Campus Ministry Conference Meets on Catholic Campus

Almost 75 years ago, the Christian Reformed Church first affirmed an ordained minister to serve at a secular university, the University of Michigan, an educational institution outside of the Christian Reformed circles.

In the evolving years of serving as “Salt and Light” in the academic world, more than 40 secular university and college campuses in Canada and the U.S. have had Christian Reformed campus ministries. 

But it is probably safe to say that no one in the 20th century ever dreamed that in 2014 there would be a Christian Reformed campus minister — Mike Moore — serving the Protestants on the campus of Loyola University, a historically Catholic university in Chicago. 

It is also probably safe to say that no one would have envisioned that Moore, who has worked at Loyola for five years, would host the Annual Christian Reformed Campus Ministry Conference.

But that is what happened in May when roughly 40 men and women involved with Christian Reformed Campus Ministries attended this conference on the western shore of Lake Michigan, enjoying the vista of the lake spreading to the horizon and the campus buildings against the shore.

And many also enjoyed the irony of being in a crowd of Calvinists on a Jesuit campus, though that was not a theme of the gathering.  

David Fitch, professor of theology at nearby Northern Seminary and author of several books and of the popular Reclaiming the Mission blog, was the invited speaker. 

“The ministries in the CR Campus Ministry Association are very different from one another,” commented one campus pastor.

Some serve in places in which Kuyperian ideas are still fodder for Reformation-minded graduate students. Some are witnesses inside student communities of the questioning. Some witness within community colleges, some in public research institutions, and some in private universities.

Some campus ministers work mostly with international students, or student athletes, or particular campus clubs.

U.S. campus ministries rarely have offices or an official standing on the campus. Canadian campus ministers are frequently official university chaplains who report to their university as well as to their Classis and CR Home Missions.

“But,” explained one campus pastor, “however different our campuses, we all think about walking with students during their college years. We all are trying to encourage spiritual formation, trying to expand their concept of a Christian World and Life View, trying to encourage a living faith and leadership development.” 

Campus ministry measures fruitfulness with lives that follow Christ, Christians who mature in identity and convictions, and believers who become ready to step into leadership in the church and their communities.

For some campus ministers, 2013-14 was a particularly challenging year. 

Paul Verhoef of the University of Calgary served students and staff through mourning and shock when a graduate stabbed and killed five others at a post-exams party.

The Kuyper Centre at Western University in Ontario is still reeling from a serious accident involving their sabbatical intern. 

The annual CRCMA conference is the opportunity to share burdens and wrestle through challenges. “I always appreciate the time with friends who get what this work is about,” said a campus minister. “Sharing joys and sorrows together is a necessity for me. Everything else is negotiable. “

Author Virginia Lettinga and her husband, Neil were college and university faculty members for 20 years, served jointly as campus ministers at the University of Northern British Columbia for nine years, and now take on shorter term ministry roles for churches, ministries and campuses. In fall 2014, they are serving River Park CRC in Calgary, Alberta.