Unless you are a Christian student, living on a university campus, you will be unaware of the current fiasco that Christian students face at this moment in time, and have been facing for the past 7-8 years.
For over 125 years, Christian Union's around the UK have been the main source of support for Christians away from home, and the only organisation that fulfils the need for evangelism to UK students. Supported by UCCF (Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship) the CU has impacted on many many lives, and helped produce generations of church leaders.
In 1996, a new organisation was set up with the name 'Fusion'. With the support of Christian leaders like Phil Wall (Salvation Army); Rev Joel Edwards (Evangelical Alliance); Steve Chalke (Oasis); Clive Calver (World Relief); J. John (Philo Trust); Mike Pilavachi (Soul Survivor) and John Burns (Youth for Christ) - it looked like a fantastic opportunity for finally the CU to be supported by a well financed national organisation.
According to their website*, Fusion would come to a university campus 'if invited'. They would 'serve 'CU's, Chaplaincies and local Churches' and 'provide Cell Group material, training and a mechanism to channel the investment of local Christian leaders into the students through our Associate network.' They also said; 'Fusion is not a new 'Christian Institution. We do not have a large staff or set ourselves up in isolation. Our aim is to provide cutting edge resources and a model of operation to; 1) strengthen the effort of those already working with students, 2) to act as a catalyst so that more is done to encourage and disciple students.'
Quite clearly Fusion attempted to revive college and university campuses up and down the country, filling students with the knowledge of God and what he did for them. But unfortunately for many Christian Union's they didn't find the support they desperately needed - they found competition.
In this article, I can only talk from the experience of the higher education college I attend in the North West, and the comments I have received from other CU's around the country. I can't name my college because I want to protect certain individuals privacy but I can assure you that the following words are true, and have not been embellished or exaggerated.
When Fusion first came to my university it was a shock to start with because it was a former CU Exec member who started the group. With support from the local Community church the Fusion leader set up some small groups, and attracted a small number of Christians to these. Some communication with the CU was maintained but most of Fusion's meetings and events were advertised and planned without the knowledge of the CU. Instead of being on campus to 'strengthen the effort of those already working with students' they actually created competition, and created confusion among non-christians.
I don't want to talk about Fusion's theology in this article, as it was covered in detail by an article written in Evangelical Now (March 2003) by Rupert Evans former President of CICCU (Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union).** But I do want to cover the difficulties and problems Fusion has caused at my college since it arrived last year. I also want to bring attention to some of the practices that Fusion enforces in its cell group meetings, and question whether Fusion is competent in its approach to Christian support on campus.
Points of conflict and concern:
- Fusion meetings are single sex. Men and women are split up into separate cells. If Fusion were left as the only Christian campus organisation, guys and girls would never meet to worship God together. The CU meets for a worship meeting once a week, with everyone together men and women can learn from each other and pray for each other.
- The Fusion mens meeting was moved to a Monday night, the same night that the Christian Union meets and has met for many years - bringing obvious conflict.
- The men who go to both the CU and Fusion were told by Fusion to make a choice between the organisations. Fusion wanted total commitment. The CU has always been happy for members to attend both meetings.
- One member of the CU Exec was asked by a Fusion leader to leave the CU and join Fusion. Of course he declined. This one act alone shows that Fusion is not here to support the CU, but is in direct competition with the CU.
- One member of Fusion was asked at a meeting to pray out loud. He told the leader that he would prefer to pray in quiet because he wasnt very confident. The leader told him that he would "let him off this time" but next time he would expect it to be different.
- Fusion has continually pushed for its members to attend Frontline church in Liverpool (the Fusion church headquarters of the North West). This is a charismatic church and many Christians attending my college are not charismatic. The CU is open to all denominations and does not put one church denomination over others we help all members choose which local church they want to go to.
- The Fusion group is not run by students. It is not a democracy and its members do not get a say in the way it is run. The CU involves all students in both leadership and planning. Young people are trained in leadership skills to lead CUs thus creating the future church leaders. Because Fusion is led by outside individuals it is open to both unbiblical teaching; and a taught doctrine which could lead a student into thinking that this one taught doctrine is the only one that should be thought of as correct. The CU remains independent of contraversial topics like spiritual gifts, women preachers etc and encourages its members to read the bible for themselves, whilst thinking and interpreting the text under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
There is nothing I want more, than for students on college campuses to realise the everlasting love that God has for them, and the fantastic changes that Jesus Christ brings to an individuals life. As far as I'm concerned living for Christ is the best way to live, and the only way to gain eternal life. So it saddens me a great deal when the gospel message is confused for non-christians attending higher education.
One non-christian at my college actually asked me why their were 2 Christian societies on campus. I struggled to find an answer to her question because in all honesty, I don't know why Fusion did show up.
I pray that the situation on campuses around the UK will change and that for the moment these two organisations will find a way to work together, and support each other. If this doesn't happen immediately then the work of both organisations will fail in their aims, because they will be too busy fighting with each other. I'm told by many people that unity is the answer to solving the Fusion problem. I believe they are correct, but I feel that sometimes unity is only achieved after a period of disunity - a time when both organisations can speak freely (without fear of offending the opposite side) about how they feel, and what they think is best for the future of Christian students around the UK.
In my mind the future can only be secured with the removal of Fusion from university campuses.