A Day of Prayer was declared on Monday, July 14, 2014, by InterVarsity President Alec Hill to focus on campus access challenges which limit the freedom of InterVarsity and other campus ministries to proclaim the gospel. In particular, we are concerned about the status of InterVarsity chapters on California State University campuses.
In 2012 the outgoing chancellor of the California State University system issued a new policy that requires recognized student groups to accept all students as potential leaders. While we applaud inclusivity, and welcome all students to our chapter activities, we believe that faith-based communities like ours can only be led by people who clearly affirm the historic doctrines of their faith.
The new policy exempts sororities and fraternities from gender discrimination; we believe there should be a similar provision for creedal communities. Earlier this year, InterVarsity Campus Staff Member Liz Thrasher Wheatley shared at InterVarsity’s national staff conference her chapter’s experience with derecognization at California State University, Chico. Listen or download her six and a half minute presentation.
Last August the new chancellor, Timothy White, graciously granted religious groups a one-year exemption for the 2013-14 school year. That time period is rapidly coming to a close. For more information on how to pray for this situation, please go to our prayer page: http://intervarsity.org/page/call-prayer-california-state-university-system
The California State University system is the largest four-year public university system in the United States. InterVarsity has chapters on 19 of the 23 Cal State campuses.
(Photo: Kendall Administration Hall at California State University, Chico, from Wikipedia)
