sin is, finally, a futile case of treating the symptoms and ignoring the actual disease. | cu

2015

thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and “exchanged” the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Therefore, God handed them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they “exchanged” the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

For this reason, God handed them over to dishonorable passions. For their women “exchanged” natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and re-

fall

obvious logic justifies their pairing: “The link between idolatry and sexual immorality is established by the frequent use of ‘prostituting themselves’ or ‘adultery’ to describe Hebrew idolatry [in the Old Testament]. Israel’s unfaithfulness to God was not only a form of spiritual prostitution or adultery, but it also led to the physical acts themselves.” (Dennis P. Hollinger, The Meaning of Sex: Christian Ethics and the Moral Life) Indeed, these particular sins are the only two that always occur in the many vice lists in Paul’s letters, which otherwise tend to vary considerably.

Sexual immorality is taken with utter seriousness by the biblical writers. It is never swept under the rug, or blindly tolerated because of some twisted account of human autonomy or the freedom of “love” to invent its own rules. Nor is it ever played down in comparison to some other less fashionable sins in any given cultural era.

Yet all sexual sin is, at the end of the day, merely a symptom of something else. It is not the main problem with human beings—not even close. The persistent diagnosis of Scripture is that our main problem lies in the fact that we are not satisfied in God’s beauty and goodness as the center of our existence. Rather, we illicitly horde the good gifts of creation over the Giver to whom they point, aiming to remind us along the way of why He is so outlandishly worthy to be loved with all of our heart and mind and soul and strength. We prefer the seductive allure of what God has created, and this spiritual disorientation then overflows into every other sphere of our existence—including our sexuality. Everything is turned upside down—splintered, deformed, and henceforth, death-dealing to our spirituality—once we have culpa-

9

feature section | q & a

Q and A with Caitlin La Ruffa ‘Sexuality, Integrity, and the University’

C

christian union

::

the magazine

hristian Union: The Magazine recently interviewed Caitlin La Ruffa, the director of the Love and Fidelity Network in Princeton, New Jersey. The mission of the Love and Fidelity Network (LFN) is “to equip college students with the resources, support, and arguments they need to uphold the institution of marriage, the special role of the family, and sexual integrity within their university communities.”

On October 30-31, the LFN hosted the Sexuality, Integrity, and the University Conference at Princeton University.

Over 300 students attended the event, and nearly 300 more watched via live video stream.

10

How did the Love and Fidelity Network begin?

The Love and Fidelity Network actually grew out of a student club at Princeton University. The Princeton Anscombe Society was founded in 2005 in response to the one-sided conversation on matters of human love and sexuality on campus.

This group of students wanted to provide the other side of that conversation – demonstrating that students who held sincere commitments to premarital abstinence and marital fidelity had good reasons to do so. They also wanted to offer a “safe space,” so to speak, for students who felt alienated by the messages the university was promoting and the hookup culture it abetted. Word spread – with the unintentional help of the New York Times – and it became clear that students on other campuses (first Harvard and then many others) wanted coaching and support in order to launch a similar initiative on their own campuses. Thus, the

Love and Fidelity Network was born to respond to that need.

How is your conference helping spread the message of sexual integrity on campuses?

The annual Sexuality, Integrity, and the University Conference is designed to equip students with the best arguments

and latest research and motivate them in their leadership on campus. We believe students themselves are best equipped to serve their peers by offering them the truth about human love and sexuality – and so we aim to give these leaders the education and inspiration they need to go back to their home institutions and do just that.

What were some of the highlights of this year’s conference?

The lineup was especially powerful with George Mason University Law

Professor Helen Alvaré sharing some very creative ideas about how to create a flourishing marriage culture in our current environment; Brad Wilcox, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia and the director of the National Marriage Project, outlined how a lack of marriage and marriage culture really hurts the least of these - children from impoverished backgrounds; and Dawn Hawkins, executive director of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, and William Struthers, professor of psychology at Wheaton College, gave a shared presentation on the harms of pornography and what this generation can do to fight back.

What are the best ways to equip students?

The simple knowledge that they are not alone in wanting lasting love, not alone in being dissatisfied by the romantic options on campus, and not alone in valuing a stable marriage and family life in the future goes a long way.

Donna Frietas, a researcher whom LFN student groups often host as a campus speaker, reports in her book, The End of Sex, that she finds dissatisfaction with the campus hookup scene and desire to date so commonplace among the students she interviews that she has often been tempted to tell an interviewee on the way out, “Go ask the next person in the waiting room out on a date – chances are they want to date, too!”

Knowing, too, that there are really good

intellectual arguments to be made in favor of sexual integrity and marriage (and what those arguments are) is key when, so often, students are surrounded by peers, professors, and administrators who tell them the only reason anyone holds certain beliefs or makes the choice to remain abstinent prior to marriage is because they blindly believe whatever they’ve been taught in their “backward” upbringing.

The human heart longs for lasting love, and that will never change.

And though sins of a sexual nature may not be the gravest of sins (think of, say, murder), they have the effect of being especially corrupting of the soul, leading us to develop a moral system in competition with God’s and ultimately pulling us away from Christ.

What are the major challenges of spreading the sexual integrity message on campuses?

The ideology of the sexual revolution is so engrained at every level of university life – from the social environment, to the classroom, to the administration, to even the mental health professionals – it feels a bit like being up against Goliath. Add to that a campus culture that’s increasingly hostile to free speech, and you’ve got quite a challenge on your hands. However, universities, at their best, are supposed to be places where ideas compete with one another on their merits. Thus, we encourage the courageous young men and women we work with to hold their universities to that high standard and continue to allow for this kind of rich debate and discourse.

:: christianunion.org

Are you hopeful?

Absolutely, I’m hopeful. All it takes is a quick look around the rooms at our conference to see the joy, energy, enthusiasm, and compassion among these young men and women. They are not foreign to temptation, nor sheltered from our pornified culture, and yet they see the good of marriage and aspire to it and all its attendant virtues. The human heart longs for lasting love, and that will never change.

2015

What is your organization’s approach to educating students on same-sex marriage?

Much of the debate about samesex marriage has avoided asking a very important question – “What exactly is marriage?” Our focus in educating students about same-sex marriage has been to help them understand what marriage is and what makes it distinct from other kinds of loving close relationships. I recommend the book, What Is Marriage? (by Ryan Anderson, Robert George, and

Sherif Girgis), to anyone interested in that question. We’ve also been very focused on understanding marriage’s connection to children – and the need every child has to know and be loved by his own mother and father, something that has come into sharp relief for me since my son’s birth this summer.

fall

What are some of the truths you try to instill and some of the lies you look to expose regarding sexuality?

There are so many lies our culture has bought into when it comes to sexuality.

For instance, sex has no intrinsic meaning and can mean whatever we want it to; everyone is “doing it” and is generally happy with the hookup culture; people grow out of “hooking up” after college; you need to “shop around” a lot to find the right spouse; you need to “test drive” a relationship – both in the sense of finding out if you are “sexually compatible” and to try out living together in order to have a successful marriage... These examples barely scratch the surface.

We coach the students we work with to tackle these lies – and a host of other ones – in bite-size chunks. For instance, bringing in a speaker who can expose the lie that pornography is harmless recreation by sharing stories of women who have been exploited and abused to produce the material. Or presenting more accurate information about cohabitation, pointing out the research that suggests it is linked with a higher risk of divorce and a decrease in the freedom a person has to make a real decision to marry (or not) a potential spouse.

How do Christianity and scripture play a role in sexual integrity/fidelity?

Though our network is not a religiously-affiliated ministry, I know many (most, even) of our students find great comfort and strength in their own faith – both in their personal lives and in their leadership that often puts them in the (seemingly) minority position on campus. To my mind, given the myriad temptations on campuses today, a rich interior life of prayer and devotion to Christ, coupled with the support of like-minded friends, is one of the best safeguards against sexual sin.

11

feature section | sex and spirituality

The Bible, Marriage, and Homosexuality Theologian: Male-Female Relationship Is Foundational by catherine elvy, staff writer

christian union

::

the magazine

T

12

heologian Robert Gagnon has been the subject of both praise and contempt for his stance equating homosexual acts with sin.

The notoriety followed his appearances and prolific writings across myriad media, where the Dartmouth College alumnus of 1981 unabashedly declared that God designed men and women to complement one another and join together to form a whole.

“The twoness of the sexes is the foundation for the twoness of the sexual bond,” said Gagnon during a recent lecture.

At its core, a male-female relationship is a prerequisite for a godly sexual union.

“Some [principles] are more foundational. Not everything is equal in Scripture,” said Gagnon, an associate professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

As he takes to the airwaves and print arenas, Gagnon remains unswervingly committed to being an advocate for traditional marriage in the culture’s debate over the morality of same-sex unions.

Such efforts have generated attention from gay activists including the People For The American Way, which tracks and highlights opposition efforts.

As Gagnon explained in a 2015 article that merited a mention in a blog hosted by People For The American Way, heterosexuality is at the foundation of the sacred institute of marriage.

Likewise, Gagnon, who earned a master of theological studies at Harvard University in 1987 and completed a doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1993, is quick to assert Christ was not silent on the subject of homosexuality.

In Mark 10, Jesus offered insight on the matter when the Pharisees questioned Him about the lawfulness of a man to divorce his wife.

Jesus explained that Moses merely permitted a husband to write a divorce certificate because of mankind’s characteristically “hard” heart. However, Christ pointed to higher standards and paused to clarify God’s basic structure for marriage: “But, at the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.

So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Likewise, in related passages in Luke, Mark, and Matthew, Jesus offered a stricter interpretation of divorce than the one found in the Old Testament.

In further elaboration, Christ told his disciples, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

As for the Torah’s reluctant allowance

for divorce, Christ “closed the loopholes.

Jesus modified it as more rigorous,” said Gagnon, author of The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics and Homosexuality and the Bible: Two Views.

Given such standards, plus the framework for marriage outlined in Genesis, the scholar is sure that Christ would not take a permissive view of same-sex unions.

God established matrimony as “between one man and one woman in lifelong union.”

Along those lines, neither the Old Testament nor New Testament make accommodations for homosexual acts, said Gagnon. Rather, such practices were treated as severe infractions of the Jewish code of conduct.

While Gagnon acknowledged that some individuals battle powerful samesex attractions, he also noted Scripture does not condone same-sex practices.

“Even if biologically wired, it still doesn’t matter,” Gagnon said. “Most of what God tells you not to do, you are wired to do.”

God established limits and restrictions on behaviors, even on some involving basic human desires, to protect individuals from physical and psychological harm, something Gagnon says is associated with homosexual acts. Such requirements also reflect God’s ultimate love for mankind’s welfare.

Though it runs counter to popular culture, Christianity involves submission to Jesus’ lordship, which includes a call to sexual purity.

“It’s all about who is going to be lord

of your life,” Gagnon said. “No innate desire we experience is lord. All innate desires must come into submission.

Commands exist because of desires.”

More importantly, God’s plan for marital intimacy reflects sacred architecture.

Specifically, Genesis 1:27 explains, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created

Both Christ and the Apostle Paul “taught us to uphold love and an intensified sexual ethic at the same time,” Gagnon wrote.

Ultimately, believers are called to point this generation to Christ, who satisfies all desires. “Jesus is worth everything, the gratification of every valid yearning,” Gagnon said. | cu

“But, at the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

—Mark 10:6-9

fall

2015 :: christianunion.org

them; male and female he created them.”

As such, “you are made in God’s image. What you do sexually matters,” Gagnon said. For believers, “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.”

Through marriage, a husband and wife become one flesh, reflecting a God-ordained union. “Out of one flesh, more emerge,” Gagnon said.

On a related note, Gagnon published an article in early 2015 highlighting the pastoral love and care that should be displayed to individuals dealing with samesex attractions.

“The greater the severity of sin, the greater the outreach of love,” Gagnon wrote. “This is the lesson that we learn from Jesus’ outreach to tax collectors and sexual sinners.”

13

universit y chris tian union updat e s

cit y chris tian

christian union

::

the magazine

page 16

14

union updat e page 3 4

from the university to the city

the word of god is “quick, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). By God’s grace, the lives of our future leaders—and the influential universities they attend—are being transformed each day. As they seek Him diligently, study His Word, and develop a Christ-centered worldview, they will be equipped to engage culture effectively. This is at the heart of University Christian Union’s work at Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale.

Developing Leaders Who Will Transform Culture culture will be transformed for god’s glory as the lives of our future leaders and the educational institutions they attend are transformed by His grace. By developing networks of like-minded

the U.S. as new networks of leaders emerge and engage today’s culture.

christianunion.org

Circle in the early 1800s. Pray that God will bring similar change to

::

change to England through William Wilberforce and the Clapham

2015

will be multiplied. This model was used by the Lord to bring sweeping

fall

believers in key cultural centers, starting in New York City, their impact

15 Elizabeth Sult Case, Harvard ’17, is one of 1,369 students enrolled in Christian Union Bible Courses this fall.

university christian union

Passing the Torch Christian Union’s Ministry at Columbia Continues to Expand by luke foster, columbia

’15

Four years ago, Christian Union’s leadership development ministry at Columbia did not exist.

Early in the 2011 fall semester, Christian Union Ministry Director Jim Black, Ministry Fellow Jesse Peterson, and a handful of students began to meet, study Scripture, and dream of a ministry that would impact the campus for Christ.

Those initial students now have all graduated, but the ministry is twenty times larger and has been recognized as an official student organization (Columbia Faith and Action) for more than three years. Three more ministry fellows have joined

christian union

::

the magazine

Kalu Ogbureke ’16 is the president of Columbia Faith and Action, a leadership development ministry supported by Christian Union.

16

Black and Peterson to disciple students, and the ministry’s weekly leadership lecture series, Illumina, is one of the best-attended events on campus.

As Columbia Faith and Action recently welcomed the Class of 2019, current president Kalu Ogbureke ’16 reflected with his predecessor, founding president James Lin ’15, on this transition of student generations.

Ogbureke, an economics major from Houston, Texas, described the attitude he sought to instill in other student leaders as they prepared this year’s outreach to freshmen. On the first

night of the new school year, he felt subdued, seeing the gaps among his friends and missing the veterans of the Class of 2015. He responded with a devotional on God’s faithfulness, emphasizing that the continuity of the Gospel through time doesn’t depend on the people through whom we experience Christ. He said, “It was crucial to convey that we’re not brought together by the kindness or the personality of any particular individuals. It’s always about what God has done, what Christ has done. He’s the one that allows us to unite with other Christians.”

Ogbureke recalled his own experience of his first week on campus. Unsure of his faith in a new environment, he was overwhelmed, then overjoyed, to find students and Christian Union ministry fellows welcoming him to the Christian community.

“Now, as I lead this year’s outreach to freshmen, I can sometimes seem obsessive about it, but it’s because I know how important it is on this campus to get people into a loving community,” he said. Ogbureke stressed the uniqueness of Christian authenticity for new students who often feel tempted to invent new identities as they live away from home for the first time.

Lin, from Middletown, Delaware, majored in computer science at Columbia and now works for a Manhattan-based technology firm. He recalled how he came to be the president of the fledgling leadership ministry. Having been very active in youth ministry in his home church when he arrived at Columbia, Lin “wanted to be someone others poured into, rather than leading from the front.” But when Peterson and Black challenged him to lead the other students, he accepted: “I never wanted to give speeches in front of everyone or make the policy decisions. Those were curve balls, but I eventually saw fruit and growth from God bringing those things about.”

When he visits campus now and sees a thriving ministry and outreach to freshmen, Lin said

Columbia Faith and Action students Anji Zhao ’16 (left) and Marcos Martinez ’16 (right) and alumna Jennifer Mahan ’15 on campus last year.

explained that his priority for his team of fellow leaders is that they make decisions by consensus, “in humility, prayer, and friendship.” Lin talked about his priority of “mentoring brothers in Bible course, of pouring into younger students.” Both highlighted the importance – and difficulty − of learning “As I lead this year’s outreach to freshmen, to delegate responsibility to I can sometimes seem obsessive about it, others. Ogbureke said, “I have to trust other people will take but it’s because I know how important it is ownership of their tasks.” And on this campus to get people into a loving both acknowledged Ministry community.”

—Kalu Ogbureke, Columbia ’16 Director Jim Black’s pivotal role in modeling Gospel-centered, humble excellence for multiple generations of Lin can see that “God is using that for His glory Columbia students. to raise up another generation to serve and love Luke Foster was a key leader with Christian Him and to serve and love other people.”

Union’s leadership development ministry at Both Ogbureke and Lin emphasized the Columbia for the last four years. He is the director uniqueness of the education in leadership they of operations at the Elm Institute in New Haven, have received through Christian Union and have Connecticut. | cu both sought to be humble servants. Ogbureke Exodus 3:6 comes to mind: “I am the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.”

“God is God across the generations,” he said.

While he initially wondered how the gaps he and other graduated leaders left would be filled,

fall

2015 :: christianunion.org

17

university christian union

The Meaning of Life CU Ministry Debates Community of Humanists, Atheists, and Agnostics by catherine elvy, staff writer

The existence of a loving God gives purpose and hope to believers.

That was one of the themes from Julian Nunally when the Harvard College junior participated in a debate entitled Can Life Be Meaningful without God? Nunally made his comments on behalf of Christian Union’s ministry at Harvard when

christian union

::

the magazine

Peter Hickman, ‘16

18

Julian Nunally ’17

individuals feeling empty and hopeless. “We worry that the atheistic worldview implies that life is meaningless,” said Nunally, who serves as an assistant Bible course leader for Christian Union’s leadership development ministry at Harvard College.

Nunally’s partner in the debate, Peter Hickman ’16, also explored how atheism can leave its followers feeling rudderless.

“If atheism is true, then there is no specific goal for human beings to pursue,” said Hickman, an applied math major. “If there is no God, we have neither assurance that our actions will mean anything, ultimately, or have any purpose…”

As for the debaters from the humanist organization, they emphasized how atheists often feel marginalized in the United States. At times, atheists are viewed as cold-hearted, robotic, lacking a moral compass, and even unsuited for public office, said Noah Fechtor-Pradines ’18, a graduate of the British International School of Boston.

Contrary to the prevailing perception of atheists, Fechtor-Pradines said he possesses a “strong sense of purpose.”

the student organization hosted its fourth annual debate with the Harvard Community of Humanists, Atheists, and Agnostics. This year’s event, also co-sponsored by Harvard Political Union, took place on September 6 in Boylston “If atheism is true, then there is no specific Hall. David Lamberth, goal for human beings to pursue. If there is no PhD ’94, (Harvard Divinity School, Faculty God, we have neither assurance that our actions of Arts and Sciences) will mean anything, ultimately, or have any served as moderator.

For Nunally ’17, his purpose…” commitment to Christ —Peter Hickman, Harvard ’16 offers the ultimate hope for a meaningful life.

Likewise, the temporal nature of life enhances “God continuously loves us and desires for us its value. “Every second of my life counts for so to fulfill His purposes,” said Nunally, a native of much more,” said Fechtor-Pradines. “I only have Tennessee who is studying religion and English. a finite amount of time to explore it to the greatest Likewise, Nunally expressed concern that depth I can.” worldly pursuits sometimes serve as distractions As well, the aspiring scholar was quick to say from life’s bigger questions and can leave

he considers himself to be a moral person. “I am driven by empathy and the Golden Rule,” he said.

Fechtor-Pradines said he is driven by robust intellectual curiosity and a desire to share the bliss of learning. As such, “I can transcend the boundaries of my life,” he said. “I can have a permanent and positive effect on the world around me.”

Debate partner August Stover ’18 echoed those comments, also noting she plans to leave a legacy via educational endeavors.

“I am not special. All I can do is improve the lives around me,” said Stover. “There is no cosmic purpose, but, yes, I have purpose within myself.”

As to issues of morality, Stover also insisted humanism is grounded in empathy. “I do good things because they are good. I derive meaning from helping others,” said Stover.

Stover and Fechtor-Pradines said they fully embrace the concept of a universe void of a deity.

“We are intellectually honest about that,” Stover said. “Atheists don’t claim to be guided by some kind of eternal god or divinity.”

Still, “we have a lot to give to the world that’s just as meaningful as divinely-derived meaning.”

Fechtor-Pradines agreed and left his collegiate audience with a poignant message.

“As humanists, we live with the uncertainty of our lives and we accept our finiteness,” he said.

“We ask that you respect that.”

As for the team from Christian Union’s ministry, the debaters highlighted how ultimate fulfillment comes from serving the infinite Creator of the Universe.

“Christian faith does make sense,” Nunally said. “This is not a choice to be taken lightly.”

For Hickman, Jesus Christ stands ready to offer both acceptance and purpose.

“We hope you will consider calling out to the God who cares,” said Hickman. | cu

fall

2015 :: christianunion.org

(left to right) Jason Dong ’17, Ye Dam Lee ’15, Marina Chen ’15, and Peter Hickman ’16 are leaders with Christian Union’s ministry at Harvard.

19

university christian union

Craving to Be Known; Living to Be Forgotten ‘A Noble, Humble Way to Follow Christ’ by anna griffith, princeton

’18

Editor’s note: The following testimony was written by Anna Griffith, a Princeton University sophomore who is active with Princeton Faith and Action, a leadership development ministry supported and resourced by Christian Union.

There is no other way to start other than to say that I have always felt mediocre. In school, in sports, in extracurricular activities; I’ve always been good, but never great. While this sometimes bothered me as a child and teenager, I was never truly dragged down by it until the end of high school.

I could spend a great deal of time listing things I’ve done that were inspiring or intelligent for which I never got credit, times I was doing the right thing but was still categorized as “wrong,”

christian union

::

the magazine

PFA [Christian Union’s ministry at Princeton] has given me a place to call home, my best friends at Princeton, and a greater understanding and desire for a Christ-centered life.

20

and instances in which I excelled at something but was never praised like other students. Sympathy, however, is not something for which I look.

Throughout my life, my mediocrity has always made itself abundantly clear in one particular way: no one ever remembers my name. No matter how many times I met a person or how well I thought I knew them, I would always be faced with a blank stare when he or she would try to recall my name. My high school principal, my teachers, my peers, even my best friend’s mom.

In my eyes, I wasn’t worth remembering. I craved not only recognition, but also familiarity. I always wanted this quote to apply to me, “Be so great that you don’t have to introduce yourself.”

My life truly changed throughout my freshman year at Princeton and the summer to follow, but it would be insufficient simply to say, “And then I found God and it was all okay.” Because it’s still not okay; my life, self-esteem, and self-worth are still broken—a mirror image of the world in which we live. “But God”—as Christian Union Ministry Fellow Lisa Jeffrey says to my Bible course—has earnestly pursued me and softened my heart to accept the things that are not great right now and to know that one day they will be more than okay.

I came to Princeton’s campus shy, debilitatingly self-conscious, and just overall SO AWKWARD. I felt as though finding a group where I belonged was more difficult than any class and would take a large amount of personal discomfort. That’s when I went to the activities fair during Frosh Week and was stopped at the Princeton Faith and Action table by a Christian Union ministry fellow. At the time, I just thought he was an overgrown senior, but I distinctly remember him introducing himself and asking, “What’s your name? If you come to the leadership lecture series (Encounter) tonight, I promise I’ll remember your name.” While what he said was so simple, it really resonated with me and my desire to be known and remembered.

So, I went to Encounter that night (with the encouragement of an upperclassman I just met), didn’t see the ministry fellow (who subsequently did forget my name the next time I saw him), but fell in love with Princeton Faith and Action (PFA), which, in turn, led me to fall in love with God. PFA [Christian Union’s ministry at Princeton] has given me a place to call home, my best friends at Princeton, and a greater understanding and desire for a Christ-centered life.

Freshman year and the summer that followed still brought me insecurities and hurt, but I think the Lord graciously numbed me to a lot of the true loneliness I experienced along the path to pursue Him. Flash forward to this summer’s Pre-

Anna Griffith, Princeton ’18

fall

2015 :: christianunion.org

Retreat 2015. I was so excited to be back with friends from PFA, hang out with people I wanted to get to know better, and grow closer to God. I found, however, that 90 percent of the people I would talk to, whom I knew, would say, “What was your name again?” or “Remind me of your name?” Suddenly, all of the insecurities and disappointment of high school and beginning of college came flooding back: I was forgettable. I wasn’t good enough or pretty enough or smart enough to be remembered. That’s when the words shared at the retreat by Christian Union’s Ministry Director Jon Nielson came to my mind: “Share the Gospel, die, be forgotten.” After reflecting on this and what I know of God’s love, I’ve come to a bi-fold conclusion.

First and foremost, I do not need recognition from man; my self-worth should solely be found in God and my identity in Christ. Because I know Jesus’ voice, I also know that He knows me. He knows my flaws, my strengths, the wonderful things I’ve done, the not-so-wonderful things I’ve done, truly every inch of me inside and out.

Seeking recognition in man is essentially denying God the glory of His creation. By desiring others

to know my earthly name, I was forgetting that my name, first and foremost, is “daughter of Christ.” Anna Griffith lives in the world, but Anna, child of God, will live on and receive salvation from the one true God. Secondly, relating back to Jon’s talk, I think there is such wisdom in the idea of being forgotten. All of my self-pity and loathing comes from the root of being self-absorbed and desiring attention and recognition. In a way, I had been idolizing myself (and sometimes still do).

So I realized I need to practice the opposite of attention-seeking: humility. I need to be a humble servant of the Lord, asking nothing in return. If I spread the love of God and expect to be praised and glorified in return, what am I even teaching and whose kingdom am I building? To spread the Gospel, die, and be forgotten is perhaps one of the most noble and humble ways to follow Christ.

I have been so lucky to be humbled before the Lord and realize my life is not about me. My life, a gift from God ransomed by Christ’s death, is not my own, but is to be lived to serve the kingdom of heaven on Earth.

My journey to self acceptance, peace, and true humility is far from over, but I can now rest in the knowledge that I am known. And who knows, maybe I’ll get really famous or significant for some reason, and people will get to know my name. What I know now is that no one will ever know me in the way that God knows me and truly loves me. | cu

21

university christian union

Sophomore Servant Leaders Brown Students Help Lead Welcoming Campaign by eileen scott, senior writer

Serving others is second nature for Douglas Villalta ’18—especially when it comes to flipping pancakes.

In the fall semester, this dynamic ambassador for Christ reached out to incoming students

christian union

::

the magazine

Douglas Villalta ’18 is passionate about sharing the Gospel with freshmen and connecting them to Christian Union’s ministry at Brown.

22

during the freshmen welcoming campaign for Christian Union’s ministry at Brown University.

It’s a critical time for freshmen to get connected

to a ministry that offers Bible courses, a weekly leadership lecture series, mentoring, and a community of like-minded believers.

Villalta came to Brown seeking precisely that kind of vibrant Christian community as a freshman. He was attracted by Christian Union’s dedication to developing servant leaders and fostering spiritual growth and now wants other young men and women also to have that opportunity.

“I know how it feels to be a freshman,” said Villalta.

During the first weeks of the semester, Villalta, other students, and ministry fellows with Christian Union’s ministry at Brown spoke to a large number of freshmen and invited them to various events. Villalta brought several young people to a late-night pancake dinner that drew an overflow crowd. He was also quick to make his way into the kitchen and help prepare and serve the pancakes. The comfort food was a big hit and opened the door to many new friendships.

Christian Union Ministry Fellow Justin Doyle noted the maturity in Villalta and the contribution he makes to the ministry. The sophomore is one of only 60 students accepted into Brown’s eight-year medical program and plans on becoming a physician.

“Douglas has a growing desire to be in community and serve the body of Christ and Christian Union. Sometimes students say things, but their actions are different,” said Doyle. “I see his willingness to do the behind-the-scenes service I expect of leaders. He is breaking out of some comfort zones and engaging freshmen in ways

Christian Union’s ministry at Brown, which launched in the fall of 2014, has been blessed with motivated students who want to raise the spiritual temperature on their campus.

Meagan Peters ’18 (left) and Jackie Cornejo ’18 helped make the welcoming campaign a success this fall for Christian Union’s leadership development ministry at Brown.

engage in dialogue about Christianity.

“We have met more than 100 students at a school that is not notorious for having a huge Christian community,” said Doyle. “It has to do with the gatherers and with the relationships that are being formed.”

Christian Union’s ministry at Brown, which launched in the fall of 2014, has been blessed with motivated students who want to raise the spiritual temperature on their campus. Under the direction of Doyle and Matt Woodard, Christian Union’s ministry director at Brown, these students are passionate to share the Gospel with their classmates.

“Their concern is for the kingdom of God,” said Doyle. “They are very interested in the Gospel and seeing these freshman lives transformed. At their heart, they care about Jesus and making Him known.” | cu

STAY INFORMED

Subscribe today to

Christian Union News

2015

Christian Union’s eNewsletter

fall

::

If topics and articles like those in this section interest you, please subscribe today to begin receiving the ministry’s eNewsletter, once every two weeks, in your inbox:

ChristianUnion.org/Subscribe

christianunion.org

that are fantastic to see. He’s maturing in faith, actually serving and leading.”

Villalta said Christian Union Bible Courses and leadership opportunities have helped him grow significantly. Serving during the freshmen welcoming campaign is a way of giving back to the ministry, he said.

Serving as a “gatherer” of first-year students is a vital role to campus ministries.

Doyle said the hard work is bearing fruit as leaders had the opportunity to meet crowds of freshmen at events. Some are believers, but some are not. Some are even atheists who come for the food, desserts, and social interaction, and stay to

23

university christian union

Leading with a Global Perspective Mission Trip to Uganda Impacts Cornell Seniors by catherine elvy, staff writer

A pair of Cornell upperclassmen are sharing life lessons they gleaned while ministering in the bush of Uganda.

This summer, Hannah Dorpfeld ’16 and Lauren Smith ’16 served with the Rural Orphans and Widows AIDS Network (ROWAN) in Eastern Uganda. The experience is a great source

christian union

::

the magazine

Lauren Smith ’16 (left) was impacted by the love and community she experienced in Uganda this summer.

24

of inspiration as they co-lead a Christian Union Bible study for sophomore women this fall.

“It’s given us more wisdom, a better pool of wisdom,” said Smith, a biology major. “We’ve been able to paint a bigger picture and show how important it is to get outside the USA and see God’s church on a global level.”

Dorpfeld echoed those comments, noting her trip to Uganda showed her how tangible kindness is at the heart of Christianity. “It’s all about loving people and being there for them,” she said.

Their student-led Bible study at Cornell is overseen by Anna Shea, a Christian Union ministry fellow. Shea said Dorpfeld and Smith—leaders with Christian Union’s ministry on campus—returned to Cornell “with beautiful truths they learned in Uganda to enrich the body of Christ here.”

Shea noted underclassmen are amazed at the hours Smith “devotes to them when they need someone to talk to or pray for them. Lauren has become known for her joy, no matter what she’s going through. It’s because she has God’s perspective.”

In June, Dorpfeld, a design and environmental analysis major, served with ROWAN for 12 days, and she is eyeing opportunities to return after her graduation in December 2016. Colorado-based ROWAN seeks to empower orphans and widows infected or impacted by HIV/AIDS through economic development, education, and medical initiatives.

As for Smith, the native of Great Falls, Montana, ventured to Uganda in 2013 and 2014 via Christian Union-sponsored missionary trips, and she plans to return for a year following her graduation in the spring.

“I do love Africa,” said Smith. “I really want to learn what it means to be a servant.”

Smith said she was touched during her first trip to Uganda when she became violently sick with a high fever and vomiting, and a pastor gathered a team to offer powerful prayers over her. His wife provided care for a few days.

“I felt such incredible love for me,” Smith said.

“If anything, the people are calling me back to Uganda.”

Not surprisingly, Smith relishes opportunities to share that sense of interconnectedness with Cornell students.

“My trips to Uganda have really changed how I view poverty, unity, and living in community.

The community there is solid. They look out for each other,” Smith said. “They really know how to love you and accept you as you are.”

“It’s been cool to share that, to transfer that vision of community back to make [our ministry at Cornell] a better community.”

As well, students need to understand that, in the bigger picture of life, “comfort may not

be that important,” Smith said. “It’s good to be pushed outside the comfort zone, to have an understanding of hope and holding on to hope in difficult situations.”

Smith’s duties for her next venture with ROWAN are still being developed.

As for Dorpfeld, the native of Medina, New York was equally as touched by her experiences serving with ROWAN and interacting with the villagers in the eastern region of Uganda. The growing organization aims to nurture self-reliance in its community via education, business training, spiritual enrichment, and medical care.

“It’s just so relational,” said Dorpfeld. “It’s all about loving people and being there for them.”

Many of Dorpfeld’s duties with ROWAN were practical in nature, including painting, brick laying, and staging children’s activities. In addition, she traveled with staffers for home visits to check on some of the program’s widows and children.

“Home visits are the backbone of ROWAN. Going to members, checking up on their wellbeing, spending time with them, praying with them, and showing they’re loved is the foundation of ROWAN,” said Dorpfeld.

Likewise, the organization emphasizes mentorship and discipleship in an effort to empower the individuals it serves. “We did a lot of listening and praying,” Dorpfeld said.

During her stint in Uganda, Dorpfeld also was touched by a sense of how much God treasures diversity and how multifariousness can “help the world.”

For now, Dorpfeld relishes opportunities to share the highlights of her summer missionary venture with the undergraduates in her Bible study.

The opportunity to impact the young women of Cornell is “such an insane blessing,” Dorpfeld said. | cu

.................................................................................

Launching out, Continuing to Lead Dartmouth Alumni Are Making a Quick Impact by eileen scott, senior writer

establish the discipline of quiet time. “I really had to train myself to be still and to start my mornings with God’s Word,” she said. “Developing this habit is what really took me from being in

:: christianunion.org

a position where I knew about God to being in a relationship with Him.” Additionally, “Christian Union helped me to recognize my brokenness, sin, and shortcomings, and to choose to let God’s grace enter into those places and to persevere because the Gospel gives

2015

“Christian Union helped me to recognize my brokenness, sin, and shortcomings, and to let God’s grace enter into those places.”

fall

Two recent Dartmouth alumni who were active in Christian Union’s campus ministry are putting their leadership skills to work and wholeheartedly seeking God. Julia Roper ’15, who has a passion for the health and welfare of the underserved, is a program coordinator with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) in Uganda.

Roper, who is part of the organization’s Global Vaccines Delivery Team, said the leadership development she received through Christian Union’s Bible Courses and ministry initiatives prepared her for integrating faith and work.

“I learned that my identity must be found in the Lord and not in my job, or my relationships, or anything else,” said Roper.

She also credits the ministry with helping her

25

university christian union

christian union

::

the magazine

Julia Roper, Dartmouth ’15, advocates for the underserved in Uganda through her work with the Clinton Health Access Initiative.

26

me the power to do that.”

As a student, Roper completed a fellowship in Uganda through Dartmouth’s Tucker Foundation, serving as an intern with a Christian organization that operated an orphanage, school, and community health program. She has always had a heart for missionary work and that fellowship in Africa helped solidify her choice of profession.

Roper noted that 29 percent of global deaths of children under the age of five are vaccine-preventable. This daunting statistic inspires her to help save lives through her work. “I’m excited to be able to join CHAI in working to improve access to these immunizations,” she said.

As Roper chose to join efforts with a healthcare non-profit, her fellow Christian graduates are working in a variety of professions.

“What matters for all of us is how we love the Lord and love the people around us as we carry out our various jobs,” she said.

Cameron Price ’15 echoes those sentiments as he navigates the world of retail as a merchandise

planner with clothier Abercrombie and Fitch.

Price, who works with the men’s outerwear department, wants his faith to impact everything he does.

“I believe strongly that godly business is the most successful form of business,” he said.

Abercrombie and Fitch has been criticized in recent years due to its immodest advertising campaigns geared toward young people. However, Price said he is pleased to see the company “shifting away from its controversial past to a more wholesome future.”

“Hopefully, I can be a positive impact during this transitional period,” he said.

Like Roper, Price credits Christian Union with developing him as a leader and for sparking his desire to live out the Gospel in all areas of his life.

“Words cannot describe how Christian Union has impacted me. Tasks as small as grabbing lunch with a freshman during the freshman outreach campaign, and as grand as serving within the student executive team, have given me opportunities to lead with humility, grace, and confidence in Jesus,” said Price.

At Abercrombie and Fitch, Price started a prayer group with colleagues shortly after arriving at the Columbus, Ohio, office. “What has been amazing is that the Lord has simply brought people together naturally,” said Price.

Within two weeks of starting the prayer group, eight people attended and that number continues to rise. Price hopes that his company will be blessed through co-workers uniting in prayer, and that lives will be changed through God’s power and grace.

“I think the best witness I can be right now is through my actions. I want people to see Christ in me,” said Price. | cu

Getting Things Done Summer Reading Program Examines Time Management by eileen scott, senior writer

fall

2015 :: christianunion.org

This summer, members of Christian because in doing so, we magnify God’s glory and Union’s leadership development minlove on this earth,” said Ruan. “He also reminds istry at the University of Pennsylvania us that we are not only to do things, but do things hosted a reading program that focused on prowell. God is not just concerned about functionalductivity. Using Matt Perman’s book, What’s Best ity, but also about beauty, because He is a beauNext: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get tiful God.” Things Done, the students explored what it means The idea for the book study emanated from to be good stewards of the gift of time. a presentation delivered during the ministry’s Participants discussed elements and tenets of the book through online chats and social networking.

The result was an awakening to the concept of making time management choices based upon three criteria: what is good, what is from God, and what serves others.

“The book has encouraged me to make God more central in everything I do, completing even the simplest tasks with joy and faithfulness,” said Patricia Jia ’18. The communications major from California is on the ministry’s Seeking God leadership team, which fosters a lifestyle of prayer, fasting, and pursuing Sophomores Patricia Jia and Michael Ruan explored productivity from a Christian Christ. perspective during the summer reading program sponsored by Christian Union’s Fellow Californian Michael Ruan ministry at Penn. ’18 also appreciated the opportunity to study productivity from a biblical perspective. leadership lecture series by John Cunningham, a “The reading program was extremely applicaChristian Union ministry fellow at Penn. Cunble during summer break because we, as students, ningham, whose topic was The Fear of Missing have so much time on our hands. So the importOut, encouraged students to be thoughtful about ant question is, how can we be good stewards of how they spend their time. He led the social meit?” said Ruan. dia discussions about the book and noted that a Perman’s book helped answer that question by common thread was exploring what good things putting the focus on what is being done and why, students might have to let go of in order to acrather than merely presenting the “how” of time complish a greater good and find balance in their management. The focus is on effectiveness and lives. doing the best tasks first.

Cunningham said it all comes down to under“Perman develops the idea that the Christian’s standing the Gospel and how it all has to do with foremost mission is to seek the good of others, Jesus: “Once you can get your head around that

27

university christian union

piece, you’re better able to make effective, balanced choices.”

Perman’s book offers practical tools for helping readers navigate their schedules and the purpose for their days. For example, he gives value

Perman’s book offers practical tools for helping readers navigate their schedules and the purpose for their days. to the ordinary tasks of life and doesn’t just focus on obviously spiritual activities like ministry and missions work. Perman shares how to create a mission statement and offers guidance on empowering ways of delegating to others. He also tackles issues like procrastination, multitasking, and processing workflow efficiently.

“It was particularly helpful to define my mission statement, core purpose, and roles,” said Jia. “Understanding this framework will guide how I use my time to serve proactively as a leader, student, daughter, and friend.”

Despite the practical tips and the exhortation for godly stewardship, Ministry Director Justin Mills stresses that Perman’s book doesn’t put a sanctified spin on secular time management.

Rather, productivity is an extension of one’s Christian life, putting others first and working in ways that are meaningful.

“We aren’t trying to baptize what the secular world is doing,” Mills said. “It all originates with God.” As Perman writes, “Productivity… is, at root, a biblical concern and a fundamental issue before God. The innate desire we have to be productive and do useful things is an echo of this.” | cu

.................................................................................

Abundant Life, Pro-Life Behling ’17 Co-Leads Vita et Veritas Conference

christian union

::

the magazine

by eileen scott, senior writer

28

Evelyn Behling ’17 has been involved team responsible for coordinating Vita et Veritas, with Choose Life at Yale and Christian the third annual pro-life conference at Yale.

Union since the start of freshman year.

More than 100 people attended the event, Through both organizations, the Rockford, Illiwhich offered presentations by noted speakers nois native has grown stronger in her faith and in and an interfaith panel discussion on the dignity her commitment to protecting the dignity of all of all human persons. A Christian Union grant human life.

Within Christian Union’s leadership deBehling said Christian Union velopment ministry at Yale, the humanities major found a strong community of be- Bible Courses give her a better lievers that help give her the resolve to “go understanding of Scripture and have against the grain on campus.” At Choose Life at Yale, she joined with passionate ad- helped reinforce her pro-life position. vocates for the life she respects so dearly.

Behling said Christian Union Bible Courses helped fund the event. Christian Union Founder give her a better understanding of Scripture and and CEO Matt Bennett, Cornell ’88, MBA ’89, have helped reinforce her pro-life position. was among the panelists.

“The respect for the sanctity of life is very clear Vita et Veritas facilitates a discussion of pro-life through the Bible,” she said. issues by a diverse representation of advocates. As In October, Behling was among the leadership a result, Behling said, the position is intelligible

fall

2015 :: christianunion.org

and accessible to Yale students and students from other universities.

The focus of this year’s conference was centered on the pro-life cause and human dignity in the arts, media, and popular culture.

The keynote speaker was Jason Jones, a film producer, author, and president of Movie to Movement and the Human Rights Education Organization.

Jones spoke of the personal experience of having a child aborted Elizabeth Tokarz ’17 (left) and Evelyn Behling ’17 coordinated the Vita et Veritas by a girlfriend who was conference at Yale this fall. forced into it by her father. Jones was not a might be calling them to serve Him in particular Christian at the time of the abortion, or for years ways,” said Hendrickson. immediately following, but eventually became a Being a minority voice on a secular-oriented follower of Christ. campus like Yale seems to come naturally for a Behling said students who are undecided leader like Behling. about their views on abortion, and those who “She has an enormous amount of passion and have already made up their minds, come to the energy for issues about which she feels strongly,” event to become familiar with all sides of the said Hendrickson. “She’s able to connect with a issue. The more people are educated about the wide variety of people and easily switches between truth of abortion and human dignity, the more deep and philosophical discussions and humorhopeful Behling is about the future. One student ous reflections on the mundane.” had previously written pro-abortion articles for “Evy takes her faith seriously and, in particular, the Yale Daily News, yet decided to attend the has a strong and clear understanding of the image conference. of God in every person. Her love for God and His “Every time I do something like this [conferWord propels her to live out her faith concreteence], I see more people coming and becoming ly by advocating for the poor and defenseless, in open to learning…It affirms to me that this view is particular, humans in the earliest stages of their right, even if it isn’t the majority view at Yale,” she development.” | cu said. “I think people know what the truth is and this helps them get over the barriers. My generation is a pro-life generation, optimistic and hopeful for society to affirm dignity on every level.”

Christian Union Ministry Fellow Jane Hendrickson said Behling inspires her peers.

“Her passionate commitment to the pro-life cause challenges others to consider how God

29

university christian union

A Child Advocate Law Student Wants to Be a Voice for the Poor and Needy

christian union

::

the magazine

by eileen scott, senior writer

30

Katherine Taylor, a student at Harvard Law School, is bright, articulate, and has a natural gift for understanding legal concepts. She plans to use her gift to advocate for those who can’t speak for themselves.

Standing by her in the pursuit of fulfilling God’s purpose through her work are members of Christian Union’s ministry at Harvard Law School.

“The ministry has served as a place to meet other people pursuing law degrees,” said Taylor, who earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Kentucky.

“It has been encouraging to know that while we are definitely in the minority, there are other Christians at Harvard who also love the Lord. I have enjoyed forming friendships with people involved in Christian Union.”

Taylor, who is centering on child advocacy law, finds the Wednesday lunch discussions hosted by Christian Union to be particularly encouraging.

“It is interesting to see how others think about what their faith would lead them to conclude on certain issues,” she said.

Jared Wortman, a Christian Union ministry fellow at Harvard Law School, said Taylor’s dedication to God’s children and her authentic compassion have been an encouragement to the ministry.

He recalled seeing a photograph of Taylor sporting a huge smile as she danced with a child she met on a missions trip in the Dominican Republic.

“This image has stayed with me because it captures someone who is radically committed to making a difference in the lives of others,” he said.

Wortman also noted Taylor’s vibrant witness within the ministry.

“It’s been a joy to witness Katie’s godly compassion being suffused with her legal proficiency,” he said. “Katie came to Harvard Law School with a heart for others, and it’s truly compelling to imagine how her godly compassion will one day be articulated through legal advocacy. Such a

nuanced understanding of what it means to love and care for your neighbors, both near and far, is humbling and inspiring for us all.”

Taylor has no doubt she is called to be a lawyer: “When I was a sophomore in college, the Lord very clearly told me to go to law school to work with children. I have always been passionate about helping those who are in tough situations in life.”

She also believes that God has abundantly blessed her with the intellectual capacity to succeed in school; therefore, her purpose is to glorify Him through the use of those gifts.

Taylor has spent significant time with children in need. She served on a mission trip to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, and spent two summers in the Dominican Republic with GO Ministries.

“Law has given me a platform to leverage in order to fight for these children, to be a voice for the oppressed and the helpless, and to fight the systems to better the future for each child with whom I interact,” Taylor said.

This past summer, she was an intern at the Children’s Law Center in Washington, D.C., where she worked with attorneys on both sides of custody issues. Through the internship, Taylor learned about making hard decisions when the answers are not so black and white, saying the only way to know what to do in the shadows of the gray areas is discerned through prayer.

Taylor faces the harsh realities of child advocacy with a vibrant faith. Specifically, she cites Proverbs 31:8-9 as particularly applicable to attorneys: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

“Advocating for children, many of whom do not even speak yet, is a beautiful opportunity to be able to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and to defend the rights of the poor and needy,” she said.| cu

Join the campaign to save the world’s most endangered species.

fall

2015 :: christianunion.org

If you’re serious about preserving our most precious natural resources, get involved with evangelism. After all, if it’s worthwhile to crusade for the environment, how much more so for human souls. ®

www.rts.edu ATLANTA | CHARLOTTE | HOusTON | JACKsON | MEMpHis | NEw yORK CiTy | ORLANDO | wAsHiNGTON DC | GLObAL

31

donor spotlight

A Legacy of Faithfulness Bonny and Caleb Loring III

F

or Caleb Loring III and his wife Bonny, the word “faithfulness” neatly sums up their approach to life.

Next year, the couple that courted as college students and wed in 1966, will celebrate 50 years of marriage. Besides being thankful for his children and grandchildren, Caleb calls meeting, betrothing, and marrying Bonny the highlight of his life.

christian union

::

the magazine

Caleb and Bonnie Loring are supporters of Christian Union’s ministry at Dartmouth.

32

If that weren’t enough to celebrate, it’s also been 50 years since Caleb graduated from Dartmouth College.

Five decades ago, Caleb was a history major deeply interested in the Soviet Union and studying Russian. His first career took him to Washington, D.C., to the CIA’s undercover operations. There, he was tasked with helping to track Soviet activity in Africa.

After two years of providing desk support for overseas CIA personnel, Caleb decided he was not cut out for an undercover career, and headed back to school— this time to Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business.

In 1971, with a Tuck MBA in hand, Caleb accepted a job offer from Bank of Boston’s Commercial Lending

Division. He jokes he was one of the lowest paid MBAs in his Tuck class. But for Caleb, this was it. He didn’t just enjoy commercial banking, he had discovered a vocation.

Meanwhile, Caleb and Bonny were making other important decisions about life together. When they met in the mid-1960s, Caleb as an undergrad at Dartmouth and Bonny at Wheaton College (MA), they were long-time church attendees. In the late 1970s, however, they embarked on a journey to find the true meaning of life, which led them to Jesus Christ.

It began seemingly by chance; they bought a New Testament survey course at a Rotary Club fundraising auction. Because of this, Bonny audited a New Testament course at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

The course was taught by well-known New Testament scholar Gordon Fee. Caleb watched the kids every Tuesday night, and when Bonny got home, she would share what she was learning.

The resurrection presented a stumbling block, and Bonny remembers she argued with God daily about this: How could it be true? One day, Bonny suspended the disbelief, telling God she would “go along with this and see what happens.” Soon after, she was filled with love for Jesus. She had no idea where that came from.

From then on, Caleb and Bonny dove deeply into Scripture in the form of Bible studies, and sought out scholarly resources to augment what they were reading.

Just as crucially, the couple was spending time with and around solid Christians from the seminary and Gordon College. This powerful triple combination deepened their faith and brought Caleb to a new understanding of the Gospel. “It moved from my head to my heart.”

Caleb remained at the Bank of Boston from 1971 to 1981, rising to the level of Vice President in the New England division. Caleb and Bonny were happy the job had brought them back to the Boston area, where they had deep roots; their families had lived in the area for generations. Caleb hails from one of the great Boston families, the Ayers.

Through the Ayer family, Caleb found an ideal way to transmit a meaningful legacy across the generations.

In 1982, he joined the Ayer Family Office/Essex Street

2015 :: christianunion.org

non-profits and committees of organizations that benefit his local community. Even with this paring down, he quips, “Bonny still thinks I do too much.”

The Lorings are key supporters of Christian Union at Dartmouth, and Caleb, a founding member of the Christian Union Dartmouth President’s Council, is a vital volunteer. For Dartmouth alumni, the council is the highest form of involvement in the ministry, helping to spread the word about Christian Union at Dartmouth and its impact on campus. “I felt it was important to support this type of Christian community on the Dartmouth campus,” he said. “Christian Union is the logical program for doing that.”

In addition to logic, he adds another urgent reason: bringing the Gospel to students. “Some Dartmouth undergrads come with minimal knowledge of Jesus Christ,” Caleb said, “and others are just curious.”

Sound theological teaching, one of the cornerstones of the Christian Union approach to ministry at intellectually rigorous campuses, is necessary for such students.

Caleb affirms this: “It is important to have this ministry at Dartmouth.”

In their family life, the Lorings have prioritized passing on a legacy of faith. Caleb and Bonny have two grown children and six grandchildren. Daughter Caitlyn and husband Greg have three children (14, 11, and 3 years old). Son Caleb Loring IV and his wife Mary-Stewart have three children (ages 3, 5, and 7).

He is a clinical psychologist and goes by “Dr. Cabe” to distinguish himself from his father and grandfather.

Caleb and Bonny are most thankful to God that the whole family is close to Jesus.

The Lorings’ love and compassion extend outward from the family to the wider world, from students at Dartmouth, to those struggling in their community. “I hope that God has used me to impact some,” Caleb reflects. “People come up to me sometimes and mention conversations we had about faith that impacted their life. Usually, I do not recall the conversation anymore, but to them it made a real difference.”

Bonny and Caleb know that being a faithful witness for Christ can be done through personal conversations like these, or hands-on helping, or supporting faith-based organizations. They happen to approach all fronts at once, trusting in the Lord to produce the legacy that matters the most: one that gives Him glory. | cu

fall

Associates as a full-time private trustee. Since then, he has been responsible for the daily operations of the family office, now called the 1911 Trust Co. Currently, he is deeply involved with Ayer family members and other families in their estate planning and investment objectives. The Ayer Family Office has grown over the years to serve four generations of Frederick Ayer’s descendants, including members of the family of General George Patton.

After coming to faith, it was Bonny’s turn to go back to school. She completed her BA at Gordon, the Christian college just miles down the road. From then on, both Bonny and Caleb have been involved in ministry of some sort. Bonny has served as a trustee of Gordon College since 1990. She founded an ecumenical Christian news magazine, Network News, which was distributed for 12 years in 143 churches on the North Shore.

She and Caleb hosted a number of Alpha courses in their home, church, and community. Incredibly, when the Lorings volunteered to put up a couple from New Hampshire for a New England Alpha Conference, God brought to their home the very man who donated the life-changing New Testament seminary course to the Rotary Club 25 years earlier!

The couple believes in volunteering their time and talents. Caleb observes, “Through involvement in the upper level of non-profit organizations, you can really make a difference as a volunteer.” He knows this from considerable experience. He applies his financial expertise as an active volunteer with a considerable number of non-profit institutions, such as the Salvation Army, YMCA, church, and others. He and Bonny were instrumental in the founding of Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church, Danvers, Massachusetts, where he was chairman of the finance committee and she served as director of communications. In addition, Caleb has been a trustee at Gordon-Conwell Seminary since 1999. Many Christian Union ministry fellows are Gordon-Conwell graduates, a detail Caleb finds encouraging, he says, because he knows “they are certainly welltrained in the Gospel!”

Given all his commitments, it’s not surprising that at one point in his life mentors counseled Caleb to “get your volunteer life under control.” They suggested ordering his priorities: “God, family, work, then volunteer activities,” by which he has committed to live. As a result, Caleb now only joins the boards of faith-based

33

city christian union

The Marketplace and Social Shalom NYCU Hosts Lecture by Anthony Bradley by catherine elvy, staff writer

christian union

::

the magazine

L

34

aboring in the marketplace is part of a divine calling. flects God’s integral design for people to be interconnected That was the message from scholar and theologian via families and communities.

Anthony Bradley when he spoke to a crowd of professionals Along those lines, vocational labors are key to maintainat a New York City Christian Union Forum this summer in ing a family’s well-being. “Work is central to the flourishing Midtown Manhattan. of family life,” Bradley said. “Work protects us Bradley, associate professor of religious studies from poverty.” at The King’s College in New York, told 50-plus Not surprisingly, unemployment and underattendees, including many young professionals employment correlate with elevated suicide rates, with ties to leading universities, to consider their he added. vocations as spiritual commissions during a lecAt a micro level, commercial endeavors create ture entitled The Marketplace and Social Shalom. opportunities for individuals to serve one another.

“The marketplace is the place of spreading “Charity and generosity come out of our capacity Anthony Bradley peace and human flourishing in civil society,” said to work,” Bradley said.

Bradley. “God takes delight in seeing human perOn a macro plane, the marketplace helps quell sons flourish, in seeing the entire creation flourish.” injustice by providing economic opportunities.

Essentially, God desires for the commercial are“The only long-term solution to poverty is susna to function as a vehicle to deliver shalom, or a tainable jobs. That is facilitated by job creation robust manifestation of peace, wholeness, delight, and development…” and prosperity, to mankind.

Along related lines, the marketplace also is “Businesses provide people opportunities to where science, technology, and other sectors conwork, and work is a sacred activity,” he said. verge to benefit mankind by elevating culture.

Bradley, director of The Center for the Study of Human “The marketplace is the place of spreading peace and civFlourishing at King’s, has published a series of books, inil flourishing in human society,” Bradley said. cluding Liberating Black Theology; Aliens in the Promised As young adults enter the workforce, they should conLand; and Black and Tired. sider themselves to be God’s special agents. In fact, believers Through his scholarship, Bradley readily proclaims that should cherish their vocational roles for opportunities to “God gave a duty for man to cultivate the earth. Work is contribute to societal good. actually good.”

“Christians are the kind of people who should wake up “It’s a norm of creation. It’s embedded into nature. It’s so and say, ‘Thank God, it’s Monday,’” Bradley said. “They much a part of nature that God instructs people to look at should make someone else’s life better.” the ants (Prov. 6:6).”

Ultimately, God delights in watching His creation flourMore poignantly, “Jesus was first known by His earthly ish. vocation. Jesus teaches that we should appreciate vocation.”

“This is something that pleases God dearly,” he said.

Bradley noted the link between work and creativity, and “God has a passion for people to do what they’re called to pointed out how all ages gain satisfaction from dreaming do…This is a derivative of being made in the image of a and building. Children enjoy being imaginative while playGod who worked for six days.” ing, especially with construction sets such as Legos and Likewise, business owners can view their entrepreneurblocks, he said. “Children unlock their potential to be creship as a divine mission. “As your business grows, you are ators. They’re happy because they’re creating.” providing opportunity.”

Not surprisingly, people thrive when they are actively enBefore concluding his appearance, Bradley told particgaged in vocational and personal endeavors. Furthermore, ipants, “God is going to use people like you to make the the commercial arena involves social interaction, which reworld a better place.” | cu

What’s Next...

Please pray for upcoming Christian Union events

7

december

18

january

New York City Benefit Event An evening of celebration in New York City to support the ministry of Christian Union in developing Christian leaders to transform culture.

Prayer and Fasting Initiative Christian Union Day and Night invites believers across the nation to pray and fast for 40 days. See www.

ChristianUnion.org/40 days to learn more.

New York City Christian Union Forum

20

january

New York City Christian Union will host a forum with Robert Louis Wilken, professor emeritus at the University of Virginia, where he was the William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of the History of Christianity. Dr. Wilken, chairman of the board at First Things, is the author of several books, including The Spirit of Early Christian Thought and The First Thousand Years: A Global History of Christianity. fall christianunion.org

Nexus, the Christian Union Conference on Faith & Action (formerly the Ivy League Congress on Faith & Action) will be held April 1-3 in New Haven, Connecticut.

::

april

2015

1

Nexus Conference

35

brown 37 columbia 41 cornell 45

christian union

::

the magazine

dar tmouth 47

36

harvard 5 0 penn 5 4 prince ton 5 7 ya l e 6 0

’17 and rachel mckee ’17

scott ortlip

at dartmouth

reports from some of america’s most influential universities

The Spiritual Climate on Campus The following articles were written to keep readers informed about the spiritual atmosphere at some of America’s leading universities. Some stories will encourage you by highlighting ways God is working through other (non-Christian Union) ministries and alumni. Other articles— on news, trends, and events—are included to help motivate you to pray for these institutions, their students, faculty, and staff, and for all of the Christian ministries that work at these schools. ......................................................................................

BROW N | On Campus

The Pain and Horror Of Abortion Training christianunion.org

ren Alpert Medical School, decided the public would benefit from hearing directly from physicians describing their experiences in the six-week rotation covering contraception, abortion, and miscarriage management.

In July, Obstetrics & Gynecology published Singer’s results in an article entitled “Four Residents’ Narratives on Abortion Training:

::

In response, however, a leading Christian medical organization cautioned residents to be alert to the agendas of some universities, and he urged pro-life proponents within the medical community to share readily their perspectives with their junior colleagues.

Janet Singer, an Ivy League alumna, midwife, and clinical teaching associate at Brown’s War-

2015

F

or medical residents in obstetrics-gynecology, abortion training can prompt deep soul searching.

That scenario was well illustrated when a Brown University clinical instructor and pro-choice advocate recently penned a disturbing article for a leading medical journal reflecting the divergent experiences of young doctors as they confronted the realities of abortion training.

fall

AR TI CLE S HOWS THE DE SPAIR S OME RE S IDE NT S E XPE RIE N CE

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

37

the spiritual climate on campus

A Residency Climate of Reflection, Support, and Mutual Respect.”

The account generated a splash of mostly supportive publicity in media outlets, as well as a horrified response from National Right to Life.

Likewise, to the director of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations, the report signaled the robust need for residents to seek out pro-life colleagues and hear biblical viewpoints during their training.

christian union

::

the magazine

A Brown University clinical instructor recently wrote about the divergent experiences of young doctors after abortion training.

38

“Church leaders should come alongside medical students and help them deal with the issues they face from a biblical perspective and, if large enough, organize support groups or [Sunday school] classes for health professional students addressing these issues,” said Dr. David Stearns, chief executive officer of the organization.

In Rhode Island, Singer readily described how she decided to form a support group for Brown residents on the heels of encountering a new doctor distraught after performing a late-term abortion immediately followed by an emergency C-section for a baby just a week further along.

“She needed to talk about how

overwhelming it felt to try to decide where the cusp of life was, why it was okay to take one fetus/baby out of the womb so it wouldn’t live and one out so it might,” Singer told WBUR FM 90.9.

Singer, president of the board of the Abortion Access Project, earned a master of science in nursing from Yale University in 1991 and holds undergraduate degrees from Columbia and Harvard universities.

Singer’s article grew out of the deep conversations residents had with their mentors.

Brown’s program expects residents to counsel patients about pregnancy options and to provide pre-abortion and port-abortion care. Likewise, most residents who opt out of abortion training participate in observational experience at a clinic.

In response to Singer’s literature, Stearns warned that Brown appears to be practicing so-called desensitization therapy on residents.

“By exposing them to every aspect of the abortion, except doing it, and requiring their participation in pre-abortion counseling and post-abortion counseling, they essentially take residents opposed to abortion down the classical slope from opposition, to toleration, to participation, and then to doing the abortion themselves, while telling them that it is the professional, compassionate, and expected thing to do,” Stearns said.

Stearns also noted that federal law forbids a resident from being compelled to perform an abortion.

As for Singer’s article, two of the featured residents opted to undergo full abortion training and two declined. Here are some of the more thought-provoking excerpts from

the residents’ narratives: Resident No. 1 (opted out): “If my first task as a physician is to do no harm, how can I justify harming a fetus?”

“Since opting out, I have realized that my line of thinking has been feto-centric at best and over-intellectualized at worst. Nonetheless, in the absence of a clear moral understanding of abortion, I can only do no harm…”

“I realize through conversations with co-residents that providing abortions does not come easily or naturally to most providers… As someone who entered obstetrics and gynecology because of the opportunities to empower women, I find myself feeling guilty that I cannot get over what increasingly seems to be a theoretical suspicion that life as seen on a two-dimensional ultrasound scan represents actual life.”

Resident No. 2: “After my first morning of early abortions, we performed an 18-week termination.

Seeing the fetus on the ultrasound scan and then watching it while we did the procedure really shook me to the core. I thought maybe I had made the wrong choice, and I could not stop thinking about what my family would think if they knew what I had done...”

Resident No. 3: “I would love to live in a world where no abortions were needed… Although I might not always understand an individual woman’s choices, if she feels that she cannot be a parent for whatever reason, I will support her in that decision. I see little role for my personal values in the shared decision-making process.”

Resident No. 4 (opted out). “I am a born-again Christian, and I

believe life begins at conception…”

“I realize that not providing terminations does not make me a ‘bad’ ob-gyn… It makes me, well, me: a unique human who has her own passions, beliefs, struggles, and decisions. I also feel that being true

to myself and unwavering in my beliefs makes me a better, more honest, and relatable physician.”

In a commentary for National Right to Life News Today, editor Dave Andrusko was struck by how loudly some of the residents’ con-

sciences roared during their abortion training.

“We glean fascinating insights from young doctors, and especially how they wrestled their consciences into submission,” Andrusko wrote. | cu

.......................................................................................

BROW N | On Campus

Summer Reading: Desiring God CHRIS TIAN JO URNAL E XHOR T S S TUDE NT S

By Eileen Scott, Senior Writer

T

Evangelism: How the Whole Church Speaks of Jesus, by J. Mack Stiles; and More Than a Carpenter, by Josh McDowell.

:: christianunion.org

The first selection was Desiring God, which, according to Piper, seeks to “persuade you that the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever.”

Chuan writes, “Desiring God is

2015

Cornerstone Magazine ran a series of book reviews designed to encourage students to seek God in the summer months.

an attempt to persuade the Christian of the author’s view of Christian Hedonism. Yes, hedonism. The view is simple, yet shattering – God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. Piper is of the firm belief that God beckons us to pursue pleasure in Him. Friends, I invite you to explore the refreshing and remarkable perspective that is Christian Hedonism.

In Evangelism: How the Whole Church Speaks of Jesus, Stiles warns against following the latest fads when it comes to outreach and encourages a more holistic approach to sharing the Good News. In his review, Chuan notes that “God plants seeds of the Gospel in our hearts in mysterious ways and we must acknowledge His sovereignty in doing so.”

It was fitting that Bonhoeffer’s classic, Life Together, was recommended reading for this community of college students who desired to stay close to the Lord over the summer break, intellectually and spiritually.

“Let him who cannot be alone beware of community... Let him who is not in community beware

fall

his summer, Cornerstone Magazine, a Christian journal produced by students at Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design, encouraged readers to explore a cross-section of books designed to challenge and inspire.

From How (Not) to Be Secular (by James Smith) to How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth (by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart), the offerings featured on the magazine’s blog addressed different aspects of faith from a variety of perspectives.

In his introduction to the book series, Cornerstone Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Chuan, Brown ’18, exhorted students to spend their time wisely in the summer months away from campus and its community of believers.

“Let the break from school not be a break from our Father in heaven,” he wrote.

Other reviewed books included: Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist, by John Piper; Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer; The Gospel,

by Ray Ortlund; Is That Really You, God? by Loren Cunningham;

39

the spiritual climate on campus

of being alone... Each by itself has profound perils and pitfalls,” wrote Bonhoeffer. “One who wants fellowship without solitude plunges into the void of words and feelings, and the one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity, self-infatuation, and despair.”

And there was no “void of words”

“Let the break from school not be a break from our Father in heaven.” this summer for Cornerstone readers who were intent on seeking God with classics from Bonhoeffer and McDowell or via a contemporary book on evangelism.

—Nicholas Chuan, Brown ’18 “The idea was to encourage our readers to soak themselves in Gospel-centered literature this summer,” said Chuan. | cu

.......................................................................................

christian union

::

the magazine

b r o w n ne w s - in - b r ie f

40

Brown Alumna Joins Chi Alpha at Yale

Herald Apologizes for Racist Articles

Nia Campinha-Bacote, Brown ’15, is serving as a campus missionary associate with Chi Alpha (www. xayale.com) at Yale University. Campinha-Bacote is responsible for organizing campus outreach events and mentoring students on a weekly basis.

“I partook in this [type] of outreach during my time at Brown, and though there wasn’t a life-changing conversation with every student with whom I interacted, there were definitely moments when our kindness and conversations caused students to stop and think about faith,” said Campinha-Bacote.

For nearly a year, race relations and social justice issues have been at the forefront of discussions on college campuses. The Brown Daily Herald recently found itself on the defensive and made a public apology for running two opinion columns that contained racist content and upset African American and Asian organizations and students.

The newspaper published “The White Privilege of Cows,” which relied on the incorrect notion that biological differences exist between races, while “Columbian Exchange Day” claimed that Native Americans should be thankful for colonialism.

Recent alumna Nia Campinha-Bacote ’15 is now serving as a campus missionary associate at Yale for this academic year.

.......................................................................................

COLU M B I A | On Campus

Pope’s Visit Energizes Columbia Catholics S T U D E N T S AT T E N D H I S T O R I C M A S S AT M A D I S O N S Q UA R E G A R D E N

By Luke Foster, Columbia ’15

F

2015 :: christianunion.org

onymity and alienation where peo- pel has always had its enemies.”

O’Reilly said that the Church’s ple wander without love, but the living presence of Christ, embodied teachings on sexual ethics draw in His people, can transform and anger and frustration from many students, even as he mentioned redeem the darkness.

In addition to delighting in serv- his wish that Pope Francis would ing in a historic ceremony, O’Reilly speak more clearly to the sanctity of was glad to see in the Pope’s visit an marriage and life. “He’s been much opportunity for spiritual growth in his students, especially the thirty who won tickets to events on the Pope’s itinerary.

The events also made it much easier “to have a conversation with Catholics who otherwise aren’t that engaged with their faith.” The outpour- Columbia University students pose with a cardboard cutout of ing of warmth even Pope Francis. from secular students, O’Reilly said, reflected the more reticent than his predecessors fact that Francis is “a world leader on hot-button issues—he didn’t and a celebrity, but also a spiritu- speak that much about God in the al leader. World leaders, heads of address to Congress.”

O’Reilly sympathized with constate, come to Columbia all the time and don’t even necessarily fill servative Catholics who have “some concerns that the Pope is playing to up the room.”

Students with Columbia Catho- the crowd, emphasizing the social lic Ministry (www.columbiacatho- issues on which the Church and lic.org) held an event in which they popular culture agree,” but stressed asked their peers to express their the need to trust God’s providential opinion of the Pope. “At Columbia, guidance through this papacy.

Jason Reid, Columbia ’17, atyou have intellectually curious people, you get hard questions,” said tended the Madison Square Garden O’Reilly, Princeton ’97. “Students Mass and called it “otherworldly.” asked about the Pope’s statements Reid said that he shared with Franon forgiveness and abortion. And cis an abiding concern for the marof course, the message of the Gos- ginalized and excluded in society, “a

fall

r. Daniel O’Reilly, the pastor of Corpus Christi Church in Manhattan and the chaplain of Columbia Catholic Ministry, oversaw the preparation of the vestments and other liturgical objects for Pope Francis’ visit to New York City in September.

His role as sacristan helped produce a ceremony that was “dignified, with very few glitches.” O’Reilly took particular pride in the fact that several objects from his own parish were used. The Pope’s cap, which he removed during the consecration of the Eucharist, was put onto a tray used for the water and wine at St. Paul’s Chapel on campus. The white electric candles, used to indicate where the Eucharist was kept, were also from St. Paul’s.

On September 25, Pope Francis celebrated Mass at Madison Square Garden with almost 20,000 people in attendance. It was the first time a Bishop of Rome had consecrated the Eucharist in New York City since Pope Benedict’s visit to Yankee Stadium in 2008, when O’Reilly also served as sacristan.

New York City was the middle stop on the Pope’s itinerary during his visit to the United States, following his remarks to Congress in Washington and preceding his address to the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. His sermon at Madison Square Garden focused on the text of Isaiah 9:1: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” Francis emphasized that cities can be places of great an-

41

the spiritual climate on campus

compassion, sadness, and a burning sense of injustice.” But Reid found it disorienting to have his Catholic

faith so much the center of public adulation in apparently secular New York.

“This is the high-water mark of American Catholicism,” Reid reflected. | cu

.......................................................................................

COLU M B I A | On Campus

Introducing Patrice E. Turner

COLUMBIA ALUMNA IS A GOSPEL MUSIC AMBASSADOR

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

christian union

::

the magazine

A

42

globe-trotting gospel music vocalist has landed for a beat in New York City, not far from her beloved alma mater of Columbia University and where she debuted an extended-play set.

Earlier this year, Patrice Turner, Ed.M. ’06, Ed.D. ’09, released her solo album, Introducing Patrice E. Turner, which includes the composition “The City Called Heaven.”

In July, the Gospel Music Workshop of America featured the song during its New Music Seminar, and Turner put together an ensemble of vocalists and musicians for an energetic performance in New Orleans.

“Gospel music is a music of hope, inspiration, and the good news of Jesus Christ,” Turner said.

“The City Called Heaven” reminds listeners that “we have another place, another home that Jesus has prepared for us,” said Turner, who penned the song in 2006 as well as another, “What Love,” after the death of her beloved father.

When Turner is not jetting across the country – or to international destinations – to perform and promote gospel music, the accomplished classical and jazz pianist and soprano vocalist is serving as artist-in-residence at First Corinthian Baptist Church near Morningside Park in Upper

Manhattan. As a co-leader of the church’s music ministry, Turner regularly sings during worship, directs several choirs, and plays piano every Sunday, a job that allows her to inter-

Patrice Turner, Columbia Ed.M. ’06, Ed.D. ’09

act with students, staff, and alumni from nearby Columbia.

Notably, Turner has been a gospel favorite in Harlem and across New York since her arrival more than a decade ago. The Patrice E. Turner Quartet performed in The Apollo Theater in 2013 as part of a celebration of the 125th anniversary of Columbia’s Teachers College.

Turner’s church choir appeared

at the Apollo as part of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce’s Black History Month and Super Bowl 2014 salute to jazz and gospel.

A few months later, she performed with Broadway Inspirational Voices at Carnegie Hall for a New York Pops gala.

In 2012, Turner also served as an accompanist, soloist, and choir director for Extra’s tribute to the late Whitney Houston. Earlier, she appeared on an episode of Sesame Street as an accompanist with the children’s jazz organization WeBop! But Turner’s passport is never far from reach and its pages bear witness to her many stops across Europe, South America, and Africa.

Turner has performed with ensembles, including the Harlem Jubilee Singers, in top concert halls all over the world. As well, she runs gospel music clinics on behalf of several national organizations, efforts that have taken her to far-away churches and conventions.

Late January took Turner to Sweden, where she served as the guest American director for the Stockholm Gospel Association.

The Ohio native directed concerts, led workshops, and taught master classes, with American gospel at the heart of all of them.

Though many of the participants were not Christians, “they love the music,” Turner said. “It gave them an opportunity to hear the Word of God, but without it being a preaching moment. I was able to share what God has done in my life.”

Turner ventured to Sweden days after releasing Introducing Patrice E. Turner, which features three original works and two in the public domain.

The preacher’s kid grew up immersed in a household full of faith and music. Part of her extended-play set is a tribute to the elder Turner, who served as pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio, for 41 years.

“God has been the center of my life from birth,” said Patrice Turner.

“God made it clear to me what He

needed me to do for the kingdom.”

Not surprisingly, Turner’s dissertation at Columbia was entitled Mentoring Music Educators in Gospel Music Pedagogy in the Classroom.

Turner put many of the principles at the heart of her research into practice behind Columbia’s iconic iron gates. From 2004 to 2009, she worked for Columbia’s Teachers College, where she observed student teachers, advised graduate students, and recruited talent for the music education program.

“Music education was always a part of me,” said Turner. “Students can have difficulties in their core-subject areas. The arts give students an opportunity to put things together.”

Since 2005, Turner has taught jazz improvisation via WeBop!, an

early childhood jazz education collaborative of Columbia University and Lincoln Center. But Turner’s life focus remains on promoting the spirited rhythms and inspiration of gospel music. In 2016, she plans to return to the studios to record a full solo album.

“I try to inspire people to know you can do anything God has placed in you to do,” she said. “The kingdom is definitely in need of people doing what they are designed to do.”

As such, Turner is especially upbeat as she welcomes new opportunities to fulfill her divine commission.

“God does everything divinely and in His time,” she noted. “Doors keep opening. God places the right people in my life at the right time.” | cu

....................................................................................... c o l u m b ia ne w s - in - b r ie f

Ministry Hosts Representative from Global Missions Program

Chaplain’s Office Sponsors Organ Recitals

christianunion.org

students, the university organist, organists from local churches, and a special guest performance by the Columbia Bach Society. The recital series is sponsored by the Office of the University Chaplain.

::

St Paul’s Chapel at Columbia is playing host to an Organ Recital Series taking place throughout the fall semester.

2015

St. Paul’s Chapel at Columbia is hosting an Organ Recital Series through the fall semester. The recitals are particularly special since they will feature the recently restored Aeolian-Skinner Pipe Organ, which was originally built in 1938 and considered one of the finest examples of American organ building in the 20th century.

Musicians for the series include

fall

A campus ministry for Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterians recently held a dinner to allow students to hear from a recent participant in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Young Adults in Global Mission program in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

“LaMP,” a ministry community for students in Morningside Heights, held the dinner in October at a restaurant near Columbia University in Upper Manhattan. The speaker, Michael Dickson, served at

Mahaba Kindergarten in Jerusalem. Young Adults in Global Mission targets men and women, ages 21 to 29, to pursue a year of international service.

43

the spiritual climate on campus

COR N E LL | On Campus

Unicycling for Justice CORNELL ALUMNUS CONQUERS THE GREAT DIVIDE

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

christian union

::

the magazine

A

44

fter graduating from Cornell University, Adam Gianforte trekked to the Rocky Mountains for the dual mission of fulfilling a post-college adventure and raising awareness and funds to combat the global commercial sex trade.

In July, the linguistics major began his quest to conquer the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route to raise funds for International Justice Mission. However, Gianforte took on the rugged terrain via a unicycle.

“I just graduated college back in May, and I needed kind of an adventure. This gives me a chance to talk about something that I care about, like human trafficking,” said Gianforte told ABCFoxMontana.com.

Gianforte, also an aspiring actor, pedaled his way from Canada to New Mexico via a solo wheel for the global cause. Not surprisingly, the trip generated both attention on the trail and splashes of publicity in local media outlets.

“Because the unicycle is different and catches peoples’ eyes and is interesting, it allows me to get attention and kind of divert it to human trafficking,” Gianforte told Colorado’s Steamboat Today.

The pathway, which stretches from Banff, in the Canadian province of Alberta, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, is the world’s longest mountain biking route. At 2,750plus miles, the pathway follows the Continental Divide.

Gianforte dealt with some 200,000 feet of elevation gains and

losses before completing the journey in early October.

“It’s been really amazing how God has provided for me,” said Gianforte.

“It has strengthened my faith.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Austin Colbert/Steamboard Today

After graduating from Cornell University in the spring, Adam Gianforte took on the rugged terrain of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route via a unicycle to fulfill a postcollege adventure and to raise funds for International Justice Mission.

Gianforte, a Montana native, said he readily took on the quest to benefit International Justice Mission and its “super heroes” who attempt to rescue some of the two million children in the commercial sex trade and 36 million people enslaved in forced labor.

Gianforte told the newspaper that

trafficking victims often reside in regions where law enforcement officials give limited assistance. As such, raising money for an organization that aims to strengthen the criminal justice system in remote countries seemed liked a worthy cause.

Ultimately, Gianforte aims to generate $10,000 for International Justice Mission, and he is continuing his efforts via media interviews and his fundraising site: www.crowdrise.com/unicycle.

As for International Justice Mission, Gary Haugen, Harvard ’85, founded the organization after investigating genocide in Rwanda as a senior trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice. Since 1997, Haugen has devoted his professional energies to seeking justice for oppressed individuals via his Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit.

For Gianforte’s solo venture, the accomplished backpacker traveled lightly, merely bringing a tent, sleeping bag, and a limited amount of supplies.

A handful of athletes have taken on the Great Divide trail via unicycle, though most cyclists employ sophisticated mountain bikes. Of the unicyclists, one reportedly completed the trail in less than 77 days.

Gianforte’s favorite aspect of the venture was simply encountering people along the way, and his unicycle served as an ideal conversation piece.

“I’ve been amazed by how much hospitality I’ve experienced on this

route,” Gianforte told Steamboat Today. “The unicycle, in many ways, breaks down barriers with people, because people want to know more…”

When the opportunity presented itself, the devout believer even offered prayer and explained Christ’s profound love and plan for mankind. “I’ve had some amazing experiences where I’ve met some people having some tough times,” he said.

At a personal level, Gianforte also took advantage of opportunities for spiritual reflection along the numerous picturesque vistas.

At Cornell, Gianforte was involved with Chesterton House and Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship.

He plans to eventually pursue a master of fine arts, most likely in New York City or Chicago.

Gianforte credits his folks for some of the contagious courage that fueled his trip. “My parents are pretty adventurous themselves and tend to be big thinkers,” Gianforte told Steamboat Today. “It wasn’t too hard for me just to go for it.”

Along the way, Gianforte even briefly met up with his father, Greg Gianforte, an entrepreneur who is considered a potential contender for Montana’s governorship, according to the Independent Record.

Gianforte, who started unicycling a decade ago, mostly averaged

40 to 50 miles per day, depending on terrain and weather conditions.

He described the venture as physically intense, but surprisingly pleasant, especially in terms of the “society detox.” At times, “I won’t listen to anything. The rides just kind of engross me,” Gianforte told Steamboat Today.

As Gianforte entered the final weeks of his trek, the Cornell alumnus reflected on the quest as the greatest outdoor adventure of his youth.

“It’s been a really great trip, especially in the amount of time I’ve spent with others cycling,” he said.

“It’s been very challenging and demanding, but really rewarding.” | cu

.......................................................................................

COR N E LL | On Campus

Intercession for Ignition CORNELL STUDENTS UNITE FOR MORNING PRAYER

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

A

:: christianunion.org

tiple campuses.

At the Cornell House of Prayer, students often launch their gatherings by asking God for specific direction.

“We get into the presence of God and wait to hear what He has to say and pray into that,” said John Lopez, ’16, a student leader from Syracuse, New York.

In mid-September, Cornell students added a second location for intercession, this one across campus in Collegetown.

Stan Matusz, an attorney and area minister who oversees the Cornell House of Prayer, described the daily meetings as an “unplanned, Spirit-led combination of worship, sharing the Word, intercession, communion outreach, and fellowship or koinonia.”

2015

vival is not just a good idea. It’s not a dream. It’s actually a lot of work.”

Bae began working with students at campuses across the Northeast after arriving in Connecticut for graduate studies and developing a rapidly expanding following for her inspirational, prophetic messages via Facebook.

The native of Seoul and mother of two children, ages 5 and 1, now terms herself a traveling evangelist.

“This is a critical generation,” she said. “They are calling forth their divine destiny.”

At Cornell, the students coordinate their prayer efforts via a Facebook page entitled Cornell Kindle.

Also, Bae maintains a separate Facebook page to provide daily spiritual enrichment to students across mul-

fall

group of Cornell University students is dedicating their mornings to pray fervently for revival to ignite their campus.

Since August 24, the students, ranging in number from six to several dozen, have gathered regularly to intercede for a powerful spiritual outpouring to sweep across their university. The students convene between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. daily, except on Sundays, at the Cornell House of Prayer on Thurston Avenue in Ithaca.

The impetus for the earnest prayer sessions came on August 23 when a group of students met with Song-hee Bae, a Yale Divinity School student and minister from South Korea.

“My whole passion is for the next generation and revival,” said Bae. “Re-

45

the spiritual climate on campus As a result of tangible unity, Cornell’s community of believers is “experiencing a ‘revival,’ and I believe we’ll soon see the Lord adding daily to those being saved,” said Matusz, Cornell ’93 and Penn Law ’96.

Bae, who is pursuing a master of arts in religion at Yale, has a heart to seek God for a divine rebirth at influential campuses in the Northeast.

“A lot of these universities were founded upon raising up Christian

christian union

::

the magazine

A group of Cornell University students, inspired by Yale Divinity School student Song-hee Bae (above), are faithfully gathering for prayer each day.

46

leaders,” said Bae, who attended Northfield Mount Hermon, a Massachusetts boarding school started by evangelist and publisher D.L. Moody.

Likewise, a key element of Bae’s work with undergraduates involves teaching them to welcome and experience supernatural movements of God, alongside core discipleship.

As a critical element of such efforts, Bae and her husband travel to universities, where they walk and pray across campuses with students.

In turn, groups of Cornellians also have organized prayer walks. They even prayed over each of the area’s major bridges, which are known as

spots for suicide attempts.

Bae senses the prayers of previous generations of students are paying off.

“Some people have paid the price for revival at Cornell before we came,” Bae said. “God is blessing their obedience.”

James Palmer ’16, a key leader in the movement, echoed those comments, noting his colleagues already are experiencing fruit and some are seizing opportunities to share their faith.

“Early on in the prayer meetings, we felt led to repentance, individually and corporately. As we repented, the atmosphere at Cornell changed,” said Palmer, an information science major. “Many have experienced more receptiveness than they ever have at Cornell.”

As such, “it is greatly encouraging that God is moving. We are so blessed by the work of the intercessors at Cornell,” said Palmer. “I believe both that revival is already here and that the body must labor for it to come to fruition. So, we pray.”

“It’s really been awesome,” said Lopez. “We’ve seen a lot of really good things come up. People are being more receptive to the gospel.”

As well, believers are demonstrating tangible acts of kindness while praying for their classmates to experience personal healing and hear from God. “Revival has to come from the mouth of God, not from anything we have to offer,” said Lopez. “We’re a bunch of unqualified people who got together and started worshipping a God who is worthy.”

“I really believe this is about global revival. I believe the Third Great Awakening is coming,” Bae said.

“America has to play a key role in global revival.” | cu

c o r ne l l ne w s - in - b r ie f

Graduate Christian Fellowship Lecture Focuses on Creation Care Chesterton House Senior Scholar Dr. Ryan O’Dowd was the featured speaker for the Graduate Christian Fellowship Roundtable on October 24.

The event took place at the Big Dr. Ryan O’Dowd Red Barn and was preceded by a potluck dinner, where O’Dowd engaged in conversation with attendees.

The lecture, which focused on creation care, explored the biblical context, not only through Genesis, but through other less familiar scriptural references. O’Dowd addressed the roundtable on awakening from apathy and neglect of caring for man’s common home and guarding against “our tendency to anthropocentric hubris.”

International Christian Fellowship Over the past 20 years, international students, scholars, and professionals have been blessed to participate in a ministry at Cornell that has impacted people from nearly 100 countries. Cornell International Christian Fellowship (CICF), hosted

by Bethel Grove Bible Church, features weekly dinners and small group discussions to both seekers and believers. Additionally, CICF hosts Bible studies and Monday evening prayer meetings.

D A R T M OU T H | On Campus

Pride: A Reevaluation

By Macy Ferguson, Dartmouth ’16 Editor’s note: The following story is reprinted with permission from the Dartmouth Apologia: A Journal of Christian Thought (www.dartmouthapologia.org).

W

above those of the people I grew up with simply because society says that the branding of my school means that I am automatically a premier individual. As Lewis hypothesizes, when I am called out for being prideful, I find it impossible to see and consider the root of my actions rather than defend my position. It is only when I reflect and take in passages such as his, as well as those in the Bible that remind me of the magnitude of pride that I can detect the ways in which it has infected my behavior.

Last semester, pride made some

We are taught at an early age that acceptance into an elite school merits pride. After working so hard to get where we are, it becomes easy to rely on the name alone and convince ourselves that we rightfully deserve to be where we are.

:: christianunion.org

people hostile towards changes that Dartmouth strived to make in an effort to improve students’ experience on campus. As Dartmouth tried to recognize and rectify serious and harmful occurrences, many cried out in protest out of fear of the institution’s name being tarnished. Regardless of one’s opinion of the campus climate and subsequent actions, it was interesting that image protection emerged as a popular response. This same phenomenon can occur within ourselves when our bad behavior is pointed out—we rush to dispel the rumors for fear of our own reputation without considering the well-being of our souls. We can be so eager to project an image of self-assuredness

2015

ourselves that we rightfully deserve to be where we are.

Personally, I have a renewed sense of mindfulness of how my identity as a Dartmouth student can lead to undetected pride. I come from a small, rural Southern town where unemployment is rampant and not many people are afforded the same opportunities with which I have been blessed. Therefore, when I return home for the holidays, I try to be mindful of how I talk about my school and my experiences because in juxtaposition to the environment at home, it can very easily be construed that I consider myself “too good” for home. And I do often catch myself elevating my experiences and choices

fall

hen we imagine sin, we see images of murder, deception, sexual immorality, drunkenness, and the like. These more accessible vices often overshadow the gravity of subtler and less tangible sins. I was recently reminded by C.S. Lewis that pride is a very prominent, but covert, sin which we frequently fail to adequately fear. In Mere Christianity, he even goes so far as to say that pride is the “essential vice, the utmost evil.”

The concept behind this accusation is that pride is a mindset from which many bad behaviors follow.

This is a key distinction that C.S. Lewis makes between the more transparent sins that we spend our energies fussing over and the abstract sins that cannot be so clearly exhibited; the first can be categorized as individual behaviors, while the second are mindsets and internal conditions from which behaviors follow.

“Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind,” writes Lewis.

According to him, pride is a particularly wide gateway to other sinful behaviors because there is no end game.

For someone who is prideful never realizes his own vanity and therefore believes there is always more that can

be done to boost his or her image.

While I think a discussion on a shift of focus to the whole category of invisible sins is much needed, I believe a discussion of the dangers of pride is particularly relevant to our audience.

As students of an Ivy League institution, we, at Dartmouth, are often told by our families, our professors, our peers, and society at large to be proud of ourselves. We are taught at an early age that acceptance into an elite school merits pride. After working so hard to get where we are, it becomes easy to rely on the name alone and convince

47

the spiritual climate on campus

that we let bad habits eat away at us for the sake of saving face.

All of this is not to say that we should berate ourselves, fail to accept praise, or not pat ourselves on the back every once in a while. Rather, it is a

gentle reminder of pride’s ability to sneak into our minds and lives unnoticed. It is a reminder to be vigilant and protect ourselves not only from the sins that are easily manifested, but also from those that exist hidden in

plain sight. It is a reminder to truly examine one’s motives before according bad behavior to something more trivial or excusable. If sin were easy to detect and correct, we would not find it so inescapable. | cu

.....................................................................................

D A R T M OU T H | On Campus

First Night

MINIS TRIE S UNITE TO WELCOME FRE SHMEN

By Eileen Scott, Senior Writer

S

Skye Herrick ’17 said students often come to Dartmouth feeling as if they are the only Christians on campus. Dartmouth, she said, is known more for fraternities and sororities than a Christian community. However, “First Night shows there are students interested in Christian life and that there is a very vibrant, diverse community of Christian students here.”

There are more than a dozen ministries at Dartmouth, plus wor-

christian union

::

the magazine

tudents involved in coordinating First Night at Dartmouth are hoping to leave a lasting impression on freshmen this fall.

Held the first night after classes start, the event brings together several campus ministries, as well as members of local churches in the Hanover, New Hampshire area. Together, they are able to interact with new students and introduce them to Dartmouth’s Christian organizations and related activities.

48

First Night at Dartmouth was one of the ways campus ministries reached out to students this fall.

ship services and programs offered by local churches. For some students, it can be unsettling to decide where they will thrive in their faith, but being able to mingle with ministry representatives, listen to speakers, and explore what these organizations have to offer helps make the transition easier for freshmen.

At First Night, Rev. Norm Koop, the teaching elder/pastor of First Congregational Church in Woodstock, Vermont, spoke about the importance of commitment and going deep with one another. He expressed his hope that the campus ministries wouldn’t just be places to socialize, but would foster growth and discipleship. At the conclusion of the night, which included worship and networking among the attendees, a group of students walked together to the 24/7 prayer room, which is located just off campus.

Herrick, a member of the a cappella group X.ado and Agape Christian Fellowship, is one of the coordinators of First Night. Building relationships and having a mentor is crucial for freshmen and young believers, she said.

“I do see people drift away from

the Christian community,” Herrick said.

Because the fall semester is a busy time of exploration and activity for freshmen, Herrick said it is important to be in touch with them early on. Their faith is often the product of their home life and family culture, she noted. Campus Christian communities help freshmen figure out how to make their faith their own.

“It’s important to have them meet wonderful, loving students on the first day of school and bring them into community,” said Herrick.

Therefore, she invests her time and her own ministry experience

Building unity among the body of Christ at Dartmouth is a top priority for Skye Herrick ’17, who helped coordinate First Night on campus.

in helping freshmen find a spiritual home on campus. Herrick also seeks to foster healthy relationships between the ministries, and made that clear when she spoke at the freshmen event.

“In my welcoming remarks at First Night, I really wanted to emphasize that all of us, as a community, will celebrate wherever these students end up,” she said.

At First Night, Herrick exhorted the freshmen to find a place where they would feel connected to community.

“What every single ministry here wants is that you find people who support you and challenge you in your walk with God,” she said. | cu

“First Night shows there are students interested in Christian life and that there is a very vibrant, diverse community of Christian students here.”

—Skye Herrick, Dartmouth ’17 ....................................................................................... d a r tm o u th ne w s - in - b r ie f

Veritas Forum Examines Racism, Anger, Forgiveness

...........................

::

Christian Union’s Social Media Links: Twitter.com/ChristianUnion

christianunion.org

On September 10, Dartmouth College observed World Suicide Prevention Day by encouraging students to learn how to be a lifeline to a friend who is suffering.

The college promoted a movement sponsored by The National Council for Suicide Prevention, “Take 5 To Save Lives.”

The initiative encourages students

2015

‘Take 5 to Save Lives’

and adults to learn how they can reach out to someone who is in danger—from simply asking if another is okay, to recognizing the signs of depression and suicide.

fall

“I’m not a racist. Why should I care that black lives matter?”

That was the question raised during a discussion on anger and forgiveness at the Veritas Forum held at Dartmouth October 29 at Cook Auditorium.

Presenters for the thoughtprovoking discourse were Cullen Buie, assistant professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and

Stephon Alexander, associate professor in natural sciences, physics, and astronomy at Dartmouth.

49

Facebook.com/Christian.Union

the spiritual climate on campus

H A RVA RD | On Campus

A Marketplace Church LO C AL C O N G R E G ATI O N ME E T S IN HARVAR D S Q UAR E S TAR B U C K S

By Eileen Scott, Senior Writer

I

n the upper room of the Starbucks on Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, believers meet on Sundays amidst the whir of espresso machines and the wafting aroma of freshly ground coffee. Each cup of brew is paired with a blend of Christian hospitality and the bold richness of the Gospel.

These Christians are the mem-

toward the heart of campus and the souls of students. And Gleason doesn’t wait for them to come.

Rather, he and his team step into their world, in places like Starbucks, to connect and love them with the truth that can change lives.

“This is the place that God has called us to stand, reach, and dis-

PHOTO CREDIT: f11photo/Shutterstock.com

christian union

::

the magazine

Revolution Church holds services at the Starbucks in Harvard Square.

50

bers of Revolution Church, a local body with a passion to bring the Good News to Harvard students and the surrounding community.

Without a building of its own, members of Revolution Church are seeking “to be the church” in Harvard Square.

“We feel that God has called us to be a marketplace church. We are striving to be the Church everywhere we go,” said Pastor Chris Gleason.

As a “church on the move,” Revolution is making a trajectory

ciple the nations to transform the world. We believe that ‘transformed lives, transform culture,’ ” Gleason said, referring to the importance of student outreach.

Being a church without walls puts Revolution Church in a unique position to engage students amidst their busy lifestyles. For the past two summers, the church has also met Sunday mornings in a plaza outside the Science Center on campus. It was an experience the pastor described as “amazing.”

But when the chill of the New England fall appeared, the church met at Starbucks, immersed among patrons and students. In this environment, Revolution Church—a member of the Foursquare denomination—has a very organic feel; those sitting nearby may come and join the gathering, and others could simply remove an earbud to hear the Word of God being shared.

“Because we are in the marketplace, we have people attend our church every Sunday that had no idea they were going to church,” Gleason said. “Seeing it all happen in a casual setting where everyone is involved gives many people a very different picture of church.”

Getting everyone involved is intentional. “There are no spectators,” Gleason said. Each week, different leaders and attendees facilitate the various teaching and small group components of the service.

Additionally, members pray for one another and allow the Holy Spirit to speak through them. They also study God’s Word in community and spend time sharing joys and sorrows.

The mission of Revolution Church “is to encourage and challenge people to hear, listen, and obey Jesus.”

And the mission continues, whether members meet outside in a plaza on a summer day or in the upper room around a warm cup of coffee on a cold Sunday morning. | cu

H A RVA RD | On Campus

John Harvard

T H E B R I E F L I F E O F A P U R I TA N P H I L A N T H R O P I S T: 1 6 0 7 -1 6 3 8

By Conrad Edick Wright Editor’s note: The following article originally appeared in Harvard Magazine.

Reprinted with permission.

J

2015 :: christianunion.org

a temporary halt at the end of the parish school’s course of study. At this point he was probably apprenticed to a master to learn a practical calling—one of his brothers was a London cloth worker.

London was the place to get ahead in early Stuart England.

Ambitious men and women came by the tens of thousands, bringing not only their aspirations, but also disease. Harvard was the fourth of nine children, but after his father, a stepsister, and two brothers died of the plague in the summer of 1625, only his mother and one brother, Thomas, remained of his immediate family. They shared a comfortable estate that grew and grew again when Katherine Harvard remarried twice within the next two years.

There was a silver lining for Harvard in his family’s tragic losses: the deaths increased each survivor’s inheritance. With the money that became available to him, he resumed his education in December 1627, when he entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he PHOTO CREDIT: Phil Anema paid his own way. NothGrammar schools sent many of ing in his own words indicates why their brightest students directly to he chose Emmanuel, but in itself the realm’s two ancient universities, his selection was a statement of his Oxford and Cambridge, but John purposes. Puritans had established Harvard’s formal education came to the college in 1584 to train their

fall

ohn Harvard’s name is so familiar that it may come as a surprise to learn how much of a man of mystery he is. Most graduates of the university that bears his name know that no picture or physical description of him survives, so it is impossible to know what he looked like. But consider this further catalog of lacunae: no surviving record documents the date of his birth, ordination, or arrival in Massachusetts; there is no way to be certain why he went to college, entered the Puritan ministry, or emigrated to the New World; nor is there any way to be sure why he bequeathed the bulk of his estate to a small college that welcomed its first students barely days or weeks before he died. Thanks to this bequest, John Harvard eventually became the most famous member of Puritan New England’s first generation, yet the best tools for sketching him are inference, informed speculation, and the genealogist’s most useful friends, vital records.

Harvard was born in Southwark, Surrey, across the Thames from the City of London. His father, Robert, a butcher, worshipped at St. Saviour’s, the same church as William Shakespeare. Because his mother, Katherine, was a native of Stratford-on-Avon, one author has proposed that the playwright introduced the couple—an intriguing

story, but the evidence is entirely circumstantial.

Robert Harvard was a more prominent resident of Southwark than his occupation might suggest; he held a number of important local offices, including vestryman and trustee of the parish grammar school, where students learned the Latin they needed for college. In the absence of written evidence, it is reasonable to assume his son studied at this school, probably entering about 1615.

51

the spiritual climate on campus

clergy. Harvard clearly wanted a role in their campaign to reform the Church of England.

A decade later almost all the family’s assets—about £2,000—were his. Katherine had died in 1635 and Thomas in the spring of 1637.

Meanwhile, in April 1636 Harvard had married Ann Sadler of Ringmer, Sussex. By now he had probably also taken holy orders, although no confirming record survives.

In the late 1630s, a certain kind of college man found New England an especially attractive prospect— Puritans, Cambridge men, and particularly graduates of Emmanuel solemnly committed to theological and liturgical reform. More than one-quarter of the university men who came to New England before 1646 had studied at Emmanuel; it

was probably Harvard’s old college contacts that brought him to Massachusetts.

Only a little more than a year elapsed between the summer of 1637, when the Harvards arrived in Massachusetts, and September 14, 1638, when John died of consumption. During this period he became a valued resident of Charlestown, where he was called to be the church’s “teacher,” one of its two clergymen. In Harvard, Charlestown had a passionate preacher who in the brief time left to him spoke “with teares [of ] affection strong.”

By the time the Harvards settled in Charlestown John must already have been in failing health. It is easy to imagine his clerical colleagues, perhaps including old Emmanuel friends, visiting him with updates

on the progress of the new college in Cambridge. They were aware that he had an imposing library— some 400 volumes. They might even have known about the wealth he had inherited from his family.

Consumption kills slowly. By the time Harvard died, he knew what he wanted to do with his estate. Of course he had to take care of his wife, who received half his money. The remainder, £800 (twice the sum granted by the colony’s General Court in 1636 for the establishment of a college) and his entire library, he gave to the new school in Cambridge. The bequest ensured that his name would never be forgotten.

Conrad Edick Wright ’72 is the Ford Editor and Director of Research at the Massachusetts Historical Society. | cu

.....................................................................................

christian union

::

the magazine

ha r v a r d ne w s - in - b r ie f

52

Gender Terms Become Murky

Harvard and the Ultra Wealthy

According to an Associated Press Article, students registering at Harvard this fall were entitled to choose from various pronouns to describe themselves on their forms.

The offerings included: he, she, and the “gender-neutral” options of they and ze.

According to the article, Harvard is “among a wave of major institutions that are widening their policies and pronouns to acknowledge transgender students, as well as ‘genderqueer’ students, who don’t identify as male or female.”

Harvard University alumni are in a distinct position when it comes to abundant wealth.

The university can boast of the world’s biggest concentration of graduates worth $30 million or more, according to the Wealth-X and UBS World Ultra Wealth Report 2014.

All of the top 10 universities for ultra-high net worth graduates are in the United States. In addition to Harvard, other representatives in the Ivy League include Columbia, Cornell, Pennsylvania, and Yale universities.

Of the world’s top tier of super wealthy individuals, five percent graduated from just 10 universities, according to the report. Some 3,130 ultra-affluent individuals received degrees from Harvard, followed by 1,580 from Penn.

Harvard University possesses the world’s biggest concentration of alumni worth $30 million or more, according to a 2014 report.

DISCOVER YOUR CALLING

fall

2015 ::

D E F E N D I N G

F R E E D O M

COLLEGIATE ACADEMY A prestigious one-week summer program that launches highly accomplished college upperclassmen and recent graduates on a path to future leadership in law, government, and public policy.

Strengthen your competence, credentials, and character for your future career – your calling.

The cost of airfare, lodging, and materials is fully covered for those selected to this program.

AllianceDefendingFreedom.org /Collegiate

christianunion.org

A L L I A N C E

53

the spiritual climate on campus

P E N N | On Campus

Race and Faith

GOD’S PROPERT Y RE ACHES OUT TO AFRIC AN-AMERIC AN S TUDENTS

By Rosalie Doerksen, Penn ’17

R

christian union

54

“It’s so crucial that, with all the racial inequality that continues to come to light, Christians feel comfortable going to fellow believers for empathy and support,” she said.

Tatiana Hymen ’17 and Mani

Sellers ’17 are both dedicated members of the New Spirit of Penn Gospel Choir, which is where they met Hyatt and became familiar with God’s Property. Both juniors are now part of the organization’s leadership team and were present when

—Tatiana Hymen, Penn ’17 readily available on campus,” Hyatt said.

Ideally, they hoped to initiate conversations that focused on how faith and prayer can be used to strengthen each other.

are distinct from other cultural groups,” Hymen says. “Despite the diversity in religious beliefs within the black community, spirituality has been a constant in black culture and a guide through the oppression

God’s Property was launched at Penn in 2012.

“The intersection of black culture and Christianity is historical and extremely powerful…”

::

the magazine

ev. Dr. Eric Mason is a prominent African-American pastor and church founder in West Philadelphia.

Last year, in an article for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, he shared about his experience with the Gospel as it relates to race relations in America.

“All of us interpret facts in light of our own social experiences,” Mason concluded. “The cross is a meeting place of conflict. Jesus died on the cross to face our sin and brokenness, not to ignore it. Let’s head there together.”

At the University of Pennsylvania, a student organization also has that destination in mind as it seeks to facilitate fruitful discussions on campus. God’s Property was founded in 2012 by Chantias Ford ’14, Abrina Hyatt ’15, and other African-American students.

“For us, it was important to be able to discuss certain issues related to our racial identity in the context of our faith, and that space was not

God’s Property had its first open meeting in mid-September.

“The intersection of black culture and Christianity is historical and extremely powerful and encompasses a set of experiences that

that black people continue to fight to overcome.”

Anye Wanki ’18 heard about the organization on Facebook and attended the first meeting. He said God’s Property allowed him to express unashamedly certain feelings because he shares a sense of familiarity with the other members.

Greg Louis ’16, a leader with God’s Property, hopes the organization will be able to facilitate effectively the growth of students’ identities as Christians.

“Our goal is to help students feel healthier as Christians on campus,” he said.

Ideally, creating a space where specific issues that affect the black community can be related to Christ

will do just that. When students feel that they can be vulnerable with one another, they will be able to encourage one another in Christ and will bear more spiritual fruit as a result.

Working together, through differences in upbringing and in

Christian thought, leads to profound discussions, Louis says.

Sellers stresses the importance of remembering that Christ died for all sinners. She views the safe space within God’s Property as one where students who have similar religious “social customs” learn together

about how to handle worldly issues in light of the Gospel.

“If we keep our strong leadership team, and our ideals and beliefs and goals in mind, the group will continue to prosper and serve the people on campus as they need it,” she says. | cu

.......................................................................................

P E N N | On Campus

Mass Appeal C AT H O L I C M I N I S T R I E S I N S P I R E D B Y P O P E F R A N C I S ’ V I S I T

By Eileen Scott, Senior Writer

A

2015 :: christianunion.org

listen to the Pope’s message. She streets of Philadelphia. In a nation was also hopeful about the overall where saying “Merry Christmas” can be viewed as controversial, 24impact of the visit.

“It drew more attention to what hour news networks reported on Catholicism is about,” said Orlan- every step by the Christian leader, di. “The Pope seemed friendly and approachable, and that makes people more attracted to the church.”

Brother Ricardo Simmonds, of the Newman Catholic Community, was also struck by witnessing nearly a million people coming together in unity. He and the Penn students who at- Hundreds of students at the University of Pennsylvania tended the Sunday Mass ventured into Philadelphia to be part of the historic visit by were only about 10 feet Pope Francis. away from the Pope’s motorcade.

“What was most amazing was and members of the House and the sense of the body of Christ be- Senate listened intently as he ading together. And even though you dressed Congress.

“I never thought I would see in are tired as you stand on the parkway, looking at a large screen, you my lifetime that the secular massfeel that the church is greater than es would embrace the Pope,” said Simmonds. you are,” he said.

He suggested the Pope’s appeal, And that unity went beyond the

fall

mong the throngs of people gathered for the historic Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in Philadelphia this fall were hundreds of students from the University of Pennsylvania. Members of the Catholic Student Association and Penn Newman Catholic Community volunteered to work during the event and also walked together to attend the mass celebrated by the Pontiff.

The Catholic students served the crowds that traveled from all over the world to be in the presence of the man millions of Catholics call the Holy Father.

Diana Orlandi ’16, the president of the Catholic Student Association, coordinated the student volunteers who helped with security and crowd control. On the day of the Pope’s Mass, she chose to continue working on the security line to help facilitate others into the area, rather than join the other students at the service.

For the native of Milan, Italy, inspiration came from observing the people who came to the City of Brotherly Love to worship God and

55

the spiritual climate on campus

especially among young people, comes from a humble and gentle spirit. “There is no posturing. He admits he is a sinner. At the same time, he speaks about God and is

Additionally, Simmonds said he was inspired to encourage students to speak their minds freely, to take risks, and engage others with the message of Jesus Christ. “The Lord

“I’m really impressed by how the youth are connected to [the Pope]” Simmonds said. “Students are engaged in ways they weren’t before.”

—Ricardo Simmonds not afraid to worship and show his faith,” said Simmonds.

Simmonds was also impressed with the way Pope Francis speaks about sensitive issues without being confrontational or shaming. And this resonated with students, too.

“I’m really impressed by how the youth are connected to him,” Simmonds said. “Students are engaged in ways they weren’t before.”

blesses that,” he said.

Both Simmonds and Orlandi saw greater interest in faith during the papal visit. Orlandi said even some of her Muslim friends came out to be among the 300 students who volunteered. Simmonds said that 500 students from Newman walked together to the outdoor Sunday Mass.

“There were many I’ve never met before,” he said.

Simmonds hopes that the Pontiff’s visit continues inspiring students toward living lives of love and mercy, and Newman is working to keep the momentum going.

The weekend following Francis’ visit to Philadelphia, the organization kicked off “Popetober Fest” events for undergraduate and graduate students that fostered socializing and reflecting upon the Pope’s message. They also emphasized authentic witnessing of the faith to all people.

And that witnessing, said Simmonds, is the example Francis set.

“It makes the body of Christ more beautiful and appealing and it transcends divisions and allows the vision of a future where there is more unity,” he said. | cu

....................................................................................... p enn ne w s - in - b r ie f

christian union

::

the magazine

Episcopal Church Welcomes Penn Students

56

In September, St. Mary’s, Hamilton Village: The Episcopal Church at Penn welcomed students back with a barbeque lunch.

The church staged its fall semester kickoff barbeque on September 13 following the Sunday morning service at its edifice on Locust Walk next to the University of Pennsylvania.

During the lunch, the church’s campus ministry invited students to participate in its weekend supper gatherings. St. Mary’s

hosts dinners at 6 p.m. on the first and third Sundays during the academic year. The ministry aims to offer students worship, prayer, and conversations based around Scripture during the gatherings.

Professor Comments on Racial Violence For Anthea Butler, associate professor of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, the arsons at black churches and threats against pastors this year are reminiscent of the brutality of the summer of 1964.

“All this in the few weeks since the shooting of nine members

of Emanuel AME in Charleston,” Butler wrote in Religion Dispatches.

When it comes to racism and violence against black Christians, “the past is not even the past—it is a very present danger,” said Butler, who also noted how AME bishops designated September 6 as a day of prayer.

PR I N C E T O N | On Campus

A Rich Legacy at Princeton

L E A D E R S O F I N T E R N AT I O N A L S T U D E N T S , I N C .

HONORED FOR 40 YEARS OF SERVICE

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

N

than a brother.”

“There’s a biblical mandate to reach the internationals who live among us, to love them, and to share the good news,” said Desai.

To carry out its mission and meet some of the practical needs of international students, I.S.I. coordinates with other campus ministries, as well as about 35 area churches.

Along those lines, the organization recently partnered with Princeton churches for its 32nd Annual Garage Giveaway. On Sept. 12, about 150 international students from 43 countries selected furniture and other donations from congregants at 25 churches. About 125 John and Aruna Desai are celebrating 40 years of volunteers helped with ministry to Princeton University’s international the event, including community. the distribution of 100 pocket-sized New Testasis on prayer and hosting prayer ments to students.

Likewise, I.S.I. offers monthwalks on campus. In August and September, I.S.I. hosted 21 days ly friendship dinners at Lutheran of prayer before the group’s annu- Church of the Messiah; three weekal Garage Giveaway. In November ly Bible studies in area homes; and and December, the ministry will English as a Second Language classhost another 21 days of prayer be- es on Monday evenings at Nassau fore its annual Christmas banquet. Christian Center.

As well, I.S.I. helps arrange inAt the core of their efforts, John and Aruna Desai want to help for- dividual tutoring for students who eign students form friendships with want to practice conversational EnAmericans and introduce them to glish.

The local chapter targets inChrist, “the friend who sticks closer fervor across Princeton University, especially in light of the all-night prayer meetings they were part of in the 1970s.

“The Lord has really blessed,” said John Desai.

This academic year, the local chapter is placing renewed empha-

fall

2015 :: christianunion.org

early 40 years ago, John Desai was a new graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary when the native of India launched a ministry to reach Princeton University’s vibrant international community.

Since February of 1976, the chapter of International Students Inc. (I.S.I) has focused on acquainting foreign students with their new campus base, helping them to experience local culture and enabling them to establish relationships.

“We enjoy every year. It’s exciting to meet young people, to see the fruit, to invest in their lives,” said Desai. “There’s a joy in serving the Lord and serving the community.”

In June, during I.S.I.’s annual conference in India, the organization’s president presented John and Aruna Desai with its Legacy Award for 40 years of service at Princeton.

John Desai recently paused to note how the religious landscape at Princeton has changed dramatically since the couple, who are now grandparents, held their first I.S.I. meeting in a seminary dorm room.

Namely, they have witnessed the addition of several campus ministries and churches around the university, as well as an influx of ethnic organizations on campus. They also remarked at how dramatically improved technologies now help foreign students to stay connected to loved ones.

The husband and wife team is thrilled to witness renewed spiritual

57

the spiritual climate on campus

ternational students at Princeton, Westminster Choir College, Princeton Theological Seminary, Institute for Advanced Study, The College of New Jersey, and Rider University.

In addition, I.S.I. encouraged students to participate in its regional conferences in Boston, Massachusetts; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and Niagara Falls, New York.

“We have friends all over the world who are now leaders,” said Desai. “We are really excited to see how the people we touch here are making an impact in their communities.”

I.S.I., which is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, serves students on 677 campuses in the

United States. The organization, founded in Philadelphia in 1953, seeks to share Christ’s love with international students and equip them for service.

In Central New Jersey, a big hit for local students involves the ministry’s monthly friendship dinners, which usually feature a Princeton alumnus as the guest speaker.

During the September dinner, Hahn Kim, a Princeton scientist, encouraged students to pause and remember that ultimately God is in control of all their circumstances.

“This is liberating,” said Kim, Princeton Ph.D. ’07.

Kim, the co-founder and chief scientific officer of Chiromics LLC,

a drug-discovery company, told students to view their challenges from a heavenly perspective and to avoid the natural human tendency to be self-absorbed.

The most critical truth for students to discover is how God offers the gift of eternal life via Christ, said Kim. The scientist noted that looking at this gift as something that can’t be earned can be quite challenging in modern culture: “That does not change the truth that God, in His image, made everyone in their own unique way and gave us the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, that all who believe in Him will not perish, but be gifted with eternal life.” | cu

.......................................................................................

PR I N C E T O N | On Campus

Getting Beyond Racism

PA N E L D I S C U S S I O N F E AT U R E S P R I N C E T O N A L U M N I , C I V I C L E A D E R S

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

christian union

::

the magazine

R

58

hinold Ponder is using his skills as an attorney, talk show host, and artist to advance dialogues about race in Princeton, New Jersey.

“My major focus is how we talk to each other to facilitate the conversation,” said Ponder, Princeton ’81. “We have a difficult time speaking to each other about race because we don’t have a public language we all understand.”

On September 20, Ponder appeared in a panel discussion entitled Getting Beyond Racism on behalf of the Princeton Community Democratic Organization inside the Suzanne Patterson Center.

More than a dozen Princeton University students attended the crowded

event, which also featured panelist Janet Adelola, Princeton ’17, a leader with Christian Union’s ministry at Princeton. Michelle Tuck-Ponder (Penn Law ’83), associate director of Princeton University’s Career Services and former Princeton Township mayor, served as moderator.

As for her husband, Rhinold Ponder, the native of Chicago’s Southside noted that individuals from an array of ethnic backgrounds often do not relate to each other because of experiential gaps.

“The biggest hurdle to understanding each other is the racial experience gap. We simply don’t understand each other’s racial experience,” said Ponder.

Along those lines, communication issues frequently surface in racial dialogues. “We can easily use the same words and mean different things. Unfortunately, the words we use are so broad that they leave themselves open to wide interpretation,” said Ponder, also the host of the television program Know Your Rights New Jersey.

“We also, as a nation, do not know how to have difficult conversations in a public forum.”

As importantly, Americans need to extend compassion in their efforts to achieve racial reconciliation.

“We need to try to bring together empathy and care for others,” Ponder said.

Rhinold Ponder, Princeton ’81, recently participated in a panel discussion on racism.

.............................. p r in c et o n ne w s - in - b r ie f

Summer Bible Study

:: christianunion.org

Manna Christian Fellowship offered a Bible study over the summer for Princeton University students.

The organization partnered with three other campus ministries to offer the study, which focused on the Book of Colossians. The sessions were held on Tuesday evenings at the Carl. A. Fields Center. Manna joined with Athletes in Action, Princeton Evangelical Fellowship, and Christian Union to sponsor the joint study.

2015

mons from leading African-American ministers. In 1996, the couple wrote Wisdom of the Word Faith: Great African-American Sermons, and in 1997, they authored a follow-up, Wisdom of the Word Love: Great African-American Sermons.

Many of those sermons remain relevant, especially to current racial challenges. “In our upbringing, love and faith were extremely important,” Ponder said. “Our dialogue does not emphasize love enough in how we treat another.”

As for the Princeton Community Democratic Organization’s recent discussion, other panelists included: Deborah Blanks, retired Princeton University associate dean of Religious Life and the Chapel; Carlton Branscomb, pastor of First Baptist Church of Princeton; Shirley Satterfield, a former Princeton High School guidance counselor and local historian; Calvin Reed, a staffer to U.S. Rep. Bonnie Wat-

son-Coleman; Leticia Fraga, vice chair of the Princeton Human Services Commission; and Donald Brash, an associate professor of historical theology at Palmer Theological Seminary.

The moderator, Tucker-Ponder, has extensive professional credentials, including a stint as Princeton University’s manager of the Center for African American Studies. As well, she previously served as assistant counsel to Gov. Jim Florio and as an aide to former U.S. Rep. Louis Stokes and to former U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, Columbia ’49.

In addition, the mother of two children is the former chief executive officer and director of the Girl Scouts of Delaware-Raritan, Inc. Ultimately, for the Ponder family, empathy and understanding remain at the heart of racial reconciliation.

“Probably the most important thing about the teachings of Christ is the openness to all types of people, the willingness to help those who are less fortunate and the willingness to embrace faith and love,” Ponder said. | cu

fall

Ponder is quick to note that spirituality is central to racial accord and also played a key role in the Civil Rights Movement.

“Faith can be used to help us know how to communicate with one another and bring healing to the table,” he said. “Faith has always played a central role in how we address issues of race.”

Hitting closer to home, Ponder would like to see Princeton University devote more resources to assisting students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. “One of the biggest problems for students of color is there is no institutional connection for alumni of color and students of color,” Ponder said.

As such, minority students miss out on some resources involving mentoring and networking: “These are relationships that many white students on campus have through eating clubs that have an alumni presence.”

In 2014, Ponder used his artistic talents to advance conversations about race when he displayed an exhibit entitled The Rise and Fail of the N-Word: Beyond Black and White in the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding.

Ponder said the show was meant to offer a safe place for “difficult and honest discussions” about race.

As a result of the exhibit, Ponder created a Facebook page, Beyond Black and White, for ongoing dialogue. “Social media allows us to have expansive conversations across geographic boundaries in real time,” he said.

No stranger to public discourse, Ponder and Michele Tuck-Ponder also penned a duo of books capturing historic and contemporary ser-

59

the spiritual climate on campus

YA L E | On Campus

Catholics and Protestants in Latin America H A R T C H ’ 9 4 S P E A K S AT YA L E - E D I N B U R G H G R O U P C O N F E R E N C E

By Eileen Scott, Senior Writer

christian union

::

the magazine

H

60

Hartch, a professor in the hisistorian, author, and Yale alumnus Todd Hartch returned to tory department at the Universihis alma mater this summer to pres- ty of Eastern Kentucky, recently ent a paper before the Yale-Edin- published two books dealing with burgh Group. Drawing on his rich Christianity in Latin America and background and expertise, Hartch’s lecture was entitled Violence and the State: Catholics and Protestants in Latin America.

The Yale-Edinburgh Group on the History of the Missionary Movement and World Christianity is comprised of scholars Author Todd Hartch ’89 and PhD ’00 spoke before who meet annually to the Yale-Edinburgh Group at his alma mater this discuss and exchange summer. information from a variety of viewpoints— political, social, diplomatic, and re- the missions’ movement. The Religious. The meetings alternate each birth of Latin American Christianyear between New Haven, Con- ity was recognized by Christianity necticut and Edinburgh, Scotland. Today as 2014’s best book in misAt this year’s meeting, Hartch sions/global affairs. His recent re(Yale ’89, PhD ’00) discussed the lease, The Prophet of Cuernavaca, tenuous and, at times, violent relationship between Protestants and Catholics during a period when Christianity was being reborn in Latin America. As Hartch’s work reveals, the region was once predomi- deals with the profound, yet connantly Catholic, and often founded troversial, ideas and suppositions of around ethnic traditions and super- former priest Ivan Illich.

Both books examine life in institions, rather than the essential truth of the faith. With the arrival digenous, small villages where beof Protestant missionaries came a lief in Jesus Christ has not only surbacklash from some Catholics, who vived, but has been revived. Once took to violence to defend their be- the mission field, the region is now sending missionaries to the United liefs and traditions.

States and Europe.

Hartch’s interest in the faith movement of Latin America began when he was an undergraduate at Yale and traveled to the region with InterVarsity (www.ivcf.org). After graduation, Hartch served with InterVarsity at Yale and also lived in Mexico for a time while working on his dissertation. His passion for studying faith in Latin America was sparked when he noticed the juxtaposition of a decaying Catholic church and a nearby vibrant Protestant community. He wanted to understand the transition that took place and the impetus for the shift in what was once a predominantly Catholic region.

In the process of doing his research of both Protestantism and Catholicism, Hartch said he developed a fuller understanding of the Catholic church. “If I was going to be an historian of religion in Latin America, I needed to take Catholicism seriously,” said Hartch.

“I see my vocation now as bringing truth to the university campus.”

—Todd Hartch, Yale ’94 As a result, Hartch began to see beyond the preconceived beliefs about Catholicism and the cultural superstitions and rituals that often obstruct the truth of the faith and its foundation in Jesus Christ.

Subsequently, Hartch converted to Catholicism. His conversion story is outlined in a piece he wrote

for Catholics Come Home (chnetwork.org).

“I see my vocation now as bringing truth to the university campus: simple historical truth about Latin America; truth about the human person and human society;

and most importantly, truth about our Lord Jesus Christ…,” Hartch wrote.

He also sees his work as a calling.

“The vocation of the historian is to tell the truth about what happened in the past,” Hartch said. “It’s an

important job that helps us understand today. Where you are now is the result of where you were in the past. It’s impossible to understand the present without understanding the past.” | cu

.......................................................................................

YA L E | On Campus

Surveying the Class of 2019 C A M P U S N E W S PA P E R I D E N T I F I E S R E L I G I O U S T R E N D S

By Eileen Scott, Senior Writer

A

example, 43 percent of students interested in joining a campus ministry did not anticipate having sex at all in college, according to an article written by Stephanie Addenbrooke and Emma Platoff for the Yale Daily News. However, a majority of the

the campus hookup culture of sex, drugs, and alcohol are incompatible.

While statistics often paint a dark picture when looked at in a snapshot, campus ministry leaders can remain hopeful that God’s

christianunion.org

grace will be present among the darkness and university mission fields may be whiter unto harvest than they appear.

For example, a recent article in The Daily Beast noted that half of the young people raised in an atheist home become believers. The article cited Margaret Fox, Yale ’05, a former atheist who now serves as

::

total respondents did anticipate having intercourse during the next four years.

The article also points out that “religious students were more likely to say they felt anxious about their social experiences at Yale, with many identifying the party scene as a point of concern…” That concern rises from the belief that faith and

2015

The Yale Daily News revealed insights into the religious and moral trends of the class of 2019.

fall

Yale Daily News survey of the class of 2019 revealed that, while a majority of students identify with some form of religious belief, a large portion of the incoming class has no spiritual moorings.

According to the Yale Daily News, more than half of the respondents self-described as religious, with the remainder identifying as atheist, agnostic, or non-religious.

However, there is a notable difference between students who are considered religious and those who are Protestant.

The Yale Daily News reported that only 32 percent of “religious” freshmen plan to join a faith community on campus, while 68 percent of Protestant students intend to participate in a campus ministry.

Sang Yun, ministry director with Yale Students for Christ, agrees with those numbers, noting that “over the past 15 years or so, there has been a fairly consistent number of incoming freshmen who sign up at the activities fairs, etc.”

The desire to engage in a faith community seems to be the tipping point among students when it comes to living out their faith. For

61

the spiritual climate on campus

a hospital chaplain and is working toward ordination in the Presbyterian Church.

Fox admits she had a sense of embarrassment when she first began questioning the validity of God at a top-tier school.

“There is a sort of ethos of independence in our culture, that you can get places on your own,” Fox explained in the article. “And to need God felt sort of out of sync with the Ivy League achievement environment.”

While attending Yale Law School, Fox sensed a longing for God. “My contracts professor tried to convince us to study hard. He told us to think of ourselves as Captain Ahab, and the law as our whale,” Fox recalls. “But I didn’t feel like

Ahab. I felt like Jonah, that there was something else I was supposed to be doing and I felt stuck inside.”

Fox ultimately attended services at a Presbyterian church and was baptized. She also changed her post-graduate track and completed dual Law and Yale Divinity School degrees in 2015. Fox earned a Master of Theological Studies degree at Harvard Divinity School in 2008.

The Daily Beast article also referred to a 2013 Christianity Today essay penned by Harvard alumnus Jordan Monge ’12, who chronicled her journey from atheism to Christianity at Harvard.

Monge recalled how conversations and encouragement from Christian friends played a big part in her conversion. As friends chal-

lenged her inconsistency as an atheist and shared life-changing books and resources, Monge’s positions seemed defenseless and her image of love was transformed “The Cross no longer seemed a grotesque symbol of divine sadism, but a remarkable act of love.

And Christianity began to look less strangely mythical and more cosmically beautiful,” she wrote.

Despite the cloudy forecast that polls and statistics often present, testimonies from students like Fox and Monge can inspire campus ministers and student leaders to continue to put their hope and trust in a God who can do “immeasurably more than they can ask or imagine” (Eph. 3:20) as another academic year begins. | cu

....................................................................................... y a l e ne w s - in - b r ie f

christian union

::

the magazine

‘Footwashing in Ancient Christianity’

62

Yale University’s Institute of Sacred Music recently held a liturgy symposium entitled A Missing Sacrament? Footwashing in Ancient Christianity.

The event, held on September 28, featured Andrew McGowan, dean of Yale’s Berkeley Divinity School. The Anglican priest and historian focuses his scholarly work on the life of early Christian communities.

In his 2014 book, Ancient Christian Worship, McGowan sought to

describe ritual practices in the ancient church, including ones involving music and speech, and to acknowledge the diversity of early Christian practices.

BYX House Opens at Yale Beta Upsilon Chi (BYX) opened the doors to its first fraternity house at Yale this academic year. Fraternity members are excited about the opportunity to live together and have a greater Christian presence amidst the Yale community. The lack of a house at the university had hindered the fraternity’s ability to host events and engage students.

There are 15 members of BYX (www.facebook.com/yalebyx) at

Christian fraternity Beta Upsilon Chi (BYX) established its first fraternity house at Yale this fall.

Yale, seven of whom are living in the house. A Christian Union grant helped underwrite some of the costs of starting the fraternity.

ENGAGING & TRANSFORMING CULTURE The Nexus Professionals conference addresses both the philosophical and practical elements of cultural transformation — understanding the intellectual framework, the Biblical mandate, and the practical implications of the Christian call to be part of God’s redeeming work.

Plenary speakers, outstanding worship, and interaction with other professionals seeking transformative change will challenge you spiritually and intellectually. Join us for a weekend substance and challenge.

APRIL 1-3, 2016 x NEW HAVEN, CT x NEXUSPROFESSIONAL2016.ORG

the magazine

:: christian union

64

pa rt ing shot

||

The Fisher Fine Arts Library at Penn

|| Photography by Phil Anema

Thank you!

Through your generous giving, Christian leaders are being developed to change culture.

rguson Kayla & Andrew Fe

ool ’17 harvard law sch

ol—and to Harvard Law Scho ed itt m ad re we d both applied an vard, me engaged when we istian legacy at Har hr co C be h ly ric nt e ce th re by ly d on ire “We had r faith in dies. We were insp ining to live out ou en we began our stu tra wh ile s ed wh yw ol wl ho sc ne ly still on met as at this historic law istian college were we ndle spiritual passion hr ki C re e to th d m lle ca fro t lt fe en and we different environm Law School is a very rd va ar H . ld fie al the leg here. ere is great potential th t bu , es at du ra rg unde ugh speakers, ture deeply, and thro rip Sc g in dy stu by rtunity to grow ld that is view to bear in a fie ides us with the oppo rld ov wo pr on ian ni ist U hr C ian e ist th Chr e how to bring discussions to explor th ep -d in in the first place. d an , gs in read our legal principles of y an m ed ap sh at e values th losing touch with th rofit dediining through a nonp tra al leg in ed at cip will return n, D.C., and parti terned in Washingto . After law school, we ily m fa d an ge ria ar This summer, we in sanctity of life, m ea of religious religious liberty, the eday work in the ar m so s ap rh pe d an cated to protecting ing high and ing in litigation, ., to continue work for us. We are just aim s ha od G er ev at to Washington, D.C wh available for primary goal is to be freedom issues. Our the doors.” trusting God to open

ChristianUnion.org/Giving Giving@ChristianUnion.org

CHRISTIAN UNION 240 Nassau Street Princeton, NJ 08542 USA

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

“Trinity has a culture of being inclusive, of making a space for people who come from various denominational backgrounds. But increasingly today, Trinity is also an inviting place for those who come from different racial, ethnic, cultural, and national backgrounds. We have a calling from the Lord to serve the broader global church.”

PETER CHA

christian union

::

the magazine

a ssociate professor of pa stor al theology

4

TEDS faculty are gifted men and women who represent a wide spectrum of international backgrounds, church and ministry involvements, and evangelical theological positions, but they are united around the centrality of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and the inerrancy and authority of Scripture. They minister as much through research and writing as through local church involvement, but their primary ministry is teaching and caring for our students.

teds.edu 2065 Half Day Road 800 345.8337

| Deerfield, Illinois 60015