When a college student dies, shock and grief reverberate throughout a campus. 

It certainly did at Florida Memorial University when a student died in the spring of 2019. Patrick, the chief information officer at this historically Black institution, was deeply distressed and declared, “We don’t want another student to die without knowing Jesus.”

Patrick knew from a recent survey that more than 71% of FMU students had reported feeling overwhelmed much of the time and 38% often felt hopeless. So, he took action and cast the vision for FMU to invite InterVarsity to establish a community for students on campus.

In the fall of 2019, Lindsey and Alexis, InterVarsity campus ministers, came together to plant a chapter.

InterVarsity quickly developed a reputation among FMU students as being a safe place where they could find love, support, and hope. Students learned about their ethnic identity in Christ, and their perspectives on Scripture were transformed through manuscript Bible studies. More students got involved and a number of them attended conferences and even made decisions to follow Jesus.

But as COVID-19 caused many campuses to send students home, and communities across the country grappled with the need for justice reform, many students wrestled with uncertainties and traumas...without the close community they experienced on campus.

Still Lindsey, Alexis, and the university staff and administrators never stopped praying and caring for FMU students. They launched InterVarsity's ministry at FMU in the fall of 2020 with vibrancy and hope, hosting virtual events, including outreach opportunities, game nights, and conversations around justice.