Forgot Password Request a password reset link to be sent to your email address. Im sure Id feel compatible with some and not others. One should ask, does InterVarsity really mean that the only way to affirm its brothers and sisters is to shake hands with people who affirm the worst of what humans are capable? Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia and Goshen College in Indiana stepped away in order to avoid further controversy, since their decision caused two other schoolsUnion University and Oklahoma Wesleyan Universityto quit the CCCU in protest. The verses that caused the controversy at SUNY Buffalo come from Galatians 5:19-26 regarding sexual immorality. The employment conditions also apply to InterVarsity Press (IVP), an affiliated publishing arm, though its employees did not undergo the same training as those involved in campus ministry. "We chose to address #BlackLivesMatter at Urbana 15, InterVarsitys Student Missions Conference, because it is a language and experience of many college students," the statement said. Last modified January 15, 2016. Frank discussion need not question the validity of the pain they feel, but certainly the violent calls to action should be questioned shouldnt they? 29 Feb. 2016. Want to find an InterVarsity chapter near you? There will also be conversations that dont move in a healthy direction. While the similarities are striking, one should bear in mind that similar does not mean same. 11 Major Misconceptions about The Black Lives Matter Movement. Black Lives Matter. All rights reserved. Meet New People and Start Spiritual Conversations, International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA and its affiliated companies. Accessed February 29, 2016. http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2015/08/28/black-activists-called-for-lynching-and-hanging-of-white-people-and-cops/. Meet New People and Start Spiritual Conversations, Urbana 22 Calls Gen Z to Rise Up as Whole-Life, Whole-World Disciples, International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. Last modified January 23, 2014. Image: Many have been ignored or gaslighted by Christians when they brought up painful experiences or questions with which theyve been struggling. The Power of Group Prayer will equip you in the kind of prayer that is necessary for effective and resilient ministry. But we dont control the movement.[12]. As a Black woman in ministry, I often get asked questions around race and gender, such as Is Christianity a white mans religion? or Is the Bible misogynistic? Before answering questions, I first make sure that I understand the assumptions and questions behind the question. Critics are using the hashtag #InterVarsityPurge. 2023 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. That is to say, that racial reconciliation may be the goal of both movements, but the means to achieve a solution to the problem of race may differ. Michelle Huggins, a member of the social activist group Black Lives Matter (BLM) to deliver a speech to the student workers who attended the conference. Are there any dangers associated with co-belligerency? Awkward. Of course, Black Lives Matter is also a non-religious organization. Former SBC President, James Merritt, is the proud father of homosexual 'Christian' journalist, Jonathan Merritt, who spends his days writing mostly gay things from a leftist perspective designed to undermind conservative Christianity. They bear his image. Or is it, love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith, (1 Tim 1:5)?, InterVarsity was moved to action to avoid past inaction, but the action that they undertook led to misunderstanding and criticism. InterVarsity and Rutgers Joint Statement Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and a Rutgers student organization known as the Rutgers InterVarsity Multi-Ethnic Christian Fellowship, are pleased to announce that they have amicably resolved any and all issues regarding the status and governance of the fellowship. The same lament for the neighbors who suddenly have no means of feeding their families as their factory closes. Still, the push for theological consistency can be frustrating and painful. Yes! Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. How do I need to wrestle more deeply with the experiences my colleagues and students have had with the Church? ", Julie Rodgers, an advocate for sexual minorities and formerly on staff at Wheaton College, lamented, "LGBT students will be the ones who pay the price for InterVarsity's decision. Is this co-belligerency warranted? As TheBlaze previously reported,Michelle Higgins,director ofFaith for Justice, a Christian advocacy group in St. Louis, Missouri, and an active member of the Black Lives Matter movement,grabbed attention this weekfor a speech that she delivered at Urbana, a student missions conferencethat is co-sponsored by InterVarsity. [20] Daniel Strange, Co-Belligerence and Common Grace: Can the Enemy of My Enemy Be My Friend?, Jubilee Centre. We may need to spend some time thinking and processing. February 24, 2020 News Division. But it takes a lot of hard work, time, and money to do what we do. The policy was reported by Time magazine yesterday, bringing a barrage of public commentary and questions to a sensitive issue that staff members have been weighing for months. They studied the Bible in groups, read position papers, heard from theologians, and listened to interviews with LGBT leaders. InterVarsity is an evangelical ministry that has long championed both evangelism and social justice. Thats why we view every news story through the lens of faith. 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If you are unfamiliar with the story, on November 17, Mr. Chau was killed by North Sentinelese people as he attempted to make what is thought to be his third attempt to develop relationship with this remote tribe. [6] Ali B. Ali-Dinar, ed. Internally, I began to shut down. The similarity between both quotes is remarkable. To share this article with your friends, use any of the social share buttons on our site, or simply copy the link below. But our theological tradition failed to support the civil rights movement for that very reason. InterVarsitys strong desire to bridge the racial gap is commendable. The late Christian apologist Francis Schaeffer made a series of movies called, Whatever Happened to the Human Race? The goal of the series was to awaken the evangelical world to the decline of American values, which was demonstrated in the legalizing of abortion and euthanasia. Thats partly why InterVarsity put its staff through training on these issues in the first place, Jao said. As it stands at the present moment, InterVarsity has furthered the infantilization of Black Americans. Bible study is at the heart of InterVarsity. 9 Feb. 2016. For more information about our use of cookies, our collection, use, and disclosure of personal information generally, and any rights you may have to access, delete, or opt out of the sale of your personal information, please view our Privacy Policy. According to Reynolds, matters of faith are not a high priority for BLM, and neither are the ethics of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation, which ought to be demonstrated toward those who are oppressors. We eat together and talk about Jesus or life or spirituality in general. A desire to learn from the past by not making the same mistakes in the future is present within it. Likewise, when we find ourselves in a controversial conversation, we need to seek mutual understanding. Share this great content with your friends! Conflict Is Inevitable in Conversations About Race When you wade into conversations on race, conflict and criticism are inevitable. But when my coworkers or students show pain or anger when talking about issues of faith, Im reminded of Pauls exhortation, Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone (Colossians 4:6). "But using the language of Francis, We use cookies to better understand website visitors, for advertising, and to offer you a better experience. Web. InterVarsity strives to "be a community of grace toward people with all kinds of attractions" (according to its human sexuality document), and runs campus chapters for LGBT students and allies.. In the United States, there are 300,000 churches who identify as Protestant, so our Catholic brothers and sisters theyre not even on that list, she said. Give to reach every corner of every campus. Don't miss out on content from Dave Rubin free of big tech censorship. We can wipe out the adoption crisis tomorrow. The #BLM can be used by anyone, but there is no distance between BLM and #BLM. I dont want that to happen again.[5]. Its funny that you should ask me that The mostly white audience hesitated at first, unsure of what to make of Power to the People, a song full of idioms from the emerging Black Power movement.[1]. He is fielding questions from authors over how the policy will affect them, their books, and the staff they work with. He is married to Margy Hill who is a popular mentor and speaker at events throughout the United States. It's the opposite of the Jesus way. Because they refuse to cave to restrictions, InterVarsity operates 40 of its chapters off campus. One of my favorite campus programs I oversee is Table Manners. While he was content to keep his beliefs to himself, he said InterVarsity higher-ups continued to press him after posts on his blog didnt clearly state a non-affirming or celibate position. Since the 1970s, InterVarsity has attempted to stir believers toward racial reconciliation. Last modified January 6, 2016. A group which publically, called for the lynching and hanging of white people and cops,[23] but denied a non-religious pro-life student group to speak at the same conference. Privacy Policy | Rather, InterVarsity callously looks away from Black Lives Matters deplorable behavior to assuage feelings, and in doing so, does a disservice to the Gospel, biblical doctrine and evangelism. The Church is the bride of Christ, and subject to her Husband, (Eph 5:24), who presents her to Himself, in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless, (Eph 5:27). BLM picks and chooses portions of the Scriptures, painting a distorted portrait of Christ, while denying some of the basic tenets of Christs teaching. The lived perspective of our global friends challenges, provokes, and expands the faith of both students and staff who are given the opportunity to spend time in overseas culture. Huggins delivered, distorted the gospel and was hostile to orthodox doctrine which opposes InterVarsitys stated mission. The charge of neutrality resonances Martin Luther Kings words from his famous essay, A Letter from a Birmingham Jail, where King wrote, I have watched white churches stand on the sidelines and merely mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities. New from Carolyn Carney, InterVarsity's national director of spiritual formation, is this practical and inspiring guide to group and intercessory prayer, including stories, practices, and reflection or discussion questions. They deserve safety, dignity and respect." [15]BLM believes that, "Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise." Ive often found myself tempted to jump right into responding to criticisms about the faith: Oh, you dont really understand that part of the Bible! Oh, God would never do that! Oh, Christians arent like that! Over the years, Ive learned to step back. But Greg Jao, the interdenominational college student ministry's vice president and director of campus engagement, said a Time report of people being "fired" for disagreeing with the policy was misleading. Jao said InterVarsity leaders have known for months that attendance would likely be down. InterVarsity could easily start a movement aimed at glorifying Christ and evangelizing Black Americans. I wanted to know more about his experience. The same is true of coworkers. [23] Lana Shadwick, Black Activists Call For Lynching and Hanging of White People and Cops. Breitbart.Com. In 2016, InterVarsity, an evangelical organization on college campuses across the U.S., asked its 1,300 staff members to self-report if they disagreed with its policy prohibiting sexual activity. They are thoughtful, passionate and happy to tell us the reasons for their disbelief.[13] They find tremendous value in allowing their students to hear ideas that are inimical or hostile to their faith. They wanted to offer those working on campus a more robust approach to ministering to LGBT students and a shared theological underpinning for their positions. In a July letter, InterVarsity encouraged staff that disagree with Intervarsity's position to let the organization know by Nov. 11 in order to begin plans for leaving.