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Christian unions (CUs) are evangelical Christian student groups. They exist in many countries and are often affiliated with either the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (through a national body) or the Campus Crusade for Christ. Many Christian unions are one of the societies affiliated to their universities' students' union. As a broader term, Christian union may refer to any Christian student society, such as SCM and Fusion groups.
Since their split from the Student Christian Movement in the early twentieth century, most Christian Unions in the United Kingdom are affiliated to the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF). Some UK Christian Unions have had difficult relationships with the students' union due to their policy of allowing leaders to choose their successors in order, they argue, to ensure a Christian leadership (students' unions often require democratic processes be followed), opinions on issues such as homosexuality [1] and the role of women, [2] and the requirement that leaders affirm a fixed conservative evangelical [3] [4] [5] Doctrinal Basis. Many, but not all, CUs require all members to sign this Doctrinal Basis. The latter includes doctrinal statements that go beyond the historic ecumenical creeds, e.g. recognising the Bible as the sole authority, and belief in penal substitution. [6] [7] A considerable number of Christian students have problems affirming these points, and feel excluded from Christian Unions. [7] This has led to calls for local Christian Unions to change their name to something more specific, e.g. Evangelical Christian Union. [7]
Christian Unions are active in evangelism to fellow-students. As well as hosting traditional talks and debates, they may hold unconventional events such as "Text a Toastie". [8] These particular events involve providing a number to students, to which they text a question about God, the bible, or Christianity more generally, and in response two members of the Christian Union deliver a toastie to them and answer their question. While considered unusual by some, this has proven an effective way of communicating with other students for many CUs.
Christian fundamentalism, also known as fundamental Christianity or fundamentalist Christianity, is a religious movement emphasizing biblical literalism. In its modern form, it began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among British and American Protestants as a reaction to theological liberalism and cultural modernism. Fundamentalists argued that 19th-century modernist theologians had misunderstood or rejected certain doctrines, especially biblical inerrancy, which they considered the fundamentals of the Christian faith.
The International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) is an interdenominational association of 180 evangelical Christian student movements worldwide, encouraging evangelism, discipleship and mission among students. The headquarters is in Oxford, England.
Parachurch organizations are Christian faith-based organizations that work outside and across denominations to engage in social welfare and evangelism. Parachurch organizations seek to come alongside the church and specialize in things that individual churches may not be able to specialize in by themselves. They often cross denominational and national boundaries providing specialized services and training.
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA (IVCF) is an inter-denominational, evangelical Christian campus ministry founded in 1941, working with students and faculty on U.S. college and university campuses. InterVarsity is a charter member of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, a network of similar campus ministries around the world.
Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship is a UK-based charity that was founded in 1928 as the Inter-Varsity Fellowship of Evangelical Unions. The UCCF endorses a conservative evangelical form of Christian theology.
The Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union, usually known as CICCU, is the University of Cambridge's most prominent student Christian organisation, and was the first university Christian Union to have been founded. It was formed in 1877, but can trace its origins back to the formation of the Jesus Lane Sunday School in 1827 and the Cambridge Prayer Union in 1848. CICCU's stated purpose is "to make Jesus Christ known to students in Cambridge".
The Australian Student Christian Movement (ASCM), formerly the Australasian Student Christian Union, is a Christian group with an ecumenical focus working with university students.
The Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union, usually known as OICCU, is the world's second oldest university Christian Union and is the University of Oxford's most prominent student Christian organisation. It was formed in 1879.
Christians in Science (CiS) is a British organisation of scientists, philosophers, theologians, ministers, teachers, and science students, predominantly evangelical Christians, concerned with the dialogue between Christianity and science. The organisation was started in the 1940s as one of the professional groups of IVF, and was known as the Research Scientists' Christian Fellowship from 1950 until it adopted the current name in 1988.
The Austrian student mission is a group of students from various churches, who want to make Jesus known at the universities in Austria. Currently there are six groups in almost every major university in Austria. The organisation is the Austrian division of the worldwide umbrella organisation International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES), currently covering 160 evangelical Christian student movements in over 140 countries.
Campus Bible Study was established in 1975 at the University of New South Wales by the then Anglican chaplain Phillip Jensen. CBS celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2015, and continues to officially operate out of UNSW's Anglican Chaplaincy. The current Anglican Chaplain is Carl Matthei.
Student Christian Movement of Great Britain is a British religious charity led by students, past and present. The movement is an ecumenical and inclusive community that recognises unity in diversity and explores faith through worship, discussion and action. SCM's vision is that "every student can find a vibrant, open and inclusive Christian community, where they can explore faith and be inspired to put faith into action."
Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship is a New Zealand evangelical Christian student movement with affiliate groups on most university campuses, as well as some polytechnics and other tertiary institutions. It is a founding member of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. With a firm commitment to evangelism and mission, the four principles which guide the TSCF ethos are undivided life, deep thought, global reach and true witness. TSCF partners with approximately 2000 supporters, 1000 students and 27 staff members.
Conservative evangelicalism is a term used in the United Kingdom to describe a theological movement found within evangelical Protestantism and is sometimes simply synonymous with evangelical within the United Kingdom. The term is used more often in the first sense, but conservative evangelicals themselves tend to use it in the second. Conservative evangelicals are sometimes called fundamentalists, but typically reject that label and are keen to maintain their distinct identity, which is more Reformed. Reformed fundamentalism shares many of the characteristics of conservative evangelicalism. In this sense, conservative evangelicalism can be thought of as distinct from liberal evangelicalism, open evangelicalism, and charismatic evangelicalism. Some conservative evangelical groups oppose women ministers or women preachers in mixed congregations.
The Biblical Creation Society (BCS) is a United Kingdom-based creationist organisation founded in 1977 by Scottish minister Nigel M. de S. Cameron (now President of the Center for Policy on Emerging Technologies and a group of evangelical students, who were concerned about the popularity of theistic evolution among conservative Christians, but were repelled by the "wholly negative" attitude of the Evolution Protest Movement. Although inspired by the scientific creationism of John C. Whitcomb and Henry M. Morris, it refused to limit its membership to only Young Earth creationists, and in its name rejected American attempts to separate scientific creationism from its Biblical roots. The organisation is based in Rugby, Warwickshire.
Inter-Varsity Press (IVP) was previously the publishing wing of Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship. It support the publishing or distribution of well over one million books each year to over 150 countries, including the translation of titles into over 90 different languages. Following a UCCF-wide strategic review in 2005, IVP was divested. It was intended that this would reduce the financial burden on UCCF. By 2015, IVP was nearly insolvent. The trustees transferred its assets and liabilities to religious publisher SPCK, with an agreement to use the imprint for evangelical Christian publishing.
Oliver Rainsford Barclay was a British academic and evangelical Christian. Originally a zoologist, he later turned his attentions to widening the influence of conservative evangelical Christianity within universities and theological colleges. He was General Secretary of the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship from 1964 to 1980, and also Chair of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students from 1971 to 1979. In 1989, he co-founded the journal Science and Christian Belief.
The Groupes Bibliques Universitaires (GBU) are student groups that meet at universities or nearby for in-depth Bible study. They were founded in the beginning of the 20th century and currently operate in an officially recognized way in more than 154 countries, with a presence in 168 countries.
Bristol University Christian Union emailed members to say that women will not be asked to preach – unless, in the case of a handful of married students, they are accompanied by their husband. The decision represents the latest sign of the growing influence of conservative evangelical teaching, particularly among younger Christians. It sparked a furious reaction among fellow students and the university student union said it was investigating.
UCCF, the broadly conservative, evangelical organisation to which 128 university Christian Unions are affiliated
Christian Unions and Student Unions