webmaster posted on October 19, 2009 13:23
While October 25, “Campus Ministry Sunday,” is probably not as widely observed as Christmas, or even All Saints Day, it is a good day to remember that American Baptists have a long and rich history of enduring conversations and transforming associations with students at American colleges and universities.
It is a good day to remember the student “Haystack Movement” of 1806. It was students from William College who, gathering regularly to pray that the good news of the reign of God would be spread throughout the world, concluded “We can do this if we will.” This student gathering resulted in an association of American churches uniting for the first time under the banner of “mission” to send Ann and Adoniram Judson across the seas in 1812.
Historically American Baptists have recognized the power that comes from God moving through college students. For nearly a century, and probably longer, we have been ministering on campuses across the nation, reaching students from all over the world with the gospel, helping young adults move from a child’s faith to an adult’s faith, and raising up leadership that has impacted our churches, the mission field and the world at large.
This ministry continues today in various forms on many university and college campuses. I would like to challenge us as the American Baptist family to consider how we can expand and invest in this ministry to this vital population. In a time when we are forced to evaluate every aspect of what it means to be the Body of Christ in a post-modern age, doesn’t it make sense to include in the conversation those who are in our colleges and universities preparing to be the leaders of our communities, nation and world? How can we do that if we are not there?
Rev. Dr. Shawn Zambrows
Pastor
Baptist Student Foundation, Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN