Christian unions (CUs) are

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...

Christian student groups. They exist in many countries and are often affiliated with either the

International Fellowship of Evangelical Students The International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) is an interdenominational association of 170 evangelical Christian student movements worldwide, encouraging evangelism, discipleship and mission among students. The headquarters is in Oxf ...

(through a national body) or the

Campus Crusade for Christ Cru (until 2011 known as Campus Crusade for Christ—informally "Campus Crusade" or simply "crusade"—or CCC) is an interdenominational Christian parachurch organization. It was founded in 1951 at the University of California, Los Angeles by B ...

. Many Christian unions are one of the societies affiliated to their universities'

students' union A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, ...

. As a broader term, ''Christian union'' may refer to any Christian student society, such as SCM and Fusion groups.

In the United Kingdom

Since their split from the Student Christian Movement in the early twentieth century, most Christian Unions in the United Kingdom are affiliated to the

Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) is a UK-based charity that was founded in 1928 as the Inter-Varsity Fellowship of Evangelical Unions. UCCF's dual aims are: #To advance the evangelical Christian faith amongst students, gr ...

(UCCF). Some UK Christian Unions have had difficult relationships with the students' union due to their policy of allowing leaders to choose their successors in order, they argue, to ensure a Christian leadership (students' unions often require democratic processes be followed), opinions on issues such as

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

and the

role of women A gender role, also known as a sex role, is a social role encompassing a range of behaviors and attitudes that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for a person based on that person's sex. Gender roles are usually cente ...

, and the requirement that leaders affirm a fixed

conservative evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exper ...

Doctrinal Basis. Many, but not all, CUs require all members to sign this Doctrinal Basis. The latter includes doctrinal statements that go beyond the historic

ecumenical creeds Ecumenical creeds is an umbrella term used in Lutheran tradition to refer to three creeds: the Nicene Creed, the Apostles' Creed and the Athanasian Creed. These creeds are also known as the catholic or universal creeds. These creeds are accep ...

, ''e.g.'' recognising the Bible as the sole authority, and belief in

penal substitution Penal substitution (sometimes, esp. in older writings, called forensic theory)D. Smith, The atonement in the light of history and the modern spirit' (London: Hodder and Stoughton), p. 96-7: 'THE FORENSIC THEORY...each successive period of history ...

. A considerable number of Christian students have problems affirming these points, and feel excluded from Christian Unions. This has led to calls for local Christian Unions to change their name to something more specific, e.g. Evangelical Christian Union.
United We Stand? A report on current conflicts between Christian Unions and Students’ Unions
'. Ekklesia, 2006. Pages 4, 7, 9, 12, 14. Christian Unions are active in

evangelism In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are i ...

to fellow-students. As well as hosting traditional talks and debates, they may hold unconventional events such as "Text a

Toastie A pie iron—also called pudgy pie iron, sandwich toaster, snackwicher, toastie maker, that consists of two hinged concave, round or square, cast iron or aluminium plates on long handles. Its "clamshell" design resembles that of a waffle iro ...

". These particular events involve providing a number to students, to which they text a question about God, the bible, or Christianity more generally, and in response two members of the Christian Union deliver a toastie to them and answer their question. While considered unusual by some, this has proven an effective way of communicating with other students for many CUs.

References

External links

UCCFIFES IrelandIFES EuropeInternational Fellowship of Evangelical Students
Christian Unions and Student Unions

Article about Birmingham University Evangelical Christian Union in the Guardian newspaper

Article from an evangelical publication
Christian Union returns from ban
Warwick University
Trials of 2004
An account of Christian Union at the University College London - disaffiliation from the Student Union and later re-affiliation
Christians threaten legal action
BBC News article about Exeter University CU, and the ongoing dispute there.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christian Unions Christian student societies in the United Kingdom Fellowships

In the United Kingdom

See also

References

External links