I wanted to take a break this week from what I normally write to call your attention to two situations that have taken place on college campuses over the last 6 months that could greatly influence the future of campus ministry. Both Vanderbilt University and the University at Buffalo have made policy decisions that effect how student organizations (especially religious ones) operate.
In early 2012 Vanderbilt University implemented an all-comers policy for its student-run organizations. The policy prohibits campus groups from selecting members and leaders based on race, gender, sexual orientation or religion. While most religious groups have no problem welcoming students from any background as members, many take issue with being forced to welcome any and all students who would want to hold a position of leadership in the organization. After much debate and the governor of Tennessee vetoing a measure to exempt religious organizations from Vanderbilt’s new policy, religious groups will be forced to approve students as leaders even if they do not hold the same beliefs as those the organization subscribes to if they want to remain an officially recognized club.
Similarly, at the University at Buffalo, the Student Association recently derecognized the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship after a long battle. InterVarsity’s constitution came into question after former IVCF Treasurer (and current Student Association Assembly Speaker) Steven Jackson said the club forced him to resign because he is gay. After determining that the constitution violated university anti-discrimination policy, the club was told numerous times to remove the basis of faith from its constitution, but IVCF repeatedly refused to do so. Once a student organization is derecognized it can no longer receive money from the school, reserve spaces for meetings, or advertise on campus. The Student Association Senate also resolved that next year’s SA will review each club’s governing documents between May 1 and Aug. 15. If the documents violate any SA or university policies, the club will have to fix the issues to avoid derecognition.
The reaction at both campuses has been mixed. In March, Vanderbilt Catholic said it would pick up and move off campus, rather than sign a pledge that non-Catholics were welcome to apply for positions of leadership. To do that, the group’s leaders said, would be to compromise the entire purpose of the organization. However, according to a Vanderbilt University spokesperson, 27 religious groups have decided to comply with the policy and register for 2012-2013 school year. One positive result has been a unifying of the Christian students at Vanderbilt. David French, senior council of the ACLJ, told The Christian Post, “It really brought campus ministries together. They realized that while they certainly have different philosophies in ministry, subtle differences in theology, you name it, that this really was an attack on their presence on campus, collectively,” French said. “Not only did it bring them together to oppose this policy, but I think it really ended up forging a lot of new friendships and a lot of unity. Not just among the students but also among various campus ministers.”
In light of all this, please be in prayer for the future of campus ministry. I think it’s also important that we think of ways to reach students even if our ministries are faced with similar situations. In the end, God is sovereign and His heart longs to see college students come to know Him. Our response should not be that of a victim, but instead let’s remember that He has already won the victory!
The following sources were used in writing this article:
The Christian Post: Vanderbilt University’s All-Comers Policy ‘Discouraging,’ But Unites Christian Students
Fox News: House members blast Vanderbilt for policy ‘hostile’ to religious groups on campus
The University at Buffalo Spectrum: InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Derecognized
The Huffington Post: Vanderbilt University Controversy: Tennessee Governor Vetoes College Discrimination Bill