For his first year at the University of South Florida (USF) Bradford Everett stayed on the fringe of the InterVarsity chapter, sitting in the back row of the weekly Large Group meeting. Brad had been invited to InterVarsity by his friend Will from church. He and Will were often the only black men in attendance.
The style of music and preaching was different from what he was used to, having grown up in the Baptist church. “That was an adjustment,” he said. “But I loved the passion of InterVarsity, and how they went after God.”
The following summer he traveled to South Africa on a missions trip with a group from a church in his hometown and felt God speak to him. “God reminded me of all the things that I knew about him,” he said. “Then there was one question in my heart, ‘Now what are you doing with what I have given you?’ That shook me up.”
Following God with a Passion
When he returned to campus, he decided to follow God with a passion. “Pretty much anything InterVarsity had to offer I was going to try to go,” he said. He began attending the Small Group Bible Study in his dorm and discovered in-depth Manuscript Bible Study. He liked learning to discover Bible truths for himself.
He attended Sonburst, InterVarsity’s Florida Area’s fall conference, and then was invited to a chapter camp at the end of the school year. There he was trained to be a Small Group Bible Study Leader. As he got more involved he learned more about InterVarsity’s commitment to multiethnicity. “I led a black student Bible study my third and fourth year in school,” he said.
He also began to stretch out his time on campus, lowering the number of classes he took each semester. This was partly because he wanted to do well in his major, Computer Science. “I also wanted to be able to do ministry, and be involved in InterVarsity as much as I could,” he said.
Answering the Call to Staff
Attending Atlanta 05, InterVarsity’s National Black Student Conference, Brad confronted his reservations about joining InterVarsity staff. A hallway conversation with Harvey Cozart, one of the speakers, encouraged Brad to follow his passion and respond to God’s call. After six years as a student, Brad graduated in 2007 and joined InterVarsity staff.
Brad’s vision for the University of South Florida is to reach every corner of the campus with the gospel. So in addition to dorm Bible studies he is developing teams of students to focus on areas such as commuter students and art students. Paraphrasing the book of Revelation, he said, “We want to reach every tribe, every tongue, every nation, to reach every corner and have real reconciliation happen.”
He’s also been creative with the use of InterVarsity’s Proxe stations in evangelism, setting up displays that ask probing questions about human trafficking and other justice issues in order to initiate conversations with students that reveal the sin in their own hearts. “We share the gospel and how God provides a solution to the injustice of the world,” he said.
“He Serves All Because He Serves One”
Jeremy Stephens, Brad’s former InterVarsity staff worker, said Brad has excelled in campus ministry, as well as a spoken word poet, because of his unsurpassing faith in Jesus. “He is a theologian with his life and his words paint the inspiring glory of Jesus who has saved him and the world on the cross,” Jeremy said. “He relentlessly serves all, because he faithfully serves the One.”
Now preparing to begin his fourth year as a campus staff member at USF, Brad focuses on empowering his students to become servant leaders. With the chapter now numbering around 175, he is optimistic that further growth will soon surpass 200. “I’m really excited about what God is going to do,” he said.
2015 Update: Brad's new house
2018 Update: In 2018 Brad was named Associate National Director for Black Campus Ministries
