Christian Union the Magazine Summer 2017

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Christian Union the magazine :: summer 2017

Christian Union Celebrates Opening of Melrose Center page 4

Special Feature Section: Stewardship, Generosity, and Joy Christian Union New York: Boldly Blessing the Big Apple The Spiritual Climate on Campus The latest from Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, & Yale

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table of contents

volume xvi issue iii

Christian Union

the maga zine :: summer 2017

in e ach issue Letter from the CEO / 3 Stewardship News / 6

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Q and A / 14

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10 Stewardship, Generosity and Joy

on the web

summer 2 017 fe at ure sec t ion Eternity-Minded Stewardship and Giving / 12 Q and A with Mark Dillon / 14 Kingdom Business: Bob Doll / 16

18 From the University to the City

the maga zine

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cover photo: The Robert L. Melrose Center for Christian Leadership dedication. Front row (left to right): Ken Melrose, Matt Bennett, and Kaye O’Leary; back row: James Fields, Lorri Bentch, Rolland Daniels, Lisa Jeffrey, and Carol Fausnaught. photo credit: David Navadeh

34 The Spiritual Climate on Campus

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updat e s fr om l e ading univer si t ie s Melodious Refrains to Glorify God (Columbia) :: Agricultural Sustainability & Faith (Cornell) :: Socially Unacceptable (Harvard) :: Mom and Mentor (Princeton) :: Unapologetic Philosophy (Yale) :: News-in-Brief from each university, and more

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

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Leadership 101 (Cornell) / 20 Science, Mathematics, and Christianity (Princeton) / 22 chris tian union univer sities Harvard / 24 Penn / 25 Columbia / 27 Brown / 30 Dartmouth / 31 Yale / 28 chris tian union cities Christian Union New York / 32

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Christian Union T H E

M A G A Z I N E

volume xvi issue iii summer 2017 Matthew Bennett

editor-in-chief

executive editor

managing editor

creative director

Patrick Dennis

staff writer

Catherine Elvy

field reporters

Lorri Bentch Tom Campisi

James Supplee

Jessica Tong Zachary Lee Francine Barchett Kayla Bartsch Madeline Killen

INVEST IN TOMORROW’S LEADERS.

Ayleen Sanchez Nathan Barlow Madeline Ditzler Pam Traeger

photo editor

contributing editor

proofreader

Rachel Mari

art director

Michelle Taylor

production

Sarah Camp

Bethany Wakeley

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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 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.

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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

©2017 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

Shining the Light of Christ On Campus We are determined to do everything in our power to continue to let the love of God shine…

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issue makes the case for more independent Christian ministry centers at these influential schools as a protection for the Gospel witness to endure no matter how hostile to faith universities may become.

Christian Union is seeking space near, but independent of, leading universities like Columbia, Dartmouth, Penn, and Stanford. Future ministry centers would be used for Bible courses, one-on-one mentoring, prayer meetings, and Christian seminars.

During every school year, students who never heard the Gospel or knew about the love of God come to faith in Christ. We are determined to do everything in our power to continue to let the love of God shine wherever men and women have little-to-no exposure to His grace and merciful kindness in Jesus Christ. As Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:16: “…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Many blessings to you in Christ,

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Matthew W. Bennett

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.

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few years ago, I asked the Dean of Religious Life and the Vice President of Student Life at Princeton whether they would ever seek to ban Christian ministries from campus the way Vanderbilt had banned Christian ministries in 2012. Neither would answer the question.

Try to imagine the significance of their silence on that important subject. On the one hand, I appreciate that they didn’t tell me a falsehood just to get me to go away.

On the other hand, how strange it is that an institution founded to bring glory to Jesus Christ would consider such a course of action. The light of Christ used to permeate all learning at the university, but over time it was relegated to the theology and religion departments. Later still, it was consigned to the Dean of the Chapel (name later changed to Dean of Religious Life)— even that changed in 1980 when Dean Earnest Gordon was fired for leading students to faith in Christ.

Devotion to Christ was subsequently relegated to independent chaplaincies and student organizations, where it now stands.

For Vanderbilt, that was still too close of an association; and that decision puts in jeopardy a Christian witness at all the universities where Christian Union currently ministers.

An article on the next page chronicles our recent dedication of the Robert L. Melrose Center for Christian Leadership, which is located adjacent to Princeton University. A subsequent article in this

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A Grand, Glorious Opening Christian Union Dedicates Robert L. Melrose Center by catherine elvy, staff writer

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lead benefactor behind the 4,100-squarehristian Union marked the ulty. In 1959, the Orlando native and his foot center, which now bears the name of much-anticipated opening of wife, Jamie, died together in an electrical his cherished late brother. the Robert L. Melrose Center accident in Gainesville, Florida.

“We are so thankful to Ken,” said Benfor Christian Leadership with a jubilant Ken Melrose’s support for a welcoming nett, after helping Melrose maneuver a pair but touching celebration. ministry center near the heart of Princeton’s of 3-foot scissors to slice an orange ribbon On June 2, representatives and supcampus dovetailed with his desire to honacross the facility’s porch. porters of Christian Union attended a or his extraordinary older brother and with As for the building’s namesake, Robert ribbon-cutting ceremony for the commishis passion for sharing the concept of sioning of the Melrose Center, which is adjacent to Princeton University.

“This is a really, really wonderful day,” Christian Union Founder and CEO Matt Bennett told a crowd on the lawn of 19 Vandeventer Avenue.

“This center is going to do so much for the purposes of Jesus Christ…Our hope and desire is to see so many Christian leaders come out of this university.”

During the dedication, which coincided with Princeton Reunions, Bennett highlighted the university’s remarkable legacy for producing scores of leadThe Robert L. Melrose Center for Christian Leadership was dedicated on June 2, 2017. Front row (left ers on both the national and to right): Ken Melrose, Matt Bennett, and Kaye O’Leary; back row: James Fields, Lorri Bentch, Rolland international stages, including Daniels, Lisa Jeffrey, and Carol Fausnaught. Photo credit: David Navadeh U.S. Supreme Court justices, heads of state, and titans of inMelrose was a committed Christian, hisdustry. In October, Christian Union purChristian leadership with future profestory major, and Princeton alumnus of chased the nearly $2 million structure to sionals.

1954. The member of Dial Lodge also provide an enhanced home base for the The former chief executive officer of participated in varsity track, the Ameriflourishing ministry at Princeton.

The Toro Company documented much of can Whig-Cliosophic Society, and the “We, by God’s grace, are trusting that his faith-based corporate journey in MakStudent Christian Association. this center will rapidly accelerate ministry ing the Grass Greener on Your Side: A CEO’s After graduation, Robert Melrose served on campus,” said Bennett, Cornell ’88, Journey to Leading by Serving. in the U.S. Navy and subsequently entered MBA ’89.

During a celebration dinner for the graduate school at the University of Florida, Bennett also paused to express proministry center on June 1, Ken Melrose where he also became an assistant professor. found gratitude to retired executive Ken recalled both his personal commitment to Melrose’s goal was to join Princeton’s facMelrose, Princeton ’62, for his role as the reflecting Christian principles in industry

Originally on Nassau Street and across from the Bainbridge House, the building originally known as Beatty House dates back to about 1780. Jacob Hyer, a former colonel in the Continental Army and tavern proprietor, reportedly sold the house to Erkuries Beatty, a Revolutionary War officer, around 1815.

bought it and moved it to its current location, according to a newspaper account.

Over the years, the house functioned in a variety of capacities, including as a girls’ school, boarding house, and antiques dealership. The Historical Society of Princeton purchased the property in 1991 and leased it to commercial tenants until private own-

The Robert L. Melrose Center for Christian Leadership

ers bought it in 2005 for a stately residence.

With Christian Union’s commissioning of the Melrose Center, the storied structure now will be “used for the glory of God on this campus,” Bennett said. | cu

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Beatty, the son of a Presbyterian clergyman, was a member of Princeton’s class of 1762 and later a trustee of his alma mater. The edifice stayed in the Beatty family until 1875 when Jacob Vandeventer

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Learn more about the Melrose Center and see photos of the celebration events: www.MelroseCenter.org Enhance and preserve the strategic impact of the facility for generations to come by becoming a Friend of the Melrose Center: Give online: christianunion.org/melrosecentergift Contact Carol Fausnaught, Associate Vice President, Development, 570-326-3102 or Carol.Fausnaught@ChristianUnion.org for more information.

A few naming opportunities are still available.

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and his influential, brilliant, yet fun-loving sibling. “Robert’s Christian faith was very strong,” Ken Melrose told 110 attendees at the Nassau Inn. “He was a great role model for me. His love for Princeton helped shape my life and career.”

Over 170 supporters raised $2.4 million for the Melrose Center’s acquisition and renovation.

The facility features office space for ministry fellows, as well as meeting areas for Bible courses, mentoring, prayer, coaching student ministry teams, and alumni events. A reference room contains biblical commentaries and translations, biographies, and other materials, while an impressive, state-of-the-art kitchen allows students to host dinners and other gatherings.

The Melrose Center provides Christian Union the ability to hold five Bible courses, totaling 50 students, simultaneously.

The ministry expects that most of its weekly Bible courses for the more than 400 students enrolled will be held at the Melrose Center. The spaciousness of the Melrose Center reduces Christian Union’s dependence on Princeton to secure ministry space for its programs. In an era when many university administrations are making Christian ministry more difficult, this security is a great blessing.

In addition to the dedication, the Melrose Center also was the scene for the ministry’s annual Reunions celebrations. About 150 alumni attended a reception on June 3, and many marveled at the elegant but inviting ambience of the celebrated, historic home.

Ultimately, the purchase mirrors Christian Union’s goals of providing practical resources to believers at top universities.

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Ministry Centers Increase Christian Influence Christian Union Launches Drive for Columbia Property

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tudents at the nation’s premiere universities are in desperate need of Christian outreach and influence.

As Christian Union works to meet this need, there is a serious impediment: space.

Christian Union has identified the urgent need to establish ministry centers adjacent to campus at each of the universities where it operates.

Currently, Christian Union operates

Christian ministries can face discrimination on campus, ministry centers reduce Christian Union’s dependency on the universities’ administrations for securing space.

Strengthening Christian Influence As Christian Union celebrates God’s provision of the Robert L. Melrose Center for Christian Leadership at Princeton Uni-

Students there have faced obstacles to gaining official recognition; and without official standing, securing space to gather for the weekly lecture series and for special events is a constant challenge. Although Christian Union ministry fellows often open their homes for Bible courses or utilize coffee shops as meeting spots, the challenge intensifies as more and more students want to study Scripture and grow in Christ.

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The acquisition of Christian Union ministry centers at Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Pennsylvania would lead to increased Christian influence with dedicated space for Bible courses, mentoring, and prayer.

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ministry centers at Brown, Cornell, Princeton, and Yale. The benefit of these facilities cannot be overstated. Ministry centers establish a permanent Christian presence and a visible welcoming space for students, staff, and faculty interested in learning about the Christian faith and experiencing a community of believers. Centers provide space for biblical teaching, leadership training, mentorship, and personal and intercessory prayer. Crucially, in a time when

versity, the ministry envisions impactful ministry centers next at Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Pennsylvania. Christian Union is also seeking to use its ministry center at Yale more strategically.

At some universities, Christian Union’s ministry is one of the largest student organizations on campus. This is true at Dartmouth, where over 160 students were involved in the 2016-17 academic year.

In the case of schools where Christian Union resources an already approved student organization, such as Columbia, Harvard, and Penn, students can schedule facilities on campus when space is available. On many campuses, space is difficult to come by. The ministry at Columbia is engaging nearly 200 students, an extraordinary number for this secular institution. However, the ministry, along with everyone else at the compact urban campus, finds space to be at a pre-

Unlock Yale’s Potential

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Christian Union’s James W.C. Pennington Center has been significantly strengthening Christian witness and influence at Yale since 2014. Located at 31 Whitney Avenue, the property is one block from Timothy Dwight Hall and two blocks from Cross campus. Currently, the ministry rents out the first floor to offset the mortgage costs on the facility. A campaign to make full use of the Center is underway, including renovating two of the center’s floors to make space for Bible courses, speakers, prayer meetings, and alumni gatherings.

With the full use of the Pennington Center, Christian Union will not need to use campus facilities for many events and will not be hindered if the university should discriminate, as in 2012 when it stripped the

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Christian Union is actively seeking gifts to secure a Columbia Ministry Center. For the first time since Christian Union launched at Columbia, a building has become available, ideally situated near campus, just one block from Butler Library.

The proposed property is one of only three privately owned buildings suitable for a Christian Union ministry center; the other two are not for sale. The opportunity likely will not last long. Columbia University owns most of the buildings proximate to campus and routinely buys any that come on the market. This is a unique opportunity to position Columbia as a strategic center for Christian intellectual, social, and even global influence. If you would like to make a ministry center for Columbia a reality, Christian Union offers naming rights to the building and key rooms in the center. The Bridgehead Foundation is generously matching donations, up to $700,000, to gifts made to this campaign. The total goal for the campaign is $2,400,000.

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Rare Opportunity at Columbia

The James W.C. Pennington Center at Yale University

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mium. Christian Union ministry fellows open their homes to students, but they too are constrained by NYC housing sizes. It is not uncommon for the Columbia ministry director and his family to host an outreach in their very small apartment that is attended by more than 100 students over the course of the evening.

Beyond logistics, the reality is that even recognized Christian student organizations face uncertain times. In recent years, some leading universities have “derecognized” Christian ministries. This would not dissuade Christian Union from continuing to offer Christian leadership development to students at these schools, but it would make it more difficult to secure accessible meeting locations for many programs.

Ministry centers at Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Pennsylvania would amplify Christian influence in the spiritual, academic, and social spheres. An effective ministry center would be within easy walking distance of campus. It would be spacious enough to host Bible courses, daily prayer meetings, student leadership team meetings, and a host of activities to serve students and the university community. It would provide office space for ministry faculty and when alumni returned to campus, they would have a place to connect and learn about what God is doing at their alma mater.

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BYX Christian fraternity of official recognition (Christian Union helped students to regain recognition). Christian Union is looking for ministry partners with a heart to see the Gospel go forth powerfully at Yale to support this strategic initiative.

Global Centers Of Godly Influence Over the last 15 years, Christian Union has remained steadfast in its mission—“To transform our nation and world by developing and connecting bold Christian leaders.” Ministry centers at Brown, Cornell, Princeton, and Yale are helping to make this dream a reality.

It is possible to transform America’s academic bastions of secularism into global centers of godly influence. Change is already underway, and Christian Union is boldly asking the Lord to do still more at these wonderful institutions. By God’s grace, ministry centers will help to bring about this much-needed revitalization. | cu

Christian Union’s Judson Center, adjacent to Brown University, is a hub of ministry activity.

If you would like to learn more about making a strategic impact through a ministry center, contact Carol Fausnaught, Associate Vice President, Development: Phone: (570) 326-3102 E-mail: Carol.Fausnaught@ChristianUnion.org

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Make A Strategic Impact

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Naming opportunities are available at the Columbia and Yale ministry centers.

Give online: Columbia Ministry Center: christianunion.org/columbiacentergift Pennington Center at Yale University: christianunion.org/yalecentergift

by god’s grace, and through his power, the ministry of christian union has been developing christian leaders to transform culture since 2002. to all who have given to or prayed for the ministry during the last 15 years,

Thank You

feature section :: summer 2017 Eternity-Minded Stewardship and Giving / 12 Q and A with Mark Dillon / 14 Kingdom Business: Bob Doll / 16

Stewardship, Generosity & Joy But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

matthew

6:20-21

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where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

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As Christians, we are called to be faithful stewards of the time, talent, and treasure God has graciously bestowed on us. In this special section, Christian Union: The Magazine features three men with a wide range of experience and wisdom in this spiritual discipline.

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feature section | stewardship, generosity and joy

Eternity-Minded Stewardship and Giving by randy alcorn

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oncerning money and possessions, the Bible is sometimes extreme, sometimes shocking. When we come to Scripture, it’s for comfort, not for assaults against our worldview, right?

Let God talk about love and grace, thank you. Let us talk about money and possessions—then do with them whatever we please.

Were we honest, that’s what many of us would say.

Some believers ask each other tough questions: “Have you been spending time in the Word? Sharing your faith? Guarding your sexual purity?” Yet how often do we ask, “Are you winning the battle against materialism?” Or, “Have you been peeking at those tempting magazines and websites? You know, the ones that entice you to greed?”

People are more open even about their sexual struggles than about battling materialism, which may be the final frontier.

Some churches do talk about getting out of debt. I applaud that. But you can be debt free and still be stingy and greedy. We don’t need to become smarter materialists; we need to repent of materialism and become smart stewards.

Jesus sees our hearts and knows us well.

He doesn’t call all disciples to give away everything. He does call us to take radical action that breaks our bondage to money and possessions, freeing us to live under His lordship. He calls all of us to dethrone all secondary treasures in order to elevate Him as our primary treasure. If we value anything or anyone more than we value Jesus, we are not His disciples.

What we do with our money doesn’t simply indicate where our heart is. According to Jesus, it determines where our heart

goes. If our heart is where our treasure is (Matthew 6:19-21), then when we move our treasure somewhere else, our heart follows. This is a remarkable truth. If I

want my heart somewhere, I need to put my money there.

When people asked John the Baptist what they should do to bear the fruit of repentance, he told them to share their clothes and food with the poor. Then he instructed tax collectors not to collect and pocket extra money.

money and possessions? Would the evidence convince him we are true followers of Jesus? Or would he see us as baptized versions of the world’s self-preoccupied materialists?

Microsoft executive Tricia Mayer wrote to me, “Stewardship is the Christian life. It is about what we do with every resource given to us, every day we walk the earth, and every relationship we have. The difficult task of stewardship is mustering the discipline and will to manage the problem child called money.”

A steward is entrusted with wealth or property that does not belong to him. It’s his responsibility to manage that wealth in the best interests of, and according to the stated wishes of, the owner. God has given us life, time, talents, money, possessions, family, and His grace. In each case, He evaluates what we do with what He’s entrusted to us.

The steward is granted by the owner sufficient resources and the authority to carry out his designated responsibilities.

When it comes to financial stewardship,

A responsible steward consults the Owner, seeking His direction.

This requires insight and wisdom far beyond our own.

Finally, he told soldiers not to extort money and accuse falsely, and to be content with their wages (Luke 3:7-14).

No one had asked John about money and possessions. Yet his answers showed that John couldn’t talk about spiritual change without addressing how people handle material things.

If John the Baptist were to visit us today, what conclusions would he draw about our attitudes and actions toward

God hasn’t handed us a standardized checklist to mark off. Rather, He has provided us His Word with principles for effective financial stewardship—principles we have to wrestle with. A responsible steward consults the Owner, seeking His direction. This requires insight and wisdom far beyond our own. Scripture says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault” (James 1:5).

Do you truly desire God’s wisdom and empowerment in making difficult stewardship decisions (and evaluating your own heart)? Then ask. He won’t leave you in the dark. He has given you His Word and His Spirit to guide you.

• And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth (Deut. 8:18).

• The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up (1 Sam. 2:7).

• Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all (I Chron. 29:12).

Stewardship is living in the light of these truths. It’s living with the awareness that we are managers, not owners, of what God has entrusted to us for this brief season.

How we handle money and possessions demonstrates who we really believe is their true owner—God or us.

John Wesley offered four questions to help decide how to spend money. Notice how the last three flow directly out of the first one:

portions of His assets with those whose needs are greater than ours?

I spoke with a man who’d read The Treasure Principle, my book on giving. He owns a profitable business and believes for the first time that he knows why God has blessed him financially. It’s not so he can drive nicer cars and live in a nicer house.

It’s to give it to build God’s kingdom. I told him about several different missions’ organizations and pro-life projects, and ways to help persecuted Christians. I wish you could have heard the excitement in his voice as he walked away determined to liquidate more earthly assets and dramatically expand his eternal investment portfolio!

This man followed through, and has given more and more over the years. He isn’t reluctant and guilt-ridden. He’s been liberated from material bondage, and is thrilled to have gotten onboard with what

This article originally appeared in Eternal Perspectives magazine. Reprinted with permission. randy alcorn is the founder and director of

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An updated version of The Treasure Principle was released in July.

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Eternal Perspective Ministries (www.epm. org), a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching biblical truth and drawing attention to the needy and how to help them. A New York Times bestselling author, Alcorn has written nearly fifty books, including Courageous, Heaven, The Treasure Principle, and the Gold Medallion winner, Safely Home.

His books have been translated into over seventy languages and have sold over ten million copies. A revised and updated edition of The Treasure Principle, his most popular book, was released in July.

• In spending this money, am I acting as if I owned it, or am I acting as the Lord’s trustee?

• What Scripture requires me to spend this money in this way?

• Can I offer up this purchase as a sacrifice to the Lord?

• Will God reward me for this expenditure at the resurrection of the just?

If we really believe God is the owner of everything, shouldn’t we regularly be asking Him, “What do you want me to do with your money and your possessions?”

And shouldn’t we be open to the possibility that He may want us to share large

matters! He’s like the man who finds a priceless treasure hidden in the field, “Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matt. 13:44). Do we pity the man for his sacrifices? No! We envy him both for his treasure and his joy.

If God is speaking to you, listen. Nothing’s more fleeting than the moment of conviction.

Never procrastinate obedience. Once we stand before His throne, it will be too late to go back and reclaim a lifetime of squandered opportunities. Gazing into the eyes of the Christ we treasure, we’ll know exactly how we should have lived. God has given us His Word so we don’t have to wait to die to find out. And He’s given us His Spirit to empower us to live that way now. | cu

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feature section | stewardship, generosity and joy

Kingdom Generosity Q and A with Mark Dillon

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ark Dillon has spent his career helping Christian causes secure support, at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Wheaton College, American Bible Society, and now as the executive vice president at Generis, a firm committed to growing generosity in churches, Christian education, and many other Christ-centered ministries. He is the author of Giving and Getting in the Kingdom: A Field Guide (2012, Moody Publishers).

CU: In your book, Giving and Getting in

the Kingdom, you write that not all givers are the same. What do generous people have in common?

MD: One of the great joys of my life has been interaction with thoughtful Christian stewards—scores of them, if not hundreds.

Generous people have guided me to be a more generous person, and frankly, a better person. Here are the consistent characteristics that I see over and over again.

CU MAGAZINE: How would you define

generosity?

CU: You have said that generosity and giving are consistent with God’s very nature.

Can you elaborate?

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MARK DILLON: Generosity is a way of life—a way of being—that exudes profound gratitude for God’s provision and deep regard for the needs of others and Christ’s kingdom above your own. Truly generous people understand, innately, that what they have received, including material wealth, is an unmerited gift of God. The world says, “I’ve earned this and it is mine.”

The follower of Christ says, “What I earn and invest in this temporal life counts for very little. But what I invest in God’s eternal kingdom lasts forever.” That is where joy and meaning come from—in this life and the next.

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MD: Sure. When you think of it, grace defines all of God’s activity toward His creation. He’s freely given us everything: life, breath, family, provision, salvation, an eternal home. Someone has said we’re most like God when we’re giving. Giving lavishly, regardless of merit, is the mark of a true child of God.

Mark Dillon is the author of Giving and Getting in the Kingdom.

First and foremost, generous people exude joy. They are grateful for life and breath and every material and spiritual blessing of their lives. Reluctant givers hold tightly to what they believe are their possessions. Generous people get joy out of giving their wealth, wisdom, and service.

The more they give of themselves, the more joy they radiate.

True givers are not consumed with their own comfort. Their perspective is other-oriented, not self-oriented. A few months ago, I was walking in New York City and passed a sleeping homeless person I had seen many times before. I saw a wom-

an do a beautiful thing. She saw his crusty, dirty feet sticking out of his tattered blanket as he slept. She got down on her knees at the foot of his “bed” and carefully, gently, pulled the blanket over his exposed feet and patted his feet. Beautiful.

One of the givers I admire most spends many days every year helping to build housing for the homeless. He could give money to enable others to do it, but he gets his hands dirty and his body tired for the sake of others.

True givers are humble about their possessions. They don’t talk about what they have earned or achieved, they talk about what God has given them: life, family, and yes, material prosperity. It is not what they have earned, it is what God has graciously given them as a trust for their stewardship.

True givers never stop pushing themselves to be more generous. I think generosity is much more a spiritual discipline than an innate gift. Generous givers are always learning from others and from Scripture how to be more like God in giving of themselves.

CU: What surprised you when you wrote,

Giving and Getting in the Kingdom?

MD: The most pleasing response I’ve received, particularly from fundraisers for Christian ministries, is “Thank you for sharing how my work is not talking people out of money they don’t want to give, but rather, encouraging God’s people to be generous with their resources for the sake of Christ’s kingdom. It makes all the difference in the meaning of my work.”

The other overwhelming response was the observation that there are different kinds of givers, even in the Church. We

giving and generosity in the same way.

Generosity is a key sign of maturity in Christ and that maturity must be cultivated. Calling all God’s people, where they are at in their maturity in thinking about money and generosity, is an important part of growing believers in what it means to be a generous, joyful Christian.

Generous people exude joy.

They are grateful for life and breath and every material and spiritual blessing of their lives.

CU: As a society, particularly in the Christian community, are we trending more or less towards generosity?

MD: There are so many scriptures that deal with money and possessions. Why does 15% of Christ’s teaching deal with money and the use of money? I think it is because

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CU: What are two of your favorite scrip-

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MD: One of my greatest disappointments in Christ’s people in this generation is that we don’t differ very much from the culture at large. Statistics on giving to the church bear this out. But I am not without hope.

As someone who has observed culture for the past 40 years, I see more emphasis on generosity in the church in recent years than ever before. Pastors and their congregations are realizing that the theme of generosity is not a construct of those who need money, but, instead, the very heart of God that His people mirror His generosity to us.

Jesus knew that money consumes an inordinate amount of the thought life of every person—rich or poor. Think how many times, every day, we think about our possessions and make decisions on how we spend our wealth. How we handle our money and possessions reveals, better than anything, our priorities.

So, here are my two favorite scriptures.

First, Jesus’ teaching about the widow’s mite (Mark 12:41-43). This is radical for followers of Christ. What did Jesus commend her for? Not the amount! He said, wealthy people give out of their wealth—but she gave out of her poverty (in other words, she changed her level of living to support Christ’s kingdom). That is what is pleasing to the Lord and what is so hard for us to emulate!

The second is the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12. Here was a man who was prospering greatly. And what did he conclude about his wealth? I should build more barns, store more of my wealth, and “eat, drink, and be merry.” The point is unmistakable. Storing wealth for personal comfort is foolish. Our mortality is certain.

But giving wealth for the sake of others and for the sake of Christ’s kingdom is clearly what is wise in God’s sight. I can’t think of a passage that more clearly shows where our priorities should be. | cu

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tend to think that all Christians are the same. But, when it comes to money and possessions, there is a lot of diversity in the body of Christ. We talked about four kinds of givers.

First, the reluctant giver. This, sadly, represents more of the Christian community than we would care to admit. They adopt the prevailing secular view: “my money is my business.” In my experience, many Christians who hold this view have not grown up in a family that modeled kingdom generosity. I heard recently that 50% of regular attenders/members in churches give $100 or less per year to their church. Sad, but true.

Then, there is the casual giver. The casual giver usually needs to be asked for a gift. They have some notion of God’s call on their possessions and wealth, but they lean toward wealth as being their possession. Their calculation is, “how much of my money should I give to God?” The thoughtful giver is the Christian who understands God’s claim on their possessions. Their giving comes with more joy, though it often comes as the result of request. While their giving seems right and brings joy, it is not without the calculation of “what am I giving up to give this gift?”

Their calculation is, “how much of God’s money should I give?”

The gifted giver is rare (in my experience, less than 5% of all givers). They are truly generous in the way they conduct their life. They take unbridled joy in their giving. Seldom do they need to be asked.

They seek opportunities to advance Christ’s kingdom. Their calculation is, “how much of God’s money should I keep?”

The wise pastor and ministry leader will recognize that not all Christians approach

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feature section | stewardship, generosity and joy

A Standard of Giving

Bob Doll Teaches Young Professionals about Stewardship by catherine elvy, staff writer

B

ob Doll has managed billions of dollars and “made more money than I ever imagined.”

When the investment strategist spoke to a group of young professionals and recent college graduates this May in New York City, he exhorted attendees to be good

believers should make decisions in light of eternal perspectives and model biblical examples of generosity.

“What should motivate us? Have you ever studied heaven?” Doll asked the group of 20 young adults at the Archegos Capital Management office. “Keep that in mind,

Photo courtesy of New York City Leadership Center/Movement Day

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Bob Doll, chief equity strategist for Nuveen Asset Management, spoke at a Christian Union salon in May.

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stewards and to seek the tangible joy associated with generosity.

“Everything you have is given to you

by God, not just the money but the ability to earn money,” Doll said.

The salon, sponsored by Christian Union New York, was held in The New York Times building to explore issues tied to the intersection of faith and work, especially for those who labor within the financial sector.

Doll, Penn MBA ’80, is the chief equity strategist for Nuveen Asset Management.

When it comes to managing their new paychecks and upwardly mobile careers,

and find little ways to be generous.”

Indeed, God bountifully enriches some individuals, specifically to enable them to become benefactors behind spiritual causes. “Don’t ever feel guilty that you make or have money. God does not want us to feel that way,” Doll said. “God wants us to be successful in all of the things He sets out for us to do.”

Doll pointed to the prophetic words of Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

He challenged the young adults to earnestly expand their concept of benevolence, especially in the early stages of their careers.

“God prospers us to raise our standard of giving,” said Doll, who serves on a dozen boards. The kingdom of heaven emphasizes generosity and commitment to service, while worldly empires glorify greed and the drive to be served.

As young professionals advance, especially in the investment arena, many may be able to become extraordinary givers, perhaps even “reverse tithers.” That is, some who labor in the monetary world may eventually reach the point that they live off 10 percent of their income and donate 90 percent to spiritual and charitable causes.

Doll noted his family has set a cap on its standard of living and focuses on being charitable with excess resources.

“We could do a whole lot more, but we’re not going to,” Doll said of the couple’s lifestyle.

Along related lines, he warned salon attendees to avoid the subtle traps of greed and keep their heart attitudes in check as they maneuver in the ambitious financial sector.

“Conspicuous consumption can be something that comes up and you don’t even know it. Our business is not a normal business,” Doll said. “It doesn’t mean you have to do those things.”

Believers who labor in monetary-centric fields should regularly pause to ask themselves about their motivations. “What are you worshipping? What drives you? What gets you out of bed in the morning?” Doll asked. “Just be aware of where you are and where you are going.”

One practical way of gauging internal values is to practice intentional altruism.

God gives each man and woman two major resources, namely time and treasure, Doll said. While each person receives 24 hours to utilize per day, individuals possess widely varying levels of economic means.

Still, both resources serve as key measures of deep-rooted priorities.

“God knows that money and possessions have everything to do with our hearts,” he said.

Doll spoke about the poignant lessons of the parables and warnings tucked inside Scriptures when it comes to personal monetary practices. Collegiate training readily

we robbing ourselves of family? Are we robbing ourselves of health? God wants us to be successful,” said Doll, a father of three children in their 20s. “Like everything, life is a balancing act.”

While much of life requires equilibrium, Christians are called to excel in the workplace. “God does not want C-minus Christians. Our work is an act of worship,” Doll said. “If we are C-minus at work, who wants to emulate us?” Given that, Doll suggested aspiring leaders aim to be considerate, unflappable, savvy and theologically wise.

More importantly, he told the young

Doll spoke about the poignant lessons of the parables and warnings tucked inside Scriptures when it comes to personal monetary practices. Collegiate training readily instructs students on how to generate profits, but there are few lectures covering ways to steward resources.

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adults to be aware of how they represent their Savior as they interact with colleagues.

“Like many of you, I’m a Christian in the workplace,” said Doll.

Doll is quick to offer to pray for his employees and colleagues, even on the spot.

“No one has ever said no to me. Now, I have a chance to talk to Jesus with the guy, right there in my office,” he said. “Those of us who name the name of Christ are being watched. We’re especially watched in the hard chapters of life.”

Christian Union salons offer intimate gatherings to enable believers to cultivate meaningful ties and interact on topics that strengthen the intellectual or spiritual dimensions of their faith. Not surprisingly, the professionals who attended Doll’s talk called it inspirational.

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instructs students on how to generate profits, but there are few lectures covering ways to steward resources.

A fitting starting point for young believers is to study the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:19-21: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

In addition to teaching kingdom principles aligned with finances, Doll also warned the young business professionals to regularly assess their priorities, especially as they take on added responsibilities.

“Are we robbing ourselves of life? Are

The investment manager of CNBC fame offered a “powerful example of a professional who achieved tremendous success on Wall Street, yet remained steadfast in the faith and in his primary calling as a disciple of Christ,” said Dayalan Rajaratnam, Columbia ’17. “It has been hard to find fellow believers in finance, but Bob showed me that even in the highest echelons of the financial world there are strong believers.”

Rajaratnam was struck by Doll’s passion for benevolence. “I am greatly inspired by his commitment to live within reasonable means while giving the majority of his wealth away and I hope to adopt a similar approach to money when I start my career,” said Rajaratnam, who is new to the private equities field.

Brandon Gill, an investment banker, echoed those comments. “Bob’s talk gave us the rare chance to hear directly from a highly successful Christian professional in the finance industry,” said Gill, Dartmouth ’16.

Likewise, Gill also was impressed by Doll’s commitment to giving. “We are also called as Christians to give generously, intelligently and with an open heart to support our churches and communities, a calling Bob has heeded,” Gill said.

As for Doll’s session, the longtime manager addressed some of the practical issues associated with careers on Wall Street and also reminded the emerging adults of the importance of putting stock into their spiritual portfolios.

Despite a “privileged career,” eternal destiny is worth vastly more than worldly wealth, according to Doll.

“I know where I’m going when this heart stops beating,” he said. | cu

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Developing

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photo credit: cody min

from the university to the city

Christian Leaders the mission of christian union is “to transform our nation and world

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by developing and connecting bold Christian leaders.” At some of our nation’s top

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universities, students are impacted through Bible courses, one-on-one mentoring, our

universities

leadership lecture series, and other initiatives. As these future leaders develop a Christ-

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centered worldview, they will be equipped to engage culture effectively. This is at the

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heart of University Christian Union’s work at Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale.

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networks of like-minded believers in key cultural centers, starting in New York City,

cities

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

updat e

change to England through William Wilberforce and the Clapham Circle in the early

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emerge and engage today’s culture.

Tucker Else, a Christian Union ministry fellow at Penn, meets with Jackson Min ’20.

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1800s. Pray that God will bring similar change to the U.S. as new networks of leaders

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their peers—Christian Union Cities—will help them take the next step. By developing

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as these students graduate, christian union’s ministry to its alumni and

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Leadership 101 Staffin ’19 Shares Biblical Insights in Essay

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by tom campisi, managing editor

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Alanna Staffin, a junior at Cornell, spent was an extremely useful model for me as I build the summer months touring the country strong relationships with and mentor other girls in with The Cadets, a ten-time world chamour ministry.” pion drum and bugle corps.

In the essay, Staffin noted her evolution from a In the classroom and on campus at Cornell, as fearful, people pleaser to a leader who will not comshe embodies a seeking God lifestyle, Staffin is boldpromise: “A year ago, I would have been too afraid ly sounding a clarion call and marching to the beat even to speak about Christ in a public environment, of a different drum. but after experiencing God’s transforming grace in “My life’s purpose,” she said, “is to lead others my life, I am genuinely excited to share the model to Christ by exemplifyfor leadership that ining His character in all spires me.” that I do through living Staffin, an animal with the motto ‘Let science major from them see You in me.’ ” Bridgewater, New JerThis spring, at the sey, arrived at a crossurging of her academic roads during the winter advisor, she took a break of freshman year one-credit leadership when broken trust in a course. Students were relationship helped her asked to write speeches see that her identity was about their leadership rooted in people and point of view, combinnot in a relationship ing ideas from the with a loving Savior. course with previous “I quickly realized beliefs and experiences. that I needed to place Staffin’s essay reflected my trust, my hope, and Alanna Staffin testified about seeking to emulate Jesus her personal growth as ultimately my life in a Christ in an essay she wrote for a leadership course at a Christian and the ser- Cornell. relationship that would vant-leader model exemnever fail. And that plified by Jesus Christ. moment is when I truA key component of Staffin’s essay was the imly encountered Christ,” she wrote. portant role of a mentor, particularly Christian Union “Alanna’s faith has taken off in the last year,” said Ministry Fellow Anna Shea. Staffin and Shea met Shea, who noted how Staffin would come to Bible weekly to pray and discuss Scripture, and also studcourse meetings prepared “with questions in the ied a book by D.A. Carson, The God Who Is There: margins of the readings she’d devoured that week.”

Finding Your Place in God’s Story.

“When the answers became clear, Alanna ex“Not only was Anna my mentor, but she was pressed gratitude and wonder in the prayer with one of my closest friends,” Staffin wrote. “The abilwhich we closed our meetings. Praying extemporaity to learn from her example, to ask her difficult neously was uncomfortable initially for her, questions, and to pray together through tough times but with a growing knowledge of the character has strengthened my faith, confidence, knowledge, of God came a passion for communing with Him in and ability to relate to others greatly. Her mentorship prayer. Prayer now characterizes Alanna so much

ious bugle corps and marching bands. During the stressful, rigorous auditions, the sisters would read the Bible and pray together during down times, and were able to share their faith with curious peers.

“Before we set out on the audition process, we prayed together and gave our musical and athletic talents up to God and dedicated our work for His glory,” she wrote.

In the essay, she also noted the power of serving others in her co-ed fraternity at Cornell, whether it was going the extra mile by cleaning at the house, volunteering for events, motivating others to study, or being a friend with a listening ear.

“I am frequently reminded that we are stronger as brothers and sisters when we work together,” Staffin wrote. “One of our new fraternity members told me that “A year ago, I would have been too afraid she would have dropped out of even to speak about Christ in a public Cornell if not for the supportive environment, but after experiencing God’s community that our house protransforming grace in my life, I am genuinely vided her, and I thank God every day that our house is one that excited to share the model for leadership that makes a difference in the lives of its members and the communiinspires me.” ty.”

—Alanna Staffin, Cornell ’19 This fall, she will oversee a student-led Bible course for Christian Union at Cornell. It should be a promisposition of power to be a leader; The most effective ing senior year, as Staffin—as she did in her essay leaders are those who willingly serve others before themand one-credit course—continues to speak volumes selves; and Your success is not your own. about Christian leadership. | cu “As a leader trying to imitate Christ, you can expect that I answer to Him first,” she wrote. “That means I will not put money, fame, or reputation above His priorities, and I will look for opportunities to serve you before being served myself. I will ask for His guidance to do what is right and what is best for everyone in all that I do. I will seek His and your forgiveness in every area in which I fall short…”

Being an ambassador for Christ is paramount.

In the winter, she and her sister Rachel (two of the Staffin sister triplets) attended tryout camps for varthat other students call her on the phone just to have her pray for them.”

As Staffin longed for a deeper, more intimate walk with the Lord, she looked to the Word of God and sought to emulate Jesus Christ.

“If I really wanted to understand how to be a child of God, then the first place I needed to look was to God’s most perfect child: His Son Jesus, who came to earth to be an example for us all,” she wrote.

“Setting aside daily devotional time to read the Bible allowed me not only to learn Christ’s leadership skills, but to see how they transformed those whom He led.”

Staffin’s essay included ten “Biblical Leadership Principles,” including: You do not need to be given a

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Science, Mathematics, and Christianity Christian Union Ministry at Princeton Hosts Seminars, Lectures by catherine elvy, staff writer

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Galileo Galilei, the Italian astronomer and physicist, once opined that mathematics is the “language in which God has written the universe.”

With that quotation as a launching point, a Princeton University senior recently led a seminar on behalf of Christian Union for students to probe the idea that the field of mathematics reflects a divine blueprint of the universe.

“Math seems to be incredibly powerful for de-

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Also during April, students involved in Christian Union’s Princeton ministry heard Hans Halvorson, a noted Princeton philosophy professor, discuss the topic of science and miracles.

On April 3, Halvorson, who serves in both Princeton’s philosophy and mathematics departments, delivered a lecture entitled: Is the Belief in Miracles Ever Rational? Halvorson also participated in a robust question-and-answer session.

On April 28, Christian Union Ministry Fellow

Matt O’Rourke ’17 led a seminar that explored how mathematics reflects divine patterns.

scribing God’s creation,” said Matt O’Rourke ’17.

“Physicists have thought this for a while. Nobody really quite understands why.”

The physics major led the discussion on April 22 in East Pyne Hall as part of a series from Christian Union’s ministry at Princeton exploring the relationship between Christianity and the sciences and mathematics. The META initiative, which began in October, aimed to foster conversations on Christianity and culture.

Kevin Antlitz gave a talk on Genesis during Christian Union’s leadership lecture series. Antlitz said he launched the META initiative to provide student believers with a forum to engage critical issues within their cultural context. “I am passionate about studying and exegeting culture in order to contextualize the Gospel message so that it speaks to our world today,” Antlitz said.

The students meet several times per semester to discuss a wide range of topics relevant to culture,

Lennox pointed to the improbability of randomness producing biologically significant materials, given the astronomical number of possible sequences of the components of a DNA molecule and the simultaneous extreme specificity and precision of the sequence for biological functionality. Likewise, proteins require a “high degree of molecular sensitivity” and the mere substitution of a single amino acid can produce catastrophic results, according to God’s Undertaker.

“Indeed, only a very tiny proportion of all possible sequences on the DNA molecule will exhibit the specified complexity of biologically significant molecules,” Lennox wrote.

“Math seems to be incredibly powerful for describing God’s creation. Physicists have thought this for a while.”

—Matt O’Rourke

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Essentially, it is unreasonable to expect that mere random chance produces complex biological molecules that only function within rigid parameters.

“It would be way easier to win the Powerball every day for the rest of your life,” O’Rourke quipped.

That points to a key question for scholars and students alike. “Where does the seemingly underlying intelligence come from?” O’Rourke asked.

O’Rourke remains awed by the precise nature of mathematics and its ability to convey large subsets of information. “In principle, there is no logical reason why this abstract study of pattern should so perfectly and unfailingly describe God’s natural creation,” he said.

“There are an infinite number of frameworks/ perspectives through which one could view and interpret the natural world. The fact that we know of one and only one that does so with such radical success is completely remarkable.” | cu

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including technology, social media, pop music, and films. “Our hope is that these conversations will help students continue to develop a robust faith in Jesus Christ, while also equipping them to share the Gospel in a compelling way,” Antlitz said.

During his segment, O’Rourke, who plans to pursue doctoral studies in theoretical physics at the California Institute of Technology in the fall semester, noted that mathematics can be remarkably descriptive of natural phenomena.

O’Rourke pointed the students in the audience to the reflections of the late Eugene Wigner, a Nobel Prize-winning Princeton professor of mathematical physics.

In his classic article on the philosophy of mathematics and physics, Wigner noted the “enormous usefulness of mathematics in the natural sciences is something bordering on the mysterious and that there is no rational explanation for it.”

In The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences, Wigner explored how mathematics and physics are so well matched that the coincidence is uncanny. The Hungarian-born atheist went on to ponder “why the success of mathematics in its role in physics appears so baffling.”

In 1963, Wigner won the Nobel Prize in physics for his insight into the fundamental mathe­matics and physics of quantum mechanics. With a mathematic approach to the atom, Wigner became one of the first to apprehend the deep implications of symmetry, which later emerged as one of the key principles of theoretical physics, according to Princeton documents.

O’Rourke, a native of Massachusetts, also pointed to some of the philosophical insights from John Lennox, a University of Oxford emeritus professor of mathematics and a Christian apologist.

In God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God?, Lennox highlighted the apparent divine programming embedded throughout the universe, including in the enormously complex, but simultaneously precise, human genome.

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Seeking God Beyond Harvard Ministry Director Exhorts Seniors

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by catherine elvy, staff writer

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As the class of 2017 prepared for comistry at Harvard also hosted a conference for mencement, Christian Union’s undermembers of the class of 2017. More than 30 seniors graduate ministry director at Harvard attended the event, which was held May 14 to 16 emphasized the significance of seeking God above at picturesque Ottauquechee Farm in Vermont. personal advancement.

Ministry Fellow Christine Shin described the “I hope that you have encountered – and enjoyed – the Living God,” Don Weiss told students during the ministry’s leadership lecture series on April 28. “Do not give up in pursuing God.” Weiss said his own personal joys and thrills have come as a direct result of fellowshipping with God, especially “seeing Him at work, seeing His grace, and watching Him move.” He encour- Christian Union’s ministry at Harvard College recognized seniors during its leadership lecture series. aged the soon-to-be Crimson graduates to dedicate themselves to prayer and Bible study as final getaway together as sentimental and joyful, a they embark upon careers, travel, or advanced debeloved activity for faculty. “It’s great for reflection,” grees. she said.

“There is such an enormous amount of pressure Topics at the conference included: post-graduate to make your mark,” he said. “Don’t let that be your life, selecting churches, plugging into Christian sergod, your No. 1. Don’t let that be what you would vice, navigating romantic relationships, and pracwish for.” ticing faithfulness away from college life.

“One of my favorite aspects of this job is to walk Tyler Parker, a government concentrator through this season of life with seniors,” said Shin.

“There is so much excitement around graduating from Florida, paused to describe his and entering ‘the real world.’ It’s a time to be honest, involvement with Christian Union as to wrestle with disappointments and hopes.”

Shin said she hopes the seniors will relish the “utterly transformative.” transformative, everlasting work of Christ in their Rather, in approaching the next decade and beindividual lives as part of their most precious Haryond, Weiss said he hopes students will be able to vard experiences. “I’m reminded that college years say, “It is well with my soul.” are, at best, like a time-capsule of memories and In addition to celebrating seniors during its weekexperiences that they will carry with them for the ly leadership lecture series, Christian Union’s minrest of their lives,” she said.

In addition, Christian Union staged a reception for the parents and other relatives of graduates on May 23 at its offices on Massachusetts Avenue. More than 25 families attended the gathering. Ministry Fellow Anne Kerhoulas described it as a sweet time to meet parents, just in advance of Harvard’s 366th commencement on May 25. “There is so much joy for us as we celebrate with their families,” she said.

“I feel like the parents see us as partners and there is such mutual love for their kids. It’s a really special night.”

Among seniors, Tyler Parker, a government concentrator from Florida, paused to describe his involvement with Christian Union as “utterly transformative.” The ministry “taught me the joy of Christian community, and it gave me lifelong friends,” said Parker, who will serve as a Christian Union intern in the fall.

Victoria Cochran, a chemistry major from Georgia, echoed those comments and particularly expressed gratitude for myriad opportunities for practical discipleship. Participation in the ministry’s leadership lecture series and Bible courses especially “reminded me of my true identity and greater mission in life amidst the chaos of college,” said Cochran.

At the senior conference, Cochran came away with a greater sense of gratitude for her Christian friends. Likewise, the retreat-like weekend provided some poignant reflective moments. Namely, “being reminded of the times that I clearly felt God with me also helped me trust more in what He has in store for me next in life,” said Cochran.

Parker agreed. “It was a great time to wish each other well and pray that God would use us in our respective occupations for His kingdom,” he said. | cu

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Sentimental Senior Send-Off Christian Union at Penn Celebrates First Graduating Class by catherine elvy, staff writer

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ifornia.

Aimee Knaus, a business management and international studies major, echoed those comments.

“Being involved in a Christian community has been crucial to my spiritual development at Penn,” she said.

In a remarkable achievement, Knaus, who grew up with her American family in Jordan and the Togolese Republic, just secured the coveted Trustees’ Council of Penn Women Student Leadership Award.

As for Christian Union’s efforts to recognize its inaugural crop of degree recipients, the ministry hosted a conference for seniors in advance of Penn’s commencement exercises. About 25 students attended the getaway, which was held May 10 to 12 in Ocean City, New Jersey.

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Christian Union’s ministry at the University of Pennsylvania marked a major milestone when its first set of seniors graduated in May. “This class of 2017 has been the trailblazer, and every other class that comes through Christian Union at Penn will be standing on their shoulders,” said Ministry Fellow Tucker Else. “They’ve built this ministry from the ground up.”

In turn, freshly minted grads also paused to reflect upon the impact of the leadership development ministry they helped launch in autumn 2013. Christian Union “provided both incredible community and supportive mentors, two things that were vitally important to me during my four years at Penn,” said James Bessolo, an economics majors from Cal-

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“We wanted to provide some time for the seniors and founding class to connect before they headed off into their careers,” said Justin Mills, founding ministry director. “We emphasized vocational prep

of the years ahead and the need to continue in faith by joining a community to pursue Jesus alongside,” said Mills, Penn ‘05.

Christian Union’s ministry also paid tribute to seniors during its annual spring formal.

About 50 students plus ministry faculty attended the event on April 27 at Barra Rossa, a popular Italian restaurant on Walnut Street.

There, undergraduates mingled while enjoying a delightful evening of cuisine and fellowship.

“The seniors were sent off with hand-written notes from all those in attendance to say thank you and Godspeed in their future endeavors,” said Else. “The senior class truly has a love for one another and it was a great sendoff. It was also powerful to see the freshIn May, Christian Union’s ministry at the University of Pennsylvania celebrated its first men and sophomores honoring those graduating class. who have gone before them with toasts, notes, and hugs.” and the need to move into the next season with a As the class of 2017 prepared to depart Penn, community of Christians around them, especially Christian Union faculty members emphasized the from a local church.” significance of seeking God above personal achieveWhile the weather was not ideal, the students ment. enjoyed their jaunt to Ocean City and its bustling “There are so many distractions in the world, boardwalk. “It was a wonderful time to cook and and so many voices telling us to pursue other things eat together, to watch a video prepared by one of like wealth or prestige,” said Else. “Everything pales

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“Being involved in a Christian community has been crucial to my spiritual development at Penn.”

—Aimee Knaus, Penn ’17

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the seniors celebrating the ministry’s genesis, and to see a few of the seniors risk hypothermia as they went body surfing,” said Else.

In turn, the upperclassmen described the seaside trek as a fond, but bittersweet, respite. “It was a beautiful time of farewell. We prayed together, laughed together, and stayed up late,” said Knaus.

“The senior retreat reminded me of why I love this community so much.”

At the same time, the conference provided a venue for the seniors to look ahead to some of the challenges of post-baccalaureate life. “We had some pretty sobering conversations about the difficulty

in comparison with pursuing the one hope that any of us has.”

“The world is a tough place to follow Jesus. Your life will consist of 1,000 tiny decisions that will move you toward Jesus and His people or away from Him,” Mills told the seniors.

“If Jesus is the most amazing treasure in all the world, He deserves not only to be the center of all those little decisions, but also of the most important choices of our lives.” | cu

Lessons in Leadership Manion ’18 Inspired by Summer Bible Study by catherine elvy, staff writer

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course leader for Christian Union.

As an emerging leader at Columbia Just as many are doing today, the ancient IsraelUniversity, Kerry Manion ’18 was struck ites turned away from absolute truths and embraced by the relevance of the lessons inside the depravity. Judges 17:6 records, “In those days, there ancient book of Judges. was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right Throughout the tumultuous Old Testament in his own eyes.” As a result, the Israelites experienced chronology, God positioned champions to rescue vicious cycles of bondage, followed by deliverance. the Israelites from formidable enemies. “The judg“The book of Judges is es were all chosen by God,” incredibly relevant to their said Manion, who has growcurrent contexts in college, as ing responsibilities across it details Israel’s struggle in the Columbia’s spiritual, sports, midst of a pluralistic society,” and service arenas. said Ligh, Columbia ’99.

Such themes stood out to The suspenseful stories Manion when she participatand colorful characters inside ed in a recent study with a the 21-chapter book deliver group of female students instrategies for managerial pracvolved with Christian Union’s tices via themes that dovetail ministry. The women devotwith Christian Union’s mised a portion of their summer sion of providing leadership to tackling the timeless intraining to students at leading sights in the seventh book of universities. the Bible, especially the ones Kerry Manion ’18 was impressed with how While candid in its covpertaining to up-and-coming God raised up leaders to rescue the Israelites erage of 300-plus years of leaders. when she attended a summer Bible study turbulent history, the book of The undergraduates gath- hosted by Christian Union’s ministry at Judges poignantly highlights ered for weekly sessions Columbia University. the critical nature of quality during June and July at the leaders, or “judges” as dubbed home of Christian Union throughout the vast chronology.

Ministry Fellow Ava Ligh.

The narratives of Judges also pointed the underThe ministry focused on Judges because the graduates to an example of a key female leader, chapters offer celebrated accounts of unlikely indiDeborah, who played a powerful role in liberating viduals who obey God, step forward for service, and God’s covenant people via her faithfulness. become heroes and heroines.

Just as Deborah put her gifts to work in surprisManion found such narratives inspirational, ing ways, Manion aims to use her abilities in inspiespecially as she acknowledged a desire to become rational, creative, and practical endeavors. The more versed in the challenging, but historically rich, financial economics major already is tackling her passages of the Old Testament. third internship in the financial sector.

The California native was also impressed by the “I do seek to glorify God,” Manion said. cyclical nature of the book, including the patterns Ligh expressed appreciation for Manion as a warm, of sin, judgment, desperation, and deliverance. “It’s enthusiastic mentor for Bible course participants. super relevant for college students,” said Manion, “Her growth this past year has included an inwho began serving a year ago as an assistant Bible

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creased understanding of the human propensity for sin, but also a deepened appreciation for God’s forgiveness and grace,” said Ligh. “It has led to an observable inner calm and peace.”

Manion is actively involved with College Mentors for Kids, Multicultural Business Association, and Columbia Culinary Club.

Along those lines, one of Manion’s key spheres of collegiate influence involves her role as a defender on Columbia’s women’s soccer team. In 2016, the accomplished athlete started all 17 games at center back for the Lions, earning an All-Ivy League honorable mention, her second such recognition in three seasons.

“God has blessed me in ways I could not even

imagine,” said Manion.

Also on campus, Manion is actively involved with College Mentors for Kids, Multicultural Business Association, and Columbia Culinary Club.

But nearer to Manion’s heart is her work as a Columbia ambassador for Team IMPACT, a national organization that “drafts” chronically or terminally ill children into college athletic teams. As a result, an infirm child becomes part of a squad, and college students bolster the child’s support team.

“It’s really a privilege to make them happy,” said Manion, also a veteran camp counselor. “I don’t take anything for granted.”

With that, Manion expressed gratitude for one of the major recurring lessons of her summer journey through Judges, namely that God commissions ordinary individuals for legendary battles. “The world needs leaders,” she said. “God can really use anyone.” | cu

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The Sacred Search Christian Union at Yale Hosts Author Gary Thomas

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dom, as Bland remarked, “Yale, even especially What if it’s not about who you marry, but amongst universities, is pretty steeped in the hookwhy? up culture, enough to bleed into the Christian comThis is the question that was posed munities too, unfortunately.” to the audience of Battell Chapel on a cold, rainy Hernandez echoed those sentispring day. Hundreds of attendees ments. from Yale and the broader New “Yale doesn’t have much of a Haven community came to the culture of thinking about or preOld Campus landmark to hear the paring for a marriage relationship, words of Gary Thomas, a bestselling author and expert on the mateven though there is a culture of temporary relational or sexual gratters of marriage and relationships. ification,” she said.

His most recent publication on Thomas’ talk challenged those the topic, The Sacred Search, proin attendance to analyze their invided an outline for the evening. tentions and methods of seeking Christian Union at Yale hostout a marriage partner. Hernandez ed the event, which was emceed was impressed by the “way he deby Jess Hernandez ’16, a Christian Christian Union’s ministry at Yale bunked the misperceptions from Union intern, and Sean Bland ’18, University hosted author and modern culture about what to look a key leader in the ministry. international speaker Gary Thomas The campus was uniquely for a seminar on relationships. for in a potential partner,” and poised to receive Thomas’ wis“gave an incredibly insightful pre-

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ture’s wisdom. However, even though he used Scripture as his foundation, he was very intentional in keeping his talk accessible and practical for Christians and non-Christians alike.

The acclaimed author continually urged the audience to make what he termed a “wise marital choice” – a choice informed by real character strength and spiritual strength. For this end, Thomas supplied an alternative “checklist” of six qualities to look for in a potential spouse, and to be cultivating in yourself. He highlighted the importance of selflessness, parenting aptitude, a prayerful spirit, humility, generosity, and a fruitful interior life as guided by the Holy Spirit in one’s marital companion and, of course, in oneself. However, Thomas also emphasized that no human relationships function via concrete rules – if both members of the relationship are willing to grow with and forgive each other, God will provide the grace needed for a successful marriage.

Hernandez’s main takeaway “was the way Thomas reframed the conversation around the idea that people ought to think of all relationships as pre-marriage relationships instead of as romantic relationships that are fulfilling until they’re inconvenient or otherwise.”

As the lecture ended and umbrellas appeared, as students made their way back to their dorms and other audience members back to their cars, several hearts were touched and much thought turned inwards by Thomas’ insightful questioning of typical relationships. | cu

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sentation of a Christian worldview on marriage.”

Thomas described the top three common notions as to why couples enter into relationships and ultimately get married, and why using these as a marriage partner “checklist” could be ultimately harmful in the long run.

The first reason was the idealization and infatuation of the other person, a phenomenon partly biological and partly fed by “soulmate culture.” In believing that you have found your cosmic other half, it is much easier to look past certain character traits in the other that will lead to an unhealthy marriage. The second reason he listed was physical attraction, which is an unavoidably fleeting part of marriage and one that cannot provide lasting fulfillment. The final reason Thomas presented on the marriage checklist was having fun when spending time together. Although it is important to enjoy being around your potential spouse, the married life is full of much more mundaneness, requiring a certain perseverance that date night does not. Throughout his descriptions, Thomas was met with the knowing, affirmative murmurs of the crowd.

The noted author emphasized that marriage is much more than spending a lot of time with another person; rather, marriage is a specific task with a prescribed set of duties. In a similar way that you would not choose someone to defend you in court who lacks a law degree, Thomas illustrated that you should not choose to marry someone who lacks the qualities necessary for the job. Instead, one should be looking for “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5: 22-23) in their potential significant other, and be working to cultivate such qualities in themselves.

Thomas used these verses as his cornerstone for the talk, always centering his insights around Scrip-

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Text for Chick-fil-A Students Deliver Sandwiches, Answers to Hard Questions

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by ayleen sanchez, brown

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As final exams were approaching, Christian Union at Brown University organized a “Text for Chick-fil-A” event in an effort to engage students in open discussions about Christianity.

The leadership development ministry also sought to ease the stress of finals with the free sandwiches.

During the two-hour event, students were invited to text a question about Christianity, God, or spirituality, along with their location on campus. A representative from the ministry would then hand-deliver a Chick-fil-A sandwich along with an answer to their question.

The students organizing the event dedicated a lot of time into advertising far in advance, building anticipation while making it both inviting and accessible. A key component of the outreach was the potential questions, including less threatening ones such as “Do dogs go to heaven?” to more hot-button ones such as “Can a person be a ‘homosexual’ and a Christian?” These efforts sparked a lot of conversation among students as they began to discuss topics likely to elicit the most controversy in the secular environment of Brown’s campus.

The questions arrived at a fast pace as soon as the event began. Students were dispatched immediately. Gianna Uson ’18, who was part of the team that received the questions, said the supply of sandwiches did not last long.

“I think we received around 200 texts within the first 15-20 minutes,” she said.

Many volunteers were worried students would be either ambivalent, hostile, or focused on the free food, but there were no reports of antagonistic behavior during the deliveries, only civility and positivity.

Lisa Yang ’20 was pleasantly surprised by the interactions she encountered.

“There were certainly those who raised objections and those who saw this as no different from any other event with free food, but there were also people with genuine questions. [These students] now have at least one place where they can find someone

with whom to talk through struggles.”

Questions received ranged from simple, fact-based inquiries such as “What were Jesus’ last words on the cross?” to those that were interested in deep discussion.

For example, in the lobby of one of the libraries, a small group of Christian Union volunteers delivered a sandwich to a person asking how religions can coexist if Christianity claims to teach the only truth. A discussion around truth and relativity ensued with the Christian Union team and four of the student’s friends.

Brenton Duhon ’19, who helped with the outreach, said, “Students were extremely receptive to the conversations and, in many cases, were more interested in the discussion than the free chicken sandwich.”

Although largely successful, the suggested questions received some negative feedback. For example, one student was upset by the question “Can a person be gay and a Christian?” and began to draw attention on social media to Chick-fil-A’s well-known support for traditional marriage. Although several similar situations arose in the hours prior to the event, student volunteers, though nervous, prepared for the deliveries with prayer, remaining confident in God’s moving grace.

And the conversations continued long after the sandwiches were finished and the event had ended.

Uson reported that “some people texted follow-up messages saying that it was okay if we didn’t get a sandwich to them, but to come anyway to have a conversation.” Many volunteers, such as Uson, readily gave more of their time after the event had officially ended as they engaged in conversations, allowing God to work through them.

Members of Christian Union’s ministry said it was a true blessing to be able to establish a place where students could open up about their struggles and questions about Christianity. | cu

Pressing Toward the Mark Jeffrey Gao ’18 Gears up for Senior Year by tom campisi, managing editor

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Chase Carlisle, a Christian Union ministry fellow Jeffrey Gao, a rising senior and member at Dartmouth, said Gao is humble, teachable, and of the lightweight rowing team, is on the well-balanced in various facets of college life. final lap of his Dartmouth College days.

“I don’t know many students, or people in genIt’s been three fantastic years for the San Diego eral, as disciplined as Jeff. Whether it’s serving the native, who is a co-president of Christian Union’s community, rowing, or academics, he just seems to ministry on campus. With the wind at his back, always be on task and dedicated to what he’s doing,” Gao is preparing for the start of his senior year, Carlisle said. welcoming incoming freshmen, and continuing to For the past two years, with the encouragement be an ambassador for Christ on the rowing team. A of Christian Union ministry fellows, Gao led a Bicomputer science and economics double major, he enjoyed a summer internship with a research and experience management company in downtown Seattle, but is eager to return to campus in Hanover, New Hampshire and his role with Christian Union’s leadership development ministry.

“Christian Union has been an incredible source of growth for me in my time at Dartmouth. The ministry fellows and student leaders have been active in getting to know me and in mentoring me even before I arrived as a freshman,” said Gao, who received the National Merit ScholPhoto courtesy of Dartmouth Athletic Department arship during his senior year of high school at Canyon Crest Academy. “Over Jeffrey Gao (center) is a co-president of Christian Union’s ministry at Dartmouth. the past few years, I’ve made deep and lasting relationships that I never would have expectble study with teammates on the lightweight rowing ed and I’ve learned so much about what it looks like team. He had participated in the Bible study as a to seek the Lord well.” freshman, and stepped into a leadership role after Gao’s growth as a believer and emergence as a the graduation of a senior who started it. leader was impacted by Bible courses, mentoring, “The course has grown a lot over the last few fellowship, and the example of upperclassmen who years, and, by now, a good portion of the team has went before him. been to at least one of the weekly meetings at some “My biggest takeaway from Christian Union at point. It is an amazing opportunity because it gives Dartmouth has been an overall understanding of me a chance to talk about Scripture and faith with what life in Christ and in Christian community the people around whom I spend the most time,” looks like,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot about how to Gao said. approach repentance and forgiveness and how to As he steps into a larger role with Christian have accountability and prayer with my closest Union, Gao will pass along the leadership of the friends. I’ve also learned what it looks like to study team Bible study to another rowing mate. He is Scripture regularly and to think about serious and hoping to attend that Bible study, in addition to a relevant issues from a Christian perspective.”

Christian Union Bible Course for seniors. In Sep-

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tember, he and other leaders will coordinate the ministry’s freshmen welcoming campaign, which includes a series of events, outreaches, and invitations to attend Christian Union Bible Courses.

“I’m already a little sad that I only have a year left,” he said. “What I’m looking forward to the most this year, though, is probably the relationships I’ll develop by growing deeper with the guys in my class and getting to know the incoming class of 2021s.”

Carlisle and the Christian Union faculty are

confident that Gao will finish strong in his senior year as he seeks to impact the campus community with the Gospel and disciple Dartmouth students in the same manner in which he has received.

“As a co-president of Christian Union at Dartmouth, Jeff is known by his peers for his genuine care and humility,” Carlisle said. “He has a good head on his shoulders and is always thinking about how better to serve and relate to those around him.”

“I’m happy to know this brother and serve with him.” | cu

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Boldly Blessing the Big Apple Christian Union Joins City-Wide Outreach by tom campisi, managing editor

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t was Jesus Week in New York City. And Scott Crosby had the honor of closing in prayer at the culminating event, a massive praise and proclamation rally to lift up the name of Jesus in Times Square.

Crosby, the ministry director for Christian Union New York, looked over the crowd of thousands of believers, seekers, and onlookers, and prayed the words of Psalm 107.

“I prayed for boldness for the church in New York to talk about Christ,” he said. “This psalmist speaks to the redeemed about all they have to be thankful for, all that which the Lord has redeemed them from, and the blessings He has given them.

This is a prayer for us, as the church, to remember what the Gospel has done for us and to take it to those in the city who have not heard or who have not responded to this good news.”

Jesus Week was held from May 27 to June 3 in all five boroughs. Coordinated by Concerts of Prayer Greater New York, the event united Christians of various denominations and ethnicities for prayer walks through zip codes, worship, acts of service, ministry to the poor, and evangelism.

On a beautiful Saturday evening, Crosby joined with other city leaders for the main event in Midtown Manhattan.

Scott Crosby, the ministry director for Christian Union New York, closed in prayer during a Jesus Week event in Times Square.

identify as atheists and agnostics.

“With millennials, in particular, there is an aspect to imagination that is important in conversations on the Gospel. They aren’t in need of facts/information as much as the need to have their imaginations engaged to think about life and faith biblically...” he said. “And part of this involves community – that imagining a life where faith is central requires more than one person explaining it; it requires stepping into it with others…”

Looking back on the past year for Christian Union New York, Crosby was encouraged by the engagement of the community groups and participation in regular salons and forums that were offered. As these young professionals grow in grace and continue to mature, they can help make his Jesus Week prayer of Psalm 107 a reality.

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“These are young leaders who have the capacity to bring about far-reaching change,” Crosby said.

“They have a lifetime ahead of them and are willing to approach their calling in different ways – looking at reshaping their vocations in redemptive ways, developing networks that cross spheres and cities, and challenging the status quo, as most new generations do.” | cu

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“The experience of praying on the stage in the middle of Times Square was memorable and surreal. It was not something I had ever imagined doing, even though I have walked through that area countless times before,” Crosby said. “I had not imagined taking over a block in the heart of New York’s busiest square to pray and talk about Christ openly and unequivocally. Thousands of people were walking through the square, resting and conversing, shopping, being tourists—and on that day, they heard the Gospel.”

Christian Union, a sponsor of Jesus Week, often partners with Concerts of Prayer Greater New York for various events and activities related to prayer in the city. For the last 22 years, Concerts of Prayer has directed The Lord’s Watch, a 24/7, 365-day-ayear prayer effort with 100 churches that centers around four R’s: “Revival in the Church, Reconciliation between Churches and Races, the Reformation of Society, and Reaching out with the Gospel.”

With a passion for and a reliance on prayer, Concerts of Prayer and Christian Union are natural partners.

“Concerted and consistent prayer has been a hallmark of Christian Union since its inception; we pray daily as individuals, as teams, and as an entire organization,” said Crosby.

Evangelism is also paramount, both on college campuses with Christian Union Universities and in key metropolitan areas with Christian Union Cities. Crosby has had the chance to see that emphasis grow in his community groups of young professionals in New York.

“Evangelism is generally woven into the various community groups we organize, as well as in the events we host,” he said. “Generating thoughtful conversations about Christ is a natural outcome of what we do in the pursuit of our mission – to see lives and the culture transformed by the Gospel.”

In June, Crosby led a lengthy conversation about being a witness among colleagues and friends who

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the spiritual climate on campus

brown 35 columbia 3 8 cornell 41 dartmouth 4 4

penn 5 0 prince ton 5 3

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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

Growing in Grace PETRO ’17 THANKFUL FOR CATHOLIC COMMUNITY AT BROWN

By Ayleen Sanchez, Brown ’19

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lectual life, he “fell in love and decided on the spot!”

Four years later, Petro described Brown University as having a “highly antagonistic culture” that can create a “hostile environment for just about anybody,” not just religious students.

As a leader who served on several diverse boards and committees, Petro said faith is often ignored by an administration and student body who seem to be unaware of the many vibrant religious communities on cam-

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growth is a result of my experiences in classes and organizations at Brown.”

Petro grew up in Norwood, Massachusetts and attended Saint Sebastian’s School, an all-boys Catholic school. When considering Brown, the secular environment was not a concern; instead, he was focused on the acclaimed neuroscience programs at the university.

Once he visited the campus in Providence, Rhode Island and learned more about the open curriculum, the programs, and the stimulating intel-

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ichael Petro, a member of the class of 2017 who is considering the priesthood, recently reflected on his spiritual growth during his four years at Brown University.

An anthropology and Latin American studies major, Petro said his involvement with the Brown-Rhode Island School of Design Catholic Community helped him thrive, despite the university’s marginalized view of religion.

“My faith has definitely grown,” he confidently stated. “Some of that

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pus. Religion is never considered a meaningful form of identity in the first round of discussion, he said.

Despite this negligence on the part of the university to acknowledge and fully support religious communities, Petro can attest to the way these ministries continue to flourish and how the “liberal and questioning environment” prompts Christian students to grow deeper in their beliefs and values.

The challenge of evangelizing or explaining their faith to other students has accelerated growth in many Brown students, he said. Additionally, Petro recalled discussions and top-

ics that inspired him to examine further Catholic doctrine and teaching, especially regarding justice for migrants and refugees.

The classroom was a place where his faith was also tested. Petro is grateful for the challenges his studies in neuroscience and, later, anthropology, have brought, including questions he continues to wrestle with today. Although he was aware of situations where professors openly ridiculed faith and religion, Petro was thankful that he “never found this active antagonism to be a part of my own experience.”

Despite being a minority as a

Christian at Brown and despite the isolation he felt at times, Petro believes he was able to overcome these trials with the grace of God and through the help and support of the BrownRISD Catholic community.

In the fall, Petro will again rely on his faith community for encouragement and guidance. He will return to Saint Sebastian’s School as a Spanish teacher, while continuing to pray and work with his home church to discern whether God is calling him to the Catholic priesthood. It’s another step on a remarkable faith journey. | cu

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BROW N | On Campus

Community Advocate C U M B E R B AT C H ’ 7 9 F O U N D C A L L I N G AT B R OW N

By Tyler Smith

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ditor’s note: The following story is versity Hall—it was such an exciting reprinted with permission from prospect to be a senior in high school Brown Alumni Magazine.

Ashton Cumberbatch had already decided against going to Brown when he visited campus in April 1975. The Queens, New York native had decided to attend Haverford College, but he received an invitation to visit Brown as a prospective student and—hey, free trip to Providence! Little did he know that his timing was historic.

“That was the weekend black students took over the administration building,” says Cumberbatch ’79. “They had been negotiating with the administration to make the campus more inclusive, and Ashton Cumberbatch there I was right outside Uni-

and see a place where students were committed to making a change for good. I determined on the train ride home that I was going to Brown.”

Over his last three decades living in Austin, Texas, Cumberbatch has become one of the city’s leading community advocates, a passion he attributes in part to his time on campus. “The work I started at Brown is very much related to the work I’m doing today,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to cultivate a holistic community, where everyone has an equal opportunity.”

At Brown, he also found a spiritual calling. “I always went to church,” says Cumberbatch, now an executive pastor at Agape Christian

Ministries just north of Austin, “but, when I was at Brown, I really got involved with a campus ministry and some predominantly black Bible studies, so I was growing not just academically, but spiritually.”

It was divine intervention, Cumberbatch insists, that led him and his soon-to-be wife, Jennifer Rousseau ’79, to Austin: “I didn’t know anything about Austin or the University of Texas,” he admits. “For me, the earth stopped south of Virginia.” Then a chance conversation changed everything.

“One day I was in Robinson Hall talking to a friend who said he was going to apply to all the good law schools except for the University of

ton Foundations, the fundraising arm of a major Catholic healthcare network in central Texas, a position he holds while “on loan” to Austin mayor Steve Adler’s office as a policy adviser.

One of Cumberbatch’s projects, the Spirit of East Austin, helps bring “equitable, sustainable, transformative, and holistic development” to the east side of Interstate 35, an historically underdeveloped and underrepresented area of town. Cumberbatch also serves on the mayor’s task force opposing institutional racism in Austin, which ranks as the most economically segregated metropolitan area in the United States.

Whether fighting for social and

“The work I started at Brown is very much related to the work I’m doing today. I’ve always wanted to cultivate a holistic community, where everyone has an equal opportunity.”

Two hundred years ago, students at Brown University listened to an oration highlighting the privilege of religious freedom during a commemoration of the anniversary of American independence.

On July 4, 1817 in the chapel, Benjamin F. Allen equated “liberty of conscience” to one of the “dearest of all earthly blessings.” Allen reminded students that their colonial forefathers “toiled and suffered and bled” to guarantee that practice.

With the adoption of the Bill of Rights in 1791, specifically the free exercise of religion clause, U.S. Congressmen bestowed a precious freedom on the people of America. “It remains with you to preserve it,” he said.

Allen was a member of Brown’s Federal Adelphi, an organization of degree holders, educated professionals, and college upperclassmen.

Students for Life

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Students for Life at Brown continues to engage the campus community and further the pro-life cause.

In January, the organization attended the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. with a group from Providence College. Over the past academic year, the leadership of Students for Life at Brown invited speakers from Students for Life of America to instruct members on common pro-abortion arguments and how to respond to them.

By encouraging and teaching young, pro-life advocates, Students for Life at Brown hopes to initiate civilized, thought-provoking conversations on campus.

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racial parity as a member of the Austin Independent School District’s Citizen’s Bond Board, promoting economic development as chair of the Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce, or sponsoring civic engagement with the Austin Bridge Builders Alliance, Cumberbatch has taken his message from God and applied it to a life of service. | cu

Allen’s 1817 Oration Celebrated Religious Freedom

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Texas, because it didn’t have a medical school, and his fiancée wanted to go to medical school. And right then,” says Cumberbatch, “the Lord spoke to me and said: ‘That’s where I’m sending you—Austin, Texas.’”

After completing law school, Cumberbatch became a prosecutor.

He then progressed to leading the trial division in the Travis County District Attorney’s office and was appointed as police monitor for the city.

He also made partner at a local law firm. At the same time, Jen worked as a pastor, vocalist, playwright, and entrepreneur—her delicious Sweet Tater Torte is an Austin favorite.

Cumberbatch has always combined getting ahead with giving back.

Today, he is executive director of Se-

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COLU M B I A | On Campus

Jesus Week and More

C O L U M B I A C AT H O L I C M I N I S T RY E N J OYS F R U I T F U L S E M E S T E R

By Nathan Barlow, Columbia ’20

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he Columbia Catholic Ministry, a fixture of campus spiritual life for nearly a century, made its presence known with a variety of events that proclaimed the Gospel in the spring semester.

This was especially true during Jesus Week, the days leading up to Easter when campus ministries at Columbia collaborate for ecumenical prayer and worship events. During Jesus Week, Columbia Catholic Ministry sponsored a morning prayer on Spy Wednesday (the day on which Judas betrayed Jesus to the Sanhedrin). Later that night, the ministry

thing so often demeaned—the relationships between men and women.

The spring semester also featured a conference at the Villa Maria Guadalupe Retreat Center in Stamford, Connecticut and day trip hikes for spiritual recollection. The retreat center is run by the Sisters of Life, a religious order of women dedicated to promoting the sanctity of life.

In a joint statement, co-presidents of the ministry Rachel Dziatko (Barnard ’18) and Alex Chen (Columbia ’18) said the retreat was quite memorable.

“Retreats are always special because it’s a weekend away from school

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In addition to weekly mass and student-led Bible studies, Columbia Catholic Ministry had a slate of other large events during the spring semester.

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invited campus Christians to its weekly Family Dinner in the Merton Center at Corpus Christi Church.

In addition to weekly mass and student-led Bible studies, Columbia Catholic Ministry had a slate of other large events during the spring semester.

In a popular St. Valentine’s Day tradition, the gentlemen of the ministry cook brunch and serve it to the ladies.

In a culture where chivalry is nearly dead and Valentine’s Day has a less than wholesome reputation, this brunch is a powerful example for the Columbia community, serving as a reminder of the gentleness and civility that God calls men to nurture, and it brings formality and reverence to some-

that gives the opportunity to immerse yourself in your faith and do so with friends,” said Dziatko and Chen.

“This particular retreat was all the more rewarding because of the Sisters’ presence. They really made everyone feel welcome and would talk about anything with you.”

In addition to their large student board, the ministry has a number of adult leaders and is tied to the Columbia chaplain’s office, as well as the Corpus Christi parish. The Columbia Catholic Ministry (CCM), which has a graduate student presence and co-sponsors nearly every lecture event in the Merton Center, is a member of the national organization FOCUS

(Fellowship of Catholic University Students).

In the 2016–2017 school year, CCM hosted a total of four missionaries, recent college graduates who serve as spiritual guides for undergraduates and ambassadors for the ministry.

Memorably, FOCUS missionaries handed out Mardi Gras beads to Columbia students who passed college walk on Fat Tuesday.

Chen has noticed that Columbia students are often receptive when it comes to matters of faith.

“I’ve found that when you talk to people about your faith, they’re more often open and respectful than not,” he said. “Everyone is searching for something and a lot (of students) simply haven’t considered a life of faith.

College is a time where young adults are exploring their world and identity and we have the singular opportunity of being a positive voice of faith.”

It has been a busy year for Columbia Catholic Ministry, which is not atypical. With a faithful presence and a passion for outreach, the ministry is a venerable witness of the Gospel in Morningside Heights. And the goals for next fall are even greater.

“We are encouraged by our growth,” said Dziatko and Chen, “and we want to share the joy of God’s love with as many people as possible.” | cu

COLU M B I A | On Campus

‘Melodious Refrains to Glorify God’ C O L U M B I A C E L E B R AT E S L U T H E R ’ S I N F L U E N C E O N B A C H

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

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and “Cantata No. 80.” The latter, which was based upon Luther’s tenets, is best known among congregations worldwide as “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” Indeed, Bach embraced Luther’s doctrine on music, especially the reformist’s thirst for melodious refrains to glorify God and refresh the human spirit. Thus, Bach “signed all of his

Martin Luther

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church music and most of his secular music with the letters S.D.G.. – Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone),” wrote Bethany Jenkins, Columbia Law ’09, in a recent article for The Gospel Coalition.

“Embodying a Lutheran theology of work, Bach viewed all of his music — whether sacred hymns or secular cantatas — as a calling from God,” explained Jenkins, director of The Gospel Coalition’s Every Square Inch faith and work initiative.

Undeniably, Luther’s groundbreaking movement – steeped in his dedication to promoting the priesthood of all believers – profoundly shaped Bach’s 18th-century world, according to Jenkins. The entrepreneur, writer, and founder of The Park Forum explored the far-reaching spiritual legacy of Luther upon Bach in a March article entitled Without Luther, There Would Be No Bach: How the Reformation Influenced Faith and Work Today.

With the approach of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, both spiritual and secular publications have paused to pay tribute to the countless Lutheran themes threaded throughout Bach’s epic compositions.

When he was 48, Bach received a Cavlov Bible containing a Luther commentary. Next to 1 Chronicles 25, the composer penned, “This chapter is the true foundation of all God-pleasing music.” At 2 Chronicles 5:13, Bach wrote, “At a reverent performance of music, God is always at hand with His gracious presence,” according to The Reformation Society.

Luther’s enthusiastic vision for churches to embrace transformative worship helped boost the creative energy of Bach’s harmonic language.

The superstar of the classical cannon notably immersed his repertoire in

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hough he was born nearly 170 years after the dawn of the Protestant Reformation, Johann Sebastian Bach’s deep connection to his Lutheran-rooted faith inspired some of the genius composer’s sacred masterpieces.

In recent months, top institutions across the world, including Columbia University, highlighted the remarkable influence of Martin Luther upon Bach as a prelude to the 500th anniversary of the reformer’s decision to post his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of Castle Church in the pastoral German town of Wittenberg.

On Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Columbia co-presented a concert by the renowned New York Polyphony illuminating the nature of the intertwined lives of Luther and Bach, who were born in the same region of Germany. The Grammy-nominated quartet performed in May as part of Columbia’s Pop-Up Concerts.

The musical journey contrasted pre-Reformation works with chorales

by Bach, who embraced Luther’s devotion to congregational singing of biblical messages. The theologian once expressed his desire for Christians to “love and regard as worthy the lovely gift of music, which is a precious, worthy, and costly treasure given to mankind by God.” Widely regarded as the standard-bearer of classical composers, Bach authored 1,100-plus chorales, passions, cantatas, and oratorios. The virtuoso’s most beloved works included: “Mass in B Minor,” “The St. Matthew Passion,” “The St. John Passion,”

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rich religious symbolism.

Not surprisingly, an inventory of Bach’s personal library included some of Luther’s tomes, miscellaneous manuscripts, and major texts by Lutheran clergy, according to Christian History.

Given the historical significance of the Reformation, churches, universities, and other institutions are spotlighting the religious upheaval that splintered 16th-century Europe.

Of interest, modern observers also credit Luther and other reformers for their pioneering use of printing presses to spread religious fervor.

Columbia’s Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary is pre-

paring for an exhibit on Luther that will feature literary artifacts tied to the Reformation. In a recent blog describing her efforts to examine Columbia’s extensive collection of Luther documents, a conservator marveled at the treasure trove of insights tucked inside the ancient materials.

“At nearly 500 years old, these pamphlets bear witness to their past use,” wrote Morgan Adams, a conservator for Columbia’s Special Collections. “Extensive notes in the margins, underlining, manicules, and comments are the legacy of past readers. These annotations form an added dimension of interest for scholars today.”

Columbia plans to showcase the Luther display during the autumn semester in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library Chang Octagon Exhibition Morgan Room. The university’s concert in the spring paid homage to the musical repercussions of Luther’s theologies, which echo centuries later in sanctuaries across the world, mostly via the breathtaking, divinely artistic chorales of his best-known spiritual offspring.

In turn and with a nod to his Lutheran heritage, Bach once fittingly noted, “Music is an agreeable harmony for the honor of God and the permissible delights of the soul.” | cu

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Gorsuch ’88 Confirmed

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Neil Gorsuch, Columbia ’88 and Harvard Law ’91, was confirmed as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States on April 10. President Donald Trump, (Wharton ’68) nominated Gorsuch to succeed Antonin Scalia (Harvard Law ’60), who passed away early in 2016.

As an undergraduate student at Columbia, Gorsuch was a columnist for The Daily Spectator and also co-founded The Federalist Paper. Although The Federalist evolved into a satirical journal, the original purpose of the publication was to be content-neutral, according to The Washington Post.

‘Why Did Jesus Die?’ On the Thursday before Holy Week, Columbia students gathered in Corpus Christi Church to hear Fr. Romanus Cessario present a message entitled “Why Did Jesus Die? A Short Introduction to Catholic Beliefs.” Organized by the Thomistic Institute, this event aimed to emphasize the necessity and motivation for Christ’s death in a season when many people only hear platitudes. Cessario, a Dominican priest and professor of theology at St. John’s Seminary, sought to “ponder the mystery of the Crucifixion” by presenting

the Catholic theory of Christ’s atonement. A question and answer session followed the sermon.

Fr. Romanus Cessario

COR N E LL | On Campus

Agricultural Sustainability and Faith CORNELL PROFESSOR TEACHES CLASS BASED ON HIS CHRISTIAN BELIEFS

By Francine Barchett, Cornell ’20

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took on a whole new meaning and rose to a new level.

Fick’s agricultural ecology and sus-

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resurrection, which motivated him to follow Christ. Since then, his personal relationships, studies, and career

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Fick identifies a positive connection between Christian values and sustainable living that stems from the beginning of Genesis and implores readers to think consciously about their food choices.

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“Faith or worldview is a great motivational force.” He discusses topics ranging from ecology to the “biblical diet,” sustainable crop management, poverty concerns, and empowerment of women, all with the Bible-based message of personal stewardship and responsibility.

Fick identifies a positive connection between Christian values and sustainable living that stems from the beginning of Genesis and implores readers to think consciously about their food choices.

Building off his book’s success, Fick has been teaching the Food, Farming, and Personal Beliefs class at CorGary Fick, a professor emeritus at Cornell, nell for 11 years. Although teaches a class entitled Food, Farming, and he would have preferred to Personal Beliefs. use faith in the course title, personal beliefs is used betainability expertise not only allowed cause the department considered faith him to publish in peer-review journals, inappropriate for a science class. Nevbut also to highlight the topics from ertheless, Fick freely voices his book’s a Christian worldview in his 2008 Judeo-Christian perspectives, teaching not only those seeking to live the Bible’s sustainability implications, but also the many students studying agriculture or development. Cornell’s International Agriculture and Rural Development major strongly supports the class, agreeing that meaningful connections—especially at an international level—occur from understanding native people’s religious impetus. book, Food, Farming, and Faith.

A professor emeritus, Fick’s career “Sustainability requires change,” Fick poses in his book’s introduction. is marked by over 40 years of research

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hristians who wonder what the Bible conveys about farming, eating, and sustainable living should have a conversation with Cornell crop and soil scientist Dr. Gary Fick.

In his book, Food, Farming, and Faith, as well as his Cornell course on the same topic, Fick presents biblically-founded and agriculturally-supported statements. What stirred him to write and teach scientific material from a Christian perspective? And what is his advice for believers desiring to live more sustainably? A look at Fick’s life and motivations help bring these answers to light.

Having grown up in rural Nebraska, Fick does not recount a time when he was not passionate about agriculture or the environment. His father, a rancher and conservationist, inspired his interest in soil and conservation management and motivated him to adopt it as a profession. Even though Fick excelled studying agriculture, he found high grades and social recognitions completely empty. Then he heard Episcopal priest Dennis Bennett preach the miracle of Jesus’ death and

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and teaching experience, more than 300 published scientific articles, and the prestigious Agronomic Education Award from the American Society of Agronomy. Fick’s faith-based involvement at the university is far from finished. He is actively involved in many Cornell ministry events, and

considers its Christian community as “one of the best anywhere.” He also pursues his gardening passions and invests in his church and grandchildren. As he looks back on his fruitful career, he recognizes that his work supporting food production is temporary, while eternal sowing and

reaping is more important. “Being a Christian is the best way to be,” Fick asserts. “Once you are there, there is nothing else.” Indeed, by centering his career and passions on God, Fick has produced a crop of agriculturally and environmentally conscious Christians. | cu

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COR N E LL | On Campus

Spiritual Formation SEOK ’17 SERVED CORNELL COMMUNITY WITH PASSION

By Zachary Lee, Cornell ’20

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eborah Seok, a human development major who finished her undergraduate studies at Cornell in just three-and-a-half years, used her final semester leading up to graduation to serve at nearby Bethany Christian Campus Church. This was not her original plan, but after praying, Deborah “decided to stay (in Ithaca) to strengthen my relationship with God before leaving for the real world.”

Her transition to the real world began in June when she moved to Washington, D.C. to work for Child Trends, a non-profit organization that looks at child development policy research.

Seok got involved with Deborah Seok ’17 is ready for “the real world.”

Bethany Church during her freshman year, but admitted 40 minutes following a message. This that it took a while to adapt to the spiritual intensity of the first came as a shock to her. Afterwards, few meetings. During one Friday the group split into Bible studies and Night Fellowship, attendees entered everyone was given a two-page handinto a time of communal prayer for out, complete with questions that

students had to fill out. Seok jokingly asked, “Is this a (college) class?”

However, Seok later noted how the church’s reverence and respect for God’s Word humbled her and ultimately inspired her to lead small groups and a Bible study.

“Our Friday Night Fellowship’s inductive Bible studies have been huge building blocks for my faith,” she said. “Being able to teach even for one semester has been the greatest part of my time here.”

Her attitude changed from “Why would I choose or want to follow God?” to “Who am I that God would use me?”

This realization came in her junior year. From that point on, she continued to look for ways in which she could serve God faithfully.

One of the other ways Seok served faithfully was by joining Campus on a Hill (COAH), Cornell’s inter-ministry organization, during her junior year. She was encouraged

to “witness the work that God is doing through all of the [campus ministries].”

Indeed, the biggest COAH outreach event is Easter on the Quad, a service on the Arts Quad, complete with student testimonies, creative performances, and a message. This April was Seok’s final Easter at Cornell, and she reflected how “Easter on the Quad is what I always imagined heaven to look like: people from all nations and backgrounds coming together as one to praise our God (Revelation 7:9). With Cornell being one of the most diverse campuses I

have ever seen, I am glad to see it displayed in the body of Christ.”

As Deborah transitioned out of Cornell, she noted some scriptures and spiritual concepts that she would pass on to incoming freshmen regarding the challenges that they will face, academically, socially, and emotionally.

“Remember 2 Corinthians 12:9.

You are not perfect, but that is okay— let God be glorified in your weakness!” she said. “Remember Matthew 6:33.

Before being a student, you are God’s child. Nothing is more important at any given time than seeking His king-

dom. God knows what is best and will provide what you need, so work diligently, but ultimately trust in Him and seek to please Him.” Reflecting on her four years at Cornell, Deborah is thankful for her renewed desire and trust for God’s Word, the hope she has for the future, and the revelation that “though God is over the whole entire universe and is the creator and author of life, He still loves and cares for me so deeply that I never have to fear, but can trust in this Almighty God to be good to me.” | cu

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U.S. District Judge Christopher Conner, Cornell ’79

religious judgment, and coerces House visitors to participate in theistic prayer.”

A group of atheist and secular organizations are among the plaintiffs challenging the rules concerning the individuals who may deliver the prayers that have opened the House for 300-plus years, according to news reports.

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A federal judge recently kept alive a lawsuit by nonbelievers who want to deliver invocations at the start of Pennsylvania’s House sessions.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Conner, Cornell ’79, ruled the case will continue on the claim that the existing practice violates the Establishment Clause of the Constitution’s First Amendment, prohibiting the establishment of religion by the government.

Conner allowed part of the lawsuit to continue in his ruling on April 28, noting the current policy favors “theism to nontheism and excessively entangles the House in

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Summer Christian Fellowship at Cornell launched on June 1 and continues through July and August. The ministry for students who remain on campus offers worship, Bible study, and recreational activities, in addition to other events. Summer Christian Fellowship meets every Thursday evening for devotion, prayer, and praise, and every Wednesday for a barbeque.

Students can also participate in a variety of service projects and outreach events such as working with Second Wind Cottages, a ministry that builds small homes for homeless people.

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Conner ’79: Invocation Suit Can Continue

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Fellowship in the Summer

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D A R T M OU T H | On Campus

Summer Christian Fellowship DARTMOUTH SOPHOMORES SEEK GOD IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS

By Madeline Killen, Dartmouth ’18

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he required Sophomore Summer paddling, or climbing connect the away from academic and social presterm at Dartmouth College en- group to shared identities as Dart- sures, could help strengthen the Chrisables students to enjoy various out- mouth sophomores and children of tian community and bring the ’19s door activities in scenic Hanover, New a Creator God. closer together as a class and family,” Hampshire and the surrounding area Amber Zimmerman ’19 is spear- she said. as they take a typical course load of heading SCF’s outing activities, hopIndia Perdue ’19, a leader on SCF’s three classes. executive team, is optimistic During this season, the about opportunities to inDartmouth Summer Chriscrease involvement among tian Fellowship is seeking to students who have lighter integrate this outdoor tradiextracurricular commitments tion with various worship and time for reflection. and fellowship activities. “[Sophomore Summer] Summer Christian Fellowis just about the half way ship (SCF) is a fusion of all point in our Dartmouth cathe ministries on campus, reers, so everyone is evaluatbrought together by the need ing how they’ve spent their for community among the time at Dartmouth thus far, Summer Christian Fellowship provides a place for summer term’s smaller stuand starting to decide what’s worship, Bible study, and recreation for Dartmouth dent body. Students from students. really important to them,” different ethnic and theologshe said. ical backgrounds are united, Active social outings are sharing traditions and sparkalso intended to welcome ing lively debate. sophomores (rising juniors) Summer Christian Felwho have been less involved lowship hosts large group with campus ministries, or are meetings with special guest exploring their faith. Dartspeakers, book studies, and mouth students are often prayer meetings throughout looking for ways to capitalize the term. One of the book on the warm weather and studies this summer is focusfulfill their summer bucket ing on You Are What You Love: list. By sponsoring traditionThe Spiritual Power of Habit, al summer activities, SCF by philosopher and Calvin hopes to engage students who College Professor James K.A. Jessica Heine ‘19, Colleen O’Connor ‘19, Katie Wee may be intimated by the large ‘19, and Amber Zimmerman ‘19 were members of Smith. group meetings, book studies, The leadership of SCF Dartmouth Summer Christian Fellowship. or prayer meetings. emphasized outdoor activities Above all, SCF leadership as an important means of fostering ing the time spent in nature will build hopes to encourage strong relationcommunity in a more diverse body. relationships within the class of 2019. ships with God through the beauty Outings spent hiking, swimming, “Spending time together outdoors, of His creation. Starlit prayer nights,

worship in the woods and over bonfires, and daybreak reflection by the river are just a few of the ways Dartmouth sophomores are seeking God in His Creation.

“Spending focused time taking in God’s creation has been helpful for me to grow closer to Him,” says Zimmerman. “It is a time to forget everything else around me, to feel free from

the stress and pressure that often overwhelms me, and focus on spending time with God.” | cu

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D A R T M OU T H | On Campus

Faith, Reason, and Vocation WHEELOCK CONFERENCE EXPLORES “MONEY OR MEANING”

By Jessica Tong, Dartmouth ’17

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room as conference attendees proceeded into various breakout panels.

India Perdue ’19 attended the panel entitled “Seeking Value and Meaningful Lives.”

“The panelists challenged me to

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Larissa Phillips ’17, who attended the Wheelock Conference for the first time, loved interacting with business leaders who integrate faith and career.

“They proved that religion does have a role in the workplace, especially when interacting with clients and peers,” Phillips said.

The conference ended with a “Design Your Life” workshop with Evans and a networking and closing mixer in the Wheelock House, Dartmouth’s recently acquired social space on campus for Christian students.

Sara Holston ’17, the student director of the Wheelock Society, said hosting the conference Dave Evans, co-founder of The Life Design Lab at was a rewarding experiStanford University. ence. One of the goals of the event was to foster understand vocation in both a broad- meaningful connections between stuer and more integrated way. Mike dents, alumni, and Christian profesChen [speaker and Dartmouth alum- sionals. nus ’01], in particular, drove home “So many people were having great the idea that the call to witness is a conversations and asking good queslifestyle that informs even the minor tions,” she said. “One person was decisions of our day-to-day lives.” interested in plugging back into her

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he eighth annual Wheelock Conference was held at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth on April 29 to explore the topic “Money or Meaning: A real dilemma and the wrong question.”

The conference was organized by the Eleazar Wheelock Society, Dartmouth’s society of Christian alumni, the Association of Christian Tuck Students, and The Dartmouth Apologia. Approximately 200 alumni, students, and community members attended the event, which started with a keynote address by Dave Evans, an adjunct lecturer and co-founder of The Life Design Lab at Stanford University. The Life Design Lab is a unique and popular credited course at Stanford that “applies design thinking to tackling the wicked problems of life and vocational wayfinding.”

At the Wheelock Conference, Evans sought to suggest a paradigm shift – from “How do I create value?” to “How do I express the value of my life?” He prompted the audience to answer questions such as “Why do we sometimes not want to be paid to do certain activities we enjoy?”

Following his talk, discussions about meaning and vocation filled the

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faith, a few more were looking to get contact info for people they spoke to and kept asking questions.”

Holston said the conference is also a great way for students to see the difference Dartmouth’s Christian alumni are making in society.

“People come, and not only ask hard questions about faith and vocation with speakers from around the country, but also learn from alumni what Dartmouth was like before, what kind of campus we inherited from the people who went before us, and

how they’ve taken it out into the world,” she said. “Those are the stories that have the biggest impact on how someone thinks about faith, reason, and vocation.” | cu

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Slayton ’81 Exhorts Fathers

Apologia Delivers Evidence for the Resurrection During the Easter season, one of the featured articles of The Dartmouth Apologia was “The Evidence for Christ’s Resurrection,” a Q and A with author Gary Habermas. The chair of the department of philosophy at Liberty University, Habermas has authored 40 books, half of which are connected to the

resurrection. The Apologia, a journal of Christian thought that publishes one issue each semester for the Dartmouth community, “endeavors to think critically, question honestly, and link arms with anyone who searches for truth and authenticity.”

Gary Habermas

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On Father’s Day, Gregory Slayton, Dartmouth ’81, Harvard MBA ’90, issued a proclamation of encouragement for dads.

Slayton, who was appointed U.S. Consul General to Bermuda

by President George W. Bush in 2005, is the author of Be a Better Dad Today! (2012). Through the Fellowship of Fathers Foundation and his book, the professor, businessman, and philanthropist is on a mission to impact families around the world.

“Fatherhood, motherhood, and family have been cornerstones of every civilized society in history,” Slayton said. “That is always going

to be true. So let’s take a moment on Father’s Day to celebrate our own dad, to bless our wife and children with our love…and to celebrate the blessing of being fathers ourselves.”

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H A RVA RD | On Campus

Socially Unacceptable HARVARD RE SCINDS ADMISSIONS AF TER OFFENSIVE MEME S

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

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ative posts, Harvard’s admissions office asked the students to submit explanations of their actions, according to The Boston Globe. A spokeswoman told the newspaper the university reserves the right to rescind admissions offers for a variety of reasons, including behavior that calls to question individual “honesty, maturity, or moral character.”

Like other colleges, Harvard also has a policy of revoking acceptances if an applicant’s grades plunge or if a youth does not graduate high school.

In this case, screenshots of some of the content revealed students mocking

scinded if their grades drop significantly, so why shouldn’t they be held to honor and morality?” said Calderon-Payne, executive director at Urban Youth Alliance International and BronxConnect.

In early June, the Crimson broke the news after interviews with some of the high school seniors who participated in the Facebook group for the class of 2021. After that introduction, a cluster of students joined a chat to share memes about popular culture, and eventually, a subset created a splinter group to exchange

Screenshots of some of the content revealed students mocking racial and religious minorities, sexual assault, and child abuse.

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explicit messages.

In that group, students posted images mocking sexual assault, the Holocaust, and the deaths of children.

Some of the messages joked that abusing children was sexually arousing, while others directed punchlines at racial groups.

Harvard students expressed mixed reactions to the Crimson about the university’s actions. Still, most seemed to welcome the penalties.

“I appreciate humor, but there are so many topics that just should not be joked about,” Jessica Zhang ’21 said via e-mail to the Crimson. “I respect the decision of the admissions officers to rescind the offers because those actions really spoke about the

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racial and religious minorities, sexual assault, and child abuse. The incoming pupils, at least temporarily, dubbed one chat session as “Harvard memes for horny bourgeois teens,” according The Harvard Crimson.

The university’s admissions department set up the “official” Facebook group of the class of 2021, but disavowed responsibility for “unofficial” groups, according to the Crimson.

Memes typically include audio or video files, images, and blurbs.

Among alumni of leading institutions, Rev. Wendy Calderon-Payne, Brown ’89, echoed similar sentiments to that of Green of Trail Life.

Typically, incoming students “are told that their admissions can be re-

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cross top-tier universities, some alumni and students welcomed a decision by Harvard University to revoke acceptances to at least 10 incoming students after they posted offensive, derogatory messages and images in a Facebook group.

While reactions were mixed, several alumni were quick to point to the need for undergraduates to grasp the expectations and selective nature of enrollment at universities that typically graduate a high percentage of the nation’s core leaders.

“All societies depend on a moral code – shared values that govern behavior and define right and wrong,” said Rob Green, Brown ’90, a national executive with Trail Life USA. “Harvard is right to hold students and prospective students to an honor code.”

Trail Life is a Christian outdoor adventure, character, and leadership program for boys and young men.

Likewise, alumnus Paul Michalski, an attorney, consultant, and Christian leader, expressed appreciation for Harvard’s decision while also recognizing the complex nature of the issues surrounding free speech, especially in collegiate settings.

“On the one hand, I believe strongly that freedom of thought and expression on college campuses is critical,” said Michalski, Harvard ’83, Law ’86. “On the other hand, I believe a college has a right, and even a duty, to maintain a civil environment, where ideas can be expressed and debated in a mature manner.”

After being alerted to the provoc-

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students’ true characters.”

Not surprisingly, the issue also prompted debates about freedom of expression across online, broadcast, and print outlets.

Will Creeley, senior vice president of legal and public advocacy with The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, said Harvard’s decision might have been legally permissible, but also may have resulted in an “unfortunate outcome” for both institution and would-be students. “They won’t have their ideas or sense of humor informed, tested, refined, or expanded by interacting with their

classmates,” Creeley wrote in a blog.

“Even — and perhaps especially — if one believes the memes that the students posted are morally repugnant, the most productive response would have been to teach the students why.”

In a lengthy, technical explanation, Creeley also asserted Harvard’s decision to revoke admissions for the high school students would have violated the university’s promise of free expression if the individuals had been “fullfledged” Harvard students posting memes in private Facebook sectors.

In response to the news, high school counselors across the country

are reminding adolescents that unfettered online speech can harm themselves and others.

Emphasizing college attendance as a privilege, Michalski noted the students would probably not have been admitted if the posts had been discovered during the admissions process. “Harvard’s decision was appropriate not because the posts were offensive to others, but because they revealed that the students involved were not mature enough for the privilege of a Harvard education,” he said.

“Mature and civil debate requires mature and civil participants.” | cu

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H A RVA RD | On Campus

Does More Education Equal Less Religion?

PEW REPORT CHALLENGES POPUL AR ASSUMPTION

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

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n April, Pew Research Center issued a sizeable report featuring several streams of remarkable findings, especially as related to well-educated Christians.

The report debunked some facets of the common perception that highly educated individuals tend to be unreligious. Rather, Pew found the overall relationship between religion and education in the United States is “not so simple.” When researchers mined the data further, they discovered a handful of extraordinary patterns, particularly when it comes to subcategories of Christians with undergraduate or advanced degrees.

Alan Cooperman, Pew’s director of religion research and a Harvard alumnus of 1982, oversaw the team that analyzed the impact of educa-

tional levels upon religious practices for the report entitled In America, Does More Education Equal Less Religion?

A common perception is that increased education translates into decreased religious involvement among American adults. However, in recent years, some sociologists and scholars have questioned the validity of that cultural premise.

For the 2017 report, Pew combed through data from its 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, which involved 35,000-plus Americans. The most striking results – specifically pertaining to the influence of higher education upon religious practices – involve Christians.

As a category, Christians dominated Pew’s 2014 data sweep, accounting for 70.6 percent of the U.S. adult

population. In addition to various denominations, Pew’s broad classification of Christian included cults such as Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses.

For the new study, those with college credentials within the overall Christian grouping indicated they are as faithful to pray daily and assert a firm belief in God as those with only high school diplomas, according to Pew. Evangelical Protestants made up 25.4 percent of the broad Christian category, followed by Catholics with 20.8 percent.

Among Protestants with a college degree, the results were noteworthy.

They were more likely to say they are weekly churchgoers at 68 percent, compared with 55 percent of those with only high school training, ac-

rian Church in June.

The author and conference speaker also pointed to the rich opportunities for believers on leading campuses to reflect the Gospel. “This can be a source of great hope and clarity in a university world that is so deeply confused,” he said.

In its April report, Pew steered away from offering firm explanations for some of the findings.

However, Lindsay was quick to note one practice does seem to make a difference in the spiritual outcome of Christian students. Support from faith peers and mentors “appears to make these believers stand out all the more,” Lindsay said. | cu

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Revising Fair Harvard

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Since the 1800s, Harvard University students have marked major occasions, including commencements, with the hymn Fair Harvard.

Now the Presidential Task Force on Inclusion and Belonging is holding a contest in an effort to replace the song’s final refrain referencing its Puritanical roots with a more “inclusive, modern” version.

The task force is accepting lyrical submissions to rewrite the traditional line, “Till the stock of Puritans die.” In 1836, alumnus Samuel Gilman composed Fair Harvard for the university’s bicentennial.

Proponents of the revision say the song links Harvard’s commitment to the pursuit of truth with a specific religious entity.

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cording to Pew. They also were slight- Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evanly more likely to pray daily and affirm gelicals Joined the American Elite.

As well, as some universities debelief in God. Pew pointed to a few even more veloped hostilities toward spirituality, poignant results for Christians with “the faithful are standing out more graduate studies. Among the high- than other believers who might not have been exposed to lights, 84 percent of hostility because of evangelical Protestants their faith,” said Lindwith advanced degrees say. “Finally, we know say religion is “very that faith grows the important” in their best in the presence of individual lives comwider faith. Through pared to 78 percent of Christian ministries on high school grads. secular campuses and Along those lines, on Christian college the 2017 report sugcampuses around the gested among the sub- A Pew Research Center country, evangelical categories of Christians team, under the direction Protestants are encourthat evangelicals and of Alan Cooperman aging one another.”

Mormons tend to (Harvard ’82), found that As for the ongoing grow in their religious highly educated individuals pattern for increased commitment as they are similarly or even more observant in aspects education to translate gain education. of their faith than lessinto decreased reliMichael Lindsay, an gious practices in the award-winning sociol- educated peers. overall adult populaogist who is an expert on religion, culture, and leadership, tion, a series of factors may be in play. offered a few insights into some of the Among them are the weak religious commitments of educated Jews and findings from the Pew study.

“At one time, it appeared that high- the so-called “nones.” These groups er education dampened Christian are among the most likely to seek commitment among American evan- advanced education and to drop regelicals, but the Pew research shows ligious practices along the way, acthat’s no longer the case,” Lindsay said. cording to Pew researchers.

Charlie Drew, a longtime ManThe Gordon College president pointed to a series of factors behind hattan pastor and Harvard alumnus the emerging trends. “Evangelicals in of 1972, offered a few additional inhigher education stand apart from sights on the Pew material.

Namely, “students who have grown their classmates,” said Lindsay, Princeton Ph.D. ’06. “It would make sense up in the post-Enlightenment world that their faith would be more salient have acquired a deep-seated agnosticism. in lots of ways, including practicing The freedom of not knowing anything their faith regularly and the self-re- with certainty has its downside and takes the form of an unspoken longing for ported importance of religion.”

Lindsay is the author of View From transcendence that is somehow accesthe Top: An Inside Look at How People sible,” said Drew, who celebrated his in Power See and Shape the World and retirement from Emmanuel Presbyte-

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P E N N | On Campus

‘Pray without Ceasing’ PENN FOR JESUS ORGANIZES TENT OUTRE ACH

By James Supplee, Penn ’17

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t was 3 a.m. on a typical April weeknight and six students sat in a circle on the floor of a tent right off of the Compass on Locust Walk, listening intently as “Sophia” poured out her struggles. Raised in a Chris-

increasingly sporadic. Now she depicts herself as on the verge of unbelief, while asking challenging questions of the God whom she once praised.

The rest of the students, all members of different Christian ministries at Penn,

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The Prayer Tent on Locust Walk was organized by Penn For Jesus.

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tian home, she was deeply involved in the church, served in youth group, faithfully attended Sunday worship, and experienced the presence of God in her life.

Yet, she tells an entirely different story of her life at Penn. During her freshman year, she began to doubt the goodness of God and His work. Though she had found a church home in Philadelphia, she did not experience the awe and wonder of the Lord as she had in her earlier years. Eventually, though she had faithfully attended church throughout her childhood, her regular church attendance became

offered her words of encouragement before earnestly praying for her.

The apostle Paul exhorted the members of the church in Thessalonica to, “Rejoice always, pray without

interpretation of that verse in the 24/7 Prayer Tent. Organized by Penn for Jesus annually since 2006, this event provides a space in Stiteler Plaza dedicated to drawing near to God through prayer, worship, and fellowship every hour of every day during the week leading up to Easter Sunday.

The tent features many aspects designed to encourage all who enter.

The walls, lined with paper, provide a space for entrants to write powerful passages of Scripture and prayer requests. One corner features a confession station, which allows anyone to write a confession and then shred it, symbolizing God’s forgiveness of our sins. Nevertheless, the primary attraction of the tent is the fellowship of believers from all across campus, united together in community to draw near to the throne of grace.

Throughout the week, members of various ministries at Penn signed up for shifts in the tent in order to pray and minister to all who entered, including students and non-students, believers and unbelievers alike. These

Throughout the week, members of various ministries at Penn signed up for shifts in the tent in order to pray and minister to all who entered, including students and non-students, believers and unbelievers alike. ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Every year, during Holy Week, Penn students take a literal

visitors ranged from pre-freshman on campus visits to seniors who had seen the tent from their bedroom windows for three years and had never checked it out. The prayer tent also provided

a space for students from other universities and even homeless veterans to seek the Lord.

Alongside constant prayer, Penn for Jesus organized coinciding events in order to reach out to members of the campus community and share the good news of the Gospel with them.

These events included performances

by Full Measure (the premier Christian a cappella group at Penn) and

the New Spirit of Penn Gospel Choir, a worship open mic night, a Christian town hall event, a prayer walk, and a screening of The Passion of the Christ.

Penn for Jesus—which seeks to promote missional unity and strategic collaboration among Christians “to see their entire campuses reached with the Gospel”—also organizes weekly prayer meetings throughout the academic year, in addition to larger out-

reaches such as the prayer tent.

This spring, the presence of the prayer tent helped Penn believers reach out in a significant way. Due to the grace of God and the dedication of the members of the Christian community at Penn, Sophia and many others were prayed for, heard the Gospel, and experienced the love of Christ on the days leading up to the celebration of His resurrection. | cu

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P E N N | On Campus

“Does Truth Matter?”

D R . R AV I Z A C H A R I A S S P E A K S I N P H I L A D E L P H I A

By James Supplee, Penn ’17

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drastically waned in recent history, he said. Beginning with the skepticism and outright denial of absolute truth, the process of the rejection of truth has culminated thus far in a political age that is often identified as post-truth, causing many to dismiss formerly respected news Dr. Ravi Zacharias spoke at Temple University this spring. organizations as “fake news” and deny their the truth doesn’t matter.” Zacharias relevance outright.

It was into this cultural moment set out to demonstrate that truth, in that Zacharias stepped. Dressed in a fact, does matter for everyone. In his blue blazer and a button-down shirt, unique style, Zacharias provided the white-haired, 71-year-old author many stories to illustrate the flaws of and radio host addressed the crowd a society without truth and the process with youthful vigor and certain poise by which the west has arrived at this as he began his analysis of this culture. point. Primarily, Zacharias argued that After opening with an anecdote, he secularization, pluralization, and priobserved, “When the truth doesn’t vatization are the three nails in the serve your purposes, all of a sudden coffin of the relevance of truth. These

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ew Penn students ever make the trip on the Broad Street Line to visit North Philadelphia during their undergraduate years. The comforts of University City and the allure of Center City usually provide enough excitement to whet their appetites.

However, on the evening of Wednesday, April 12, one man gave many Penn students a reason to visit North Philadelphia. Dr. Ravi Zacharias, an internationally renowned apologist, came to the Liacouras Center on the campus of Temple University to address a packed house of students from universities all over the city concerning the question, “Does Truth Matter?”

Zacharias is quite familiar with the City of Brotherly Love. He has appeared in Philadelphia many times, most recently in February 2014 in Irvine Auditorium at the University of Pennsylvania, where he addressed the topic, “Is Truth Real? A Conversation on Science, Ethics, and Philosophy.”

The importance of the truth has

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three pillars of western society caused the blurring of definitions and the destruction of reason and logic that have resulted in the death of truth.

He concluded with the filial, relational, and eternal nature of the truth of the Gospel as found in the familiar passage of John 3:16.

After a standing ovation, moderator Aaron Campbell invited Dr. Vince Vitale, director of the Zacharias Institute, to join Zacharias on stage for a question and answer ses-

sion. During this time, students from all over the Delaware Valley inquired on various topics such as politics, God, organized religion, art, and the finite nature of humanity. Dr. Zacharias then provided his closing remarks, in which he highlighted the life-giving nature of the Gospel in his life and in the lives of all followers of Christ.

He also expounded on John 18:37, where Jesus of Nazareth stated the raison d’etre of his human life to Pi-

late: “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth.”

As Christians, we are called to follow Jesus in a way that bears witness to him, the one who is “the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:6, ESV).

Zacharias demonstrated the necessity and the joy of pursuing Truth that evening, and he encouraged and emboldened many students to go and do likewise. | cu

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Total Praise Café

Alumni of Penn Newman Catholic Community participated in a brunch and literature-themed program following a Sunday service at St. Agatha-St. James Parish during commencement weekend.

Graduates joined students in listening to veteran journalist and theologian Christopher Roberts, Yale ’91, deliver a talk entitled Literature and the Catholic Imagination.

As the spring semester came to a close, the New Spirit of Penn Gospel Choir staged an openmic night for collegiate believers to share how God has moved in their lives. New Spirit of Penn (newspiritofpenn.org/) hosted an event dubbed Total Praise Café: My Story on April 27 at the W.E.B. Du Bois College House.

Earlier in the month, the choir also held its spring concert, entitled Crown of Victory, at

Penn’s Iron Gate Theatre. Founded during the 1999 academic year, the organization is devoted to spreading the message of Christ’s gospel across campus and nearby communities.

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PR I N C E T O N | On Campus

Mom and Mentor

GREEN ’84 IS THE CHRIS TIAN LEADER OF THE YEAR

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

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those desiring leadership roles.

“It just makes so much difference to their lives down the road,” said Green, who now resides in Virginia’s picturesque Shenandoah Valley.

“When our lives are grounded in the Lord, He gives a lot of peace and stability that you minster to others.”

Likewise, Green is thankful her

During Nexus 2017, Christian Union honored Liz Green, Princeton ’84, with its Christian Leader of the Year Award.

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diverse children, including some who entered her family with emotional, developmental, and physical challenges, have been able to witness the abiding unity at the heart of her marriage to Howard Green, an anesthesiologist and former U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot.

Today, the couple’s children range from 16 to 25, including two in college and five in high school. Two daughters are married.

The politics major prizes the count-

less hours she has poured into her six sons and six daughters, including the opportunities to model stability.

“It’s been a real privilege to be so up-close and personal in each of their lives,” she said.

Rather than feeling she might have missed out on opportunities to propel a Princeton degree into a career in government, Green noted she readily uses her skill sets and intelligence to rear her children. Through homeschooling, Green has seized extra moments to shape each child’s character, an endlessly rewarding, and occasionally frustrating quest.

As well, Green likes to remind her kids, especially the younger ones, they indeed have reaped the fruit of her Princeton training. “It was really worth me getting the education I did because you know you have a smart mom,” Green tells her crew, with a smile.

More seriously, the Lord “puts everybody in spots and spheres to influence particular people,” Green said.

“Every sphere needs Christians to relate the truth of the Christian life.”

Green is especially thankful for the discipleship she received from the team with Princeton Evangelical Fellowship (princeton.edu/~pef) during her collegiate days, particularly for the handson guidance from Carol Wever.

After graduating from Princeton, Green’s career plans shifted when an opportunity arose to serve as an assistant to Bud and Shirley Hinkson, former directors of Cru’s outreach in Eastern Europe. In the fall of 1986, Green shifted to Cru’s ministry team

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ince graduating from Princeton University in 1984, Elizabeth Stevenson Green has gained recognition for her remarkable efforts to homeschool her 12 children, including a girl adopted from China and sibling groups of four and two from Ethiopia.

The former campus minister with Cru also serves as a Christian role model by hosting Bible studies and mentoring young women. As well, Elizabeth and Howard Green have directed youth and young adult fellowship groups and guided engaged and married couples through pre- and post-marital counseling.

“The Lord has given me the gift of teaching and somewhat of evangelism,” Green said.

The native of Western New York has devoted her adult life to investing in others, especially in grounding young people and women in the wealth of life-giving principles found in the Scriptures.

Given such a commitment, Christian Union presented Green with its Christian Leader of the Year Award at this spring’s Nexus Conference in Stamford, Connecticut. During Green’s stint on Cru’s ministry team at Cornell University, she served as a spiritual role model for Christian Union Founder Matthew Bennett, Cornell ’88, MBA ’89. Bennett presented the award to Green, recalling her passion for serving Jesus Christ and teaching the Word of God. Green said imparting a commitment to God’s Word produces a harvest of tangible stability, especially for

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at Cornell University, where she also directed summer missionary trips to Romania. In 1990, Green moved to a position with Cru’s team at Dartmouth College.

As the daughter of a Presbyterian minister, Green marvels at her trajectory into full-time ministry. “I felt like the Lord had got me in through the backdoor,” she said.

While attending church in the Hanover, New Hampshire community, the former Elizabeth Stevenson met Howard Green, who was pursuing a medical residency program at Dartmouth. The couple married in 1991, relocated to Central New York in 1993, and celebrated the births of three daughters and two sons between 1993 and 2000.

In 2002, after prayerfully probing the challenges of adoption, the couple

brought home a malnourished, tearful toddler from China.

As the girl began to thrive and bond with her family, the successful adoption prompted the Greens to consider enlarging their family. In 2003, with a desire to aid orphaned children, the couple welcomed a sibling set. In 2005, Elizabeth and Howard also brought home a pair of boys.

“We love them to pieces,” Green said of her children. “It’s been such a great adventure.”

Green was delighted and humbled when Princeton Alumni Weekly featured a cover story about the couple’s decision to add to their bunch via foreign adoptions. The feature, which captured Green’s well-choreographed efforts to homeschool her brood on family property outside Syracuse, appeared on her 44th birthday.

“I’ve had numerous times along the way where I’ve read my alumni magazine and people are doing very famous and important things,” Green said. “I’ve read about all of these people being CEOs and neurosurgeons in charge of important discoveries, and here I am on the cover with all of my children.”

The 2006 article sparked additional coverage in Redbook, USAA Magazine, and other publications.

As for today, Green remains committed to cultivating the wonders and ways of the Word of God, both inside and outside her family. She also is grateful her children have become part of a fruitful legacy, a testament to the power of Christian shepherding.

“That’s the kingdom of God,” she said. “It just multiplies and multiplies.” | cu

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PR I N C E T O N | On Campus

An Attitude of Gratitude

F U N G ’ 18 W I N S O F F I C E O F R E L I G I O U S L I F E S E R M O N C O M P E T I T I O N

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

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hile attending the wedding of a collegiate friend over spring break, a Princeton University upperclassman was struck by the groom’s tangible, profound thankfulness to God for his beloved bride.

“That vow gave me a moment of pause,” said Eric Fung ’18. “I realized that a sense of gratitude was missing in my life.”

As a result, Fung explored the concept of deep-seated gratefulness in a sermon he delivered inside Princeton University Chapel during Student Recognition Sunday on May 14.

The California native presented his lesson, entitled Gratitude in Naked-

ness, after winning the Office of Religious Life’s annual Rev. Dr. Joseph C. Williamson Sermon Competition.

Inside Princeton’s majestic sanctuary, Fung began his teaching with humble admissions about personal battles with appreciation. “I do not always trust God,” he said. “When I don’t trust God, I often allow myself to feel inadequate, jealous, anxious, and afraid.”

Instead of contemplating how God is ever-present, Fung confessed he often laments about unfulfilled desires, even petty ones. However, after pausing for meaningful reflection on Christ’s constant faithfulness, Fung noted his own perspectives shifted.

“With this redirection, I’ve embarked on a journey of transformation, learning to be more grateful” for myriad blessings, Fung told participants at the chapel’s weekly worship service.

To illustrate the powerful role of gratefulness, Fung drew from the Old Testament lessons of Job as well as the nineteenth century accounts of lawyer Horatio Spafford. “Like Job, [Spafford] was very wealthy and well known. But, also like Job, he seemed to lose everything overnight,” Fung said.

Spafford lost substantial investment properties in the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, only later to watch his four-year-old son succumb to scarlet

In April, Eric Fung ’18 presented a sermon inside Princeton University Chapel after winning the Office of Religious Life’s annual Rev. Dr. Joseph C. Williamson Sermon Competition.

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PUGE Hosts Reunion Concert

:: christianunion.org

The Princeton University Gospel Ensemble hosted a concert with alumni during Princeton Reunions.

After rehearsing with graduates, the student-directed group held the concert on June 3 at Princeton’s Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding. Members of the close-knit choir expressed appreciation for the opportunity to interact with alumni.

In May, PUGE held its spring concert, dubbed Melodies from Heaven, at McCosh Hall. The ensemble, which relaunched in its present format in 1983, boasts of a repertoire that includes high-energy spirituals, hymns, contemporary gospel, and a cappella.

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Life for his extracurricular homily.

“God used my inadequacies to produce a sermon on gratitude this year. I was dealing with a lot of mental health issues, sometimes not even wanting to get out of bed. But, I was told that whenever my feelings of anger, jealousy, inadequacy and etc. appeared, I should turn to my God in prayer,” Fung said.

“God was very much faithful to me.”

Likewise, Fung’s touching sermon mirrored the choppy waters of his spring semester and his ongoing imperative for internalized gratitude. “I need to get rid of entitlement,” said Fung. “I need to remember the cross.”

As well, lessons within the framework of the lecture proved pertinent for Fung as he simultaneously prepared for final exams. “It is very easy for Christians to forget the God for whom they have devoted their lives in the midst of trying to prove to the world that they are worth something and that that worth comes from receiving high marks,” he said.

After graduation, the chemistry

major is considering options for studies in materials engineering, law, or theology. At Princeton, Fung’s major activities center upon Princeton University Chapel Choir, Princeton Chinese Student Association, Manna Christian Fellowship (manna.princeton.edu), and Christian Union’s ministry at Princeton.

Following the competition, Alison Boden, Dean of Religious Life and of the Chapel, praised Fung’s efforts to deliver a relevant message. “Eric’s theme was gratitude, which was eagerly and warmly received by the community,” said Boden.

Indeed, Fung left his university congregants with a compelling reminder. “We are clothed in the righteousness of Christ Jesus,” he said. “The only appropriate response to a gift of that magnitude is gratitude.” | cu

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fever. Then in 1873, Spafford dispatched his wife and four daughters aboard the S.S. Ville du Havre for a family sabbatical to England with plans to join them.

However, an iron-sailing vessel struck the ill-fated ocean liner and 226 people perished, including the Spafford daughters. Wife Anna Spafford wired a telegram that began “saved alone.” Shortly afterward, as he sailed to England on the same route where his daughters perished, Horatio Spafford penned the hymn It Is Well With My Soul.

Remarkably, more than a century after Spafford’s unthinkable losses, the stirring words of his song still provide comfort and inspiration.

Fung told the young congregation at Princeton that God wants His children purposefully to draw near to Him and receive abundant healing balm during life’s trials.

“In his walk with God, Job was grateful in his nakedness. In his walk with God, Horatio Spafford was grateful in his nakedness,” Fung said. “In our walks with God, so too must we be grateful in our nakedness.”

Job comprehended how life’s accumulations are temporary: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21).

Likewise, Christ turned to his everlasting Father as he hung upon a wooden cross. “Nobody in the history of humankind has faced rejection the way that Jesus did on Calvary,” Fung said. “Yet, He still prayed.”

As such, being grateful should be a deep-rooted practice, not an abstract concept.

Fung was strikingly candid as he paused to reflect upon his surprise citation from Princeton’s Office of Religious

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YA L E | On Campus

Unapologetic Philosophy TEMPLETON FOUNDATION HONORS ALVIN PLANTINGA

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

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he John Templeton Foundation recently recognized Alvin Plantinga for the famed scholar’s efforts to tout belief in God as a serious philosophical position within academic realms.

In April, the Templeton Foundation named the Yale alumnus as the winner of its coveted 2017 Templeton Prize Laureate. Plantinga, Yale Ph.D. ’58, is scheduled to receive the award during a ceremony on September 24 at The Field Museum in Chicago.

The Pennsylvania-based foundation praised Plantinga for his work in making theism – the belief in a divine being – a “serious option within academic philosophy.” When Plantinga entered the field, it was dominated by staunch anti-theistic premises.

In announcing this year’s recipient of the 2017 award, Heather Templeton Dill noted her foundation highlights the individuals behind revolutionary ideas and breakthrough discoveries. Plantinga recognized that religious belief did not conflict with serious philosophical work and could make crucial contributions to addressing perennial problems in philosophy.

The prize is a mainstay of the Templeton Foundation’s efforts to serve as a philanthropic catalyst for research related to life’s deepest and most perplexing questions. More specifically, it honors a living person who has made exceptional contributions in affirming life’s spiritual dimension, and it bestows a $1.4 million award.

As for Plantinga, the octogenarian reacted to the announcement of his

to Christian Philosophers, Plantinga challenged his contemporaries to allow their religious commitments to shape their academic agendas and to pursue research tied to Christian philosophical visions. In two editions of his Oxford University-published Warrant Trilogy, Plantinga asserted religious beliefs are proper components of human reasoning and do not have to be justified by other approaches.

Such arguments have influenced three generations of philosophers, according to Templeton.

Such an imprint is striking, especially given the climate for spiritual beliefs within the academy during the era when PlantThe John Templeton Foundation named inga launched his career, said Alvin Plantinga as winner of its coveted 2017 Karl Johnson, founder of ChesTempleton Prize Laureate. terton House, a Christian study center in the Cornell Universiton Foundation. “I hope the news of ty community.

“Indeed, it was very unfashionable the prize will encourage young philosophers—especially those who bring to talk about God in respectable comChristian and theistic perspectives to pany, and especially in higher educabear on their work—towards greater tion,” said Johnson, Cornell ’89, Ph.D. ’11. creativity, integrity, and boldness.”

Along those lines, Johnson highThe Michigan native began his lighted a famed 1966 cover of Time scholarly endeavors in the late 1950s, during a period when most academ- that asked, “Is God Dead?” By 1980, ics rejected religiously informed phi- the magazine also noted that academlosophy. In his early books, Plantinga ic philosophers helped usher diconsidered a variety of arguments for vine-influenced concepts back to the existence of God in ways that scholarly discourse.

“Al Plantinga’s influence in the returned theistic beliefs to philosophical dimensions, according to the discipline of philosophy, and in academia in general, can hardly be overTempleton Foundation.

In his 1984 paper entitled Advice stated,” Johnson said. accolade by noting how the field of philosophy evolved dramatically during his career, which commenced with a teaching stint at Yale.

“If my work played a role in this transformation, I would be very pleased,” Plantinga told the Temple-

Likewise, Johnson paused to praise Plantinga’s efforts to found the Society of Christian Philosophers.

“Despite its modest beginnings, the Society of Christian Philosophers has become very influential,” Johnson said. “It has served as a model for similar professional associations in other disciplines, really triggering a renaissance of Christian scholarship across the disciplines.”

Today, philosophy departments inside universities around the world include scores of professors who reflect religious commitments from various faiths within their disciplines.

As for Plantinga, the prolific author spent the bulk of his career at the University of Notre Dame, where he taught philosophy for 28 years and

retired in 2010. He was a philosophy professor at Calvin College from 1963 to 1982. Since 2000, Plantinga’s publications have largely focused on the relationship – and compatibility – of scientific and religious belief.

In receiving the 2017 award, Plantinga joined a group of 46 prize recipients, including Mother Teresa of Calcutta, winner of the inaugural award in 1973.

The late global investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton, Yale ’34, established the prize to identify outstanding individuals who are “entrepreneurs of the spirit.” In addition to being a generous philanthropist, Templeton served on the board for the Princeton Theological Seminary for 42 years, including a dozen

years as chairman.

The Templeton Foundation supports research on subjects ranging from complexity, evolution, and emergence to creativity, forgiveness, and free will.

“Sir John founded the Templeton Prize long before he created the John Templeton Foundation,” said Dill.

“He realized that many of his friends and colleagues thought of religion as uninteresting and old-fashioned, or even obsolete. He wanted to honor people who were responsible for, in his words, the ‘marvelous new things going on in religion.’ The prize was designed to help them become more well-known, not so much for their own benefit, but for the benefit of people who might be inspired by them.” | cu

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YA L E | On Campus

A Unique Cultural Home UNITED CHURCH OF WES T VILLE MINIS TERS TO KORE AN BELIEVERS

By Kayla Bartsch, Yale ’20

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in providing an anchoring space to Korean Christian students. Scheduled activities often represent Korean her-

itage, such as “Freshman Fun Night” with free bibimbap, a Korean rice dish with mixed vegetables and beef.

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ale is home to a wide array of cultural centers and international student associations, many of which are commonly featured in the university’s literature as representatives of the diverse community on campus.

However, a bit outside of university limelight are the organizations that integrate a cultural home with a fervent faith.

The United Church of Westville (UCW) at Yale fits such a description.

Connected to the New Haven Korean Methodist Church, UCW serves as a unique cultural home to Yale’s Korean Christian community. In a similar fashion to Yale’s cultural centers, UCW welcomes students of all backgrounds, but especially succeeds

The United Church of Westville is a cultural home for many Korean students at Yale.

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the spiritual climate on campus

First and foremost, however, UCW is a spiritual community. Sam Kim ’18, who serves as the ministry’s presider, describes UCW as “a student-led, pastor-resourced church that also serves in the capacity of a campus ministry through weekly events,” and as “a tight-knit community of students pursuing Christ together in love, grace, and truth through discipleship, prayer, and depth in the Word.” With weekly activities and church services on Sundays, UCW serves both as a congregation and as a space for students to grow closer together.

On Sunday afternoons throughout the school year, UCW members depart from their meeting point at the Hall of Graduate Studies to make their way to the New Haven Methodist Korean Church, which is approximately a ten-minute drive from campus. Students are led in worship by their pastor, Jeff Kraines, and gather for a meal after the service.

Throughout the week, students come together for small groups, service, and

just to spend time with one another.

A typical week includes prayer on Mondays and Thursdays and serving at a soup kitchen and fellowship on Fridays. UCW also offers weekly Bible studies: “Froshpod,” for freshmen, and “Godpod,” for sophomores and above.

Beyond regular campus happenings, students are also able to cultivate their faith at multiple retreats hosted throughout the year. In describing UCW’s atmosphere, Kim remarked how “students are able to share life in Christ in a way that they may have never experienced before, and are able to push and be pushed through more intentional relationships with fellow brothers and sisters.”

Most of all, UCW has made a sizable impact in the lives of its students, helping shape their time at Yale.

Because the ministry is nearly solely student-run, most UCW students are very invested in the community.

When reflecting back on her first year at Yale, Jessica Lee ’20 described UCW as a community that “I have

received love and care from, time and time again. I have grown a lot with some of the people in UCW, and it is one of the defining groups that shaped my freshman year.”

Kim shared similar sentiments concerning his experience with UCW, remarking that “I’ve not only found friends and mentors who have been willing to invest in my spiritual and relational growth by keeping me rooted in spiritual disciplines, but I’ve also found a family who is always willing to walk with me through the toughest of times and celebrate in the most joyous moments. I’ve found friends who have prayed through a rough patch with me, explored tough theological questions with me, studied with me, and enjoyed my favorite foods with me.”

Whether sharing a homemade bowl of bibimbap or words of spiritual encouragement at “Godpod,” students of UCW at Yale have succeeded in merging a cultural home with a spiritual one. | cu

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Debate Features Keller and Kronman

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In March, The Veritas Forum at Yale brought pastor and renowned author Tim Keller to campus to debate Yale law professor and author Anthony Kronman.

During the discussion, entitled “Disenchanted? Reimagining Belief and Identity,” both speakers addressed ways in which meaning and belief are possible in our modern reality. Keller represented the Christian theocentric view, while Kronman argued for a

sacramental vision of the world devoid of any revelation. The forum drew a large audience, with attendance nearing a thousand, consisting of both Yale students and members of the New Haven community.

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vard. the ministry at Har in r de lea a g in be ormously in my ing Bible courses to ne from just attend s helped me grow en go ha y ve ve ha ar I s, cG ar M ye al w Te w who is older than “ In just a fe nion Ministry Fello g to have a believer U sin ian es ist bl a hr C en by be s d re ha Being mento d to lead well. It y faith in college an ability to live out m r wisdom. my faith and share he in e m e ed by about ag ur co en e m annual event attend nt rta po im an — at ting retre all groups, to facilita arvard ministry’s fall sm H g e th zin ni te ga na or di or to co r, essential eake This year I helped inging in a guest sp rly in the semester is ea br er m th fro ge ed to e ng ra tim rk is dents g th 90 students. The wo seeking God. Havin lped to make sure stu d he I an so er, — ay ly pr , ick ip qu rsh tense and pile up d hope, and the extended times of wo responsibilities are in cused on courage an ic fo d em en ad ek ac r we e ou — Th . rd ist couraged to live at Harva emselves in Jesus Chr in their faith and en th d ne nd he ou gt gr en d str an t s ec nt could conn it. I saw stude the time was worth effort that went into to campus. when they returned hers develop more fully for Christ around and help ot rn tu d ul co I at th ed into my life, so meone like Teal pour so at th ul kf an th I am dership as well.” in their faith and lea

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