Finding Home on Campus : Black Campus Ministry at Michigan State University

At Michigan State University (MSU), a PWI, “there are many Christian organizations on campus, but they don’t necessarily celebrate Black culture in Christianity,” Brittany, InterVarsity Black Campus Ministries (BCM) staff, said. “They don't carry the same intentionality around reaching Black students on campus.”  

PWIs, predominantly white institutions, are campuses where 50% or higher of the student population is white. Often, Black students on PWIs mask parts of themselves and who God has made them to be, and they struggle to find Christian spaces where they feel accepted. 

“I think about [how] Black students like to talk back to the pastor, or they like a different cadence in how the speaker is connecting,” Brittany said. 

By having a specific BCM chapter at MSU, the masks and pressures of acting a certain way can come off, and students can explore faith, unafraid of judgment or misunderstandings. They don’t have to choose between being Black and Christian –– they can celebrate both.  

In that space of belonging and authenticity, God is raising up Black student leaders who are transforming their campus. 

Leading From Fullness of Identity   

BCM’s mission is to “[equip] Black students and faculty to lead with faith from the fullness of their identity.” 

Many BCM students at MSU are also part of other campus clubs and organizations, which opens doors to influence so much of the campus culture. 

“We’re conditioned from a young age to believe that we are not able to be in leadership positions…But when you see a Black person leading, it's like, ‘oh, maybe I can do it,’” said current BCM at MSU student president, A’Lvinia. 

A’Lvinia and Neveah are two BCM student leaders who are well-connected on campus. Their desire is to see their friends and the whole campus find a place where they can experience the love of Jesus. 

A'Lvinia: Healing in Community

“People are searching for community, especially Black people on campus,” A’Lvinia shared. 

At a young age, A’Lvinia lost her mother, leaving her feeling abandoned, sad, and angry. One night, the weight of this caused her to reach a breaking point. Alone in her dorm room, crying on the carpet, A’Lvinia cried out to God. 

“I can't keep walking around with this much anger in me,” she said. “It's harming me [and] my relationships with people.” Peace immediately washed over her.  

After this experience, A’Lvinia found herself at an MSU fair for organizations for students of color. There, she met InterVarsity staff and filled out a contact card in exchange for free ramen noodles. 

Even though she was interested, A’Lvinia couldn’t make Bible studies at the time. However, she was soon contacted by Shaylen Hardy, National Director of BCM and former campus staff at MSU, who decided to disciple her personally. As they met for coffee, Shaylen explained what InterVarsity was and the vision for BCM at MSU.  

“It just clicked with me,” A’Lvinia shared joyfully. “I wanted to be part of this community.”  

Through the ways Shaylen and Brittany invested in A’Lvinia, she became a core part of the community. Over time, God replaced her anger and despair with his joy and love. 

Eventually, A’Lvinia began to help lead the ministry and started to see it grow. 

“I really feel like there is [spiritual curiosity on campus],” she said. “There’s so much going on in the world that people have to turn to something.” 

A’Lvinia has noticed the positive reception other Black students have had to her ministry. She even mentioned how excited people are when they learn that this type of space exists, not only as a place to discuss religion without judgment, but also as a space created especially for them. 

“Sometimes, it can be intimidating to be one of the only people of color or one of the only Black people when you go to an event on campus,” she said. “I just want [our BCM chapter] to be the most welcoming Black community on campus, a place that people can come to because they're like, ‘I know that I'm going to find community here, [and] an overflow of love and compassion.’” 

Four years after that night in her dorm room, A’Lvinia has seen God move in incredible ways. From offering prayer to strangers on campus, to having the opportunity to collaborate with MSU’s African Student Union, she’s been amazed at the doors the Lord opened for her chapter. She’s prayerfully considering where God is calling her after graduation, and she’s excited to pass on a legacy of servant leadership in BCM at MSU.   

Naveah: Welcome Like Jesus

Nevaeh is a sophomore at MSU and is learning how to help lead the BCM community. Before college, Nevaeh went to a Christian school that was a “very mixed environment” but sometimes left her feeling lost in the crowd. She often felt unnoticed and pushed to the side. She wanted a different experience in college. 

“I appreciate all of the spaces for Christians here [at MSU],” she said. “But I wanted a space that feels like home.” 

Nevaeh first found out about the BCM group through a friend’s Instagram. As she started going to Bible study and making friends, that feeling of home is exactly what she received, noting that “it felt like a safe space, not just a Bible study that meets once a week.” 

As she became more involved, Nevaeh was struck by how fellow students cared for her and how Shaylen and Brittany mentored them, answered their questions about Jesus, and were there for them in the big and small moments of life. Even though she doubted herself and didn’t feel confident, Nevaeah felt called by God to do the same for others. 

“I'm going to try to provide warmth for people or try to provide some type of comfort,” she thought. “[That’s] the same love Jesus showed me.” 

Neveah discovered opportunities for this when freshmen began confiding in herabout feeling lost or having trouble making friends on campus. Afterwards, they each told Nevaeh how thankful they were to have a listening ear. 

Through this, Nevaeh started to believe in the gifts of empathy and hospitality God had blessed her with. She began to see herself the way God sees her. The BCM community affirmed her, with even Brittany telling her, “I would have loved to have a Nevaeh when I was in college!”  

Now, Nevaeh understands the essential role the Lord wants her to play in the BCM community and how important the community is for the campus. She hopes more students can realize the truth of who they are in Jesus just as she did. 

“It's cool to see new people come and bring their friends,” she said. “As students, we spend a lot of time in our rooms, thinking, I'm here alone. I think people on campus need a reminder that God is there for them.” 

Kingdom Building and Focused Ministry 

Fully embodied multiethnic community reflects the mosaic of the Kingdom of God –– every nation, tribe, people and language –– a glimpse of on earth as it is in heaven. Having a vision and passion for healthy multiethnic ministry, Brittany sees BCM chapters as an important piece of that and an important piece of reaching every corner of every campus. 

“Sometimes we can desire a multiethnic space, and it ends up being just diverse, meaning that we’re not bringing in different experiences,” she said. 

BCM doesn’t just bring Black students into a room; it empowers them to grow as leaders deeply rooted in their faith and identity. From there, they can shape their larger InterVarsity community, the Christian community on campus, and beyond. 

“When we do ethnic specific ministry, we can reach groups of 50 [students of] one cultural background, and then invite those students to not just meet on their own but invite them into the larger group,” Brittany said. 

InterVarsity’s Black Campus Ministries is working on college campuses across the country to reach Black students with the gospel and send them out as leaders who can impact everywhere they go with the hope of Jesus. To learn more about and support BCM, go here.