[Note: Besides the ethnic/cultural questions, these questions would apply to just about ANYONE who would want to start ANY InterVarsity group on their campus.]
Are there Black students on your campus that would benefit from a BCM group? If so, what descriptors would you use for this group (Commuter? Residential? African-American? Afro-Caribbean? African Nationals? Multi-Racial? International Students? Churched? Pentecostal? Seekers? Many? Few? Greeks? Athletes? Male? Female? Etc.?)
Is there a pre-existing local ministry you can hook up with, instead of starting your own?
Is there a bunch (4+) of you that are starting this (because you shouldn't do this alone)?
Is there a pre-existing InterVarsity group on campus you can hook-up with? Is there an InterVarsity staff worker who can sponsor and give helpful leadership to the group? Is there a Black InterVarsity staff worker who can also give crucial help?
Are you starting this group because you are FOR something good (and not just AGAINST something bad)?
Are there "bitter root" issues (unforgiveness, anger, envy, jealousy, depression, etc.) that must be resolved before this group is started, both internally and externally?
Have you spent some weeks in prayer and fasting, seeking God's guidance?
Do you have the time and energy (many, many months) it will take to get this off the ground?
Are you willing to reach out to both Christians and Seekers, to allow all to be part of this group?
Although this group will be culturally Black (in the diversity of what it means to be Black), will you allow non-Black's to participate in culturally appropriate ways?
Are you doing the work to help this group exist beyond your years on the campus OR are you doing the work to help this group end well after you leave the campus?
If you can answer these (and other) questions in a satisfactory way, you will go a long way to starting your group off well.
Beverly Tatum, "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" and Other Conversations About Race (New York: Basic Books, 1997)
Carl Ellis, Free At Last? The Gospel in the African American Experience (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996)
Craig Keener and Glenn Usry, Defending Black Faith: Answers to Tough Questions About African-American Christianity (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1997)
Glenn Usry and Craig Keener, Black Man's Religion: Can Christianity be Afrocentric? (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996)
Remember:
God seeks to draw all women and all men to Himself (or Godself).
God has created humanity as a diverse people, and God celebrates our diversity (see 1 Cor. 12 and Rev 21:22-26)
God utilizes the diversity of His people to accomplish the complexity of His Kingdom work.
Creating and sustaining a culturally-specific group does not imply that one is racist (or sexist or whatever-ist), as long as the group follows the Kingdom value of inclusive unity.
