Leadership, truth & witness

As UCCF gives thanks for 75 years of witness to Christ in the student world EN asked Dr. Oliver Barclay, a staff member of UCCF from 1945 and General Secretary 1964-1980, to reflect on his involvement with the Christian Union movement.

EB: What was your experience as a Christian student?

OB: During and immediately after World War II the Christian Unions were very small. Religion in the universities and most churches was either very liberal or high church. Evangelical students were dismissed and denigrated as obsolete theological dinosaurs. Some thought that we should not be allowed in the universities, since we contested the lecturers' received wisdom. Sometimes CUs faced discrimination over things such as meeting places. We knew that we were a minority, but it didn't worry us. We just got on with the job and, although we made mistakes and plain errors, in the Lord's goodness, people were converted and CUs flourished.

EB: How did the university scene then compare with today?

OB: It was remarkably different. There were just 28 universities and only about 3% of the age group went to university. Spiritually too, things were quite different - many non-Christians had a much more religious/Christian background than today. Outward moral standards were much higher then - and there was no drugs problem.

EB: What was the spirit in the CUs?

OB: In view of the opposition, the Christian Unions were closely-knit fellowships, working together with a great sense of having to fight for the truth, since people were not likely to get it elsewhere. Very few churches had a helpful ministry to students. There was a streak of anti-intellectualism around at the time, and churches were often frightened of students, as they might ask awkward questions. So, we valued the support we received from each other, and the encouragement to grapple with the issues we were facing. We knew that, if we split on denominational or emphasis lines, we would lose an awful lot.

In the midst of opposition, CU members kept on reaching new people because, from a confident base, they had non-Christian friends, and so we began to grow quite rapidly.

EB: What changes have you seen in the wider evangelical scene and how has this affected student work?

OB: The evangelical community is now bigger, but more diverse - and in some areas, with less doctrinal clarity. There is not such a clear battle with error, so students need more help in discerning what are the essentials which they should be keeping in the forefront. They don't always see the need to 'contend for the faith' when this used to be fairly obvious. Greatly diluted forms of Christianity which are common today, can be as misleading as outright error.

EB: There are now numerous Christians organisations working with students in this country; what benefits does this have?

OB: I think the benefit comes if they are reaching distinctive groups of students. Often the CU cannot reach the whole university now that they are so large. If other evangelical groups reach the people that the CU doesn't reach, then that is welcome. The danger is in small communities like halls of residence. If the witness of evangelical Christians is divided then no one is able to be very effective. In very big universities there is often room for several organisations without competition. But to encourage competition is sheer worldliness - the apostles could not have approved of it. CUs should be able to unite all evangelical Christians who rely on the Bible for their authority. Then co-operation is often very helpful.

EB: What advice would you give to new students as they are faced with a choice of Christian groups to be involved in?

OB: Firstly, find Christian fellowship for your own spiritual health. A consistent Christian lifestyle is neither simple nor easy in the student world. Secondly, find a Christian group that is reaching out and making friends with non-Christians. Thirdly, make sure you are getting good Bible study and teaching. And, if I can add a note for the individual - keep up your own Bible study and prayer. In a job you will rarely have so much opportunity of planning your own day.

EB: Finally, are there any particular lessons you learned as a student or General Secretary?

OB: I mention just three. The first concerns leadership. When many churches emphasise their distinctives, indigenous student leadership united in essentials is invaluable. Responsibility needs to be taken by students within the halls of residence, faculties and so on. And only student-led groups can effectively unite students for witness on campus. Looking back, I am impressed with the extraordinary ability the Holy Spirit gave to young students to discern from Scripture what is right and wrong in policy and life.

The second concerns the truth. It will always be opposed, undermined or ignored, but we must not worry about opposition - it is to be expected. We just have to persevere. Having to battle does no one any harm. We should not be concerned to be popular or liked, but ensure that we are witnessing to the truth. One reason why evangelicals are stronger today is that they have known what they believe and why, and are bold to declare it.

The third is that on campus the witness must go on. The student world offers easier access to non-Christians than most churches. The high points in my CU experience have been when Christians really commend the gospel by life as well as word. I have often asked those converted as students what started it, and nearly all say something like: 'It was the life of a fellow student on the same corridor that made me think and made me willing to listen to their message'. My long observation is that those conversions generally stand.

An invitation

75 years ago students from 14 universities gathered at High Leigh. From those small beginnings grew a movement which, by the grace of God, has had a huge impact on the church in the UK and whose influence has spread far beyond these shores.

Many people in leadership in churches and missions are deeply thankful to God for the vital role of the Christian Union at a formative stage in their lives. Some reading this will have become Christians, others will have taken their first tentative steps in leadership, others made lifelong friends and some met their marriage partner in the CU.

On the 75th anniversary of UCCF, we invite you to join with us in thanking God for all he has done in and through Christian Unions, to hear more of what is going on in CUs at the moment, and to ask God to keep our focus on the gospel and a commitment to biblical truth. 75th anniversary praise and prayer events are happening at various locations around the country.

For a full list of dates/venues/ speakers, see www.uccf.org.uk or call 0116 255 1700.

Emma Balch

© Evangelicals Now - October 2003
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