A bi-weekly, 90-minute prayer meeting in an off-campus apartment was a popular activity for South Asian students who make up InterVarsity’s SALT chapter (Servants After Living Truth), at the University of North Texas in Denton. But campus staff member Linson Daniel asked them to end it.
Instead of retreating off-campus, he suggested that there might be a way to pray for the campus that better reflected InterVarsity’s vision of transforming students and faculty, renewing the campus, and developing world changers. The students agreed and decided to meet for 20 minutes twice a week, in the middle of the day, in the middle of campus. It turned out to be a wise decision.
"People started joining the fellowship because of the prayer meeting," Linson said. "It would start with five students around noon and by 12:30 there'd be 20-25 students together praying. People would randomly come up and ask what they were doing. They wouldn't mind praying if it only lasted 20 minutes. That model really started to fuel the missionary mindset of the students."
Missionary Heritage
Linson's grandparents were itinerant ministers for the Assemblies of God in India, taking the gospel from northern India to previously unreached areas in southern India. When he was growing up in the U.S., Linson's immigrant parents took him to church regularly. He helped start an InterVarsity chapter for South Asians as a student at the University of Texas—Austin.
Attending Urbana 03, InterVarsity's triennial Student Missions Conference, Linson heard God calling him to be in fulltime ministry. However, when he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering, his parents urged him to use his engineering training and do ministry on the side. So he took an engineering job. "I didn't want to go against my parents' wishes," he said.
Five years into his engineering career, his father came to Linson and told him that God was speaking to him. He had been wrong about directing Linson's career. "With tears he told me that he approved my move into fulltime ministry if I chose to do so," Linson said.
Moving to Campus Ministry
Two years ago Linson began his career change. He and his wife Betina started volunteering with the InterVarsity chapter at the University of North Texas. One year ago he became a full-time InterVarsity campus staff member, working mainly with South Asian students in a joint chapter at the University of North Texas and Texas Woman's University, two schools in close proximity in Denton.
Even though he enjoyed his engineering career, he enjoys campus ministry even more. "The South Asian students have really captured my heart," he said. "I really want to see Hindus and Muslims come to know Jesus." He believes the analytical skills and management responsibilities he brings from the world of engineering have helped him in campus ministry. "I also love being in front of people and empowering them," he said.
Missionaries on Campus
One of his challenges is helping Christian students resist a natural tendency to gravitate together with only like-minded Christians. "I tell the students that we are missionaries on campus, that God called us for such a time as this to reach other students. Students start to realize that the gospel message coming from another South Asian person carries a lot of weight." The chapter began the year last September with 65 students and had around 100 students involved by the end of the school year.
This year Linson has also become an area director, overseeing staff on a number of additional campuses in north Texas and Oklahoma. And he is helping facilitate the planting of a multiethnic InterVarsity chapter at the University of North Texas.
"I think it's a unique thing to see an ethnic-specific ministry spin off a multiethnic one," he said. He admits there may be some unique challenges ahead. But he believes every student and faculty member has something to contribute. "My vision is to see our campus renewed."
Photo: Linson (back row, second from right) with SALT leadership team.
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