Prayer Alert – Vanderbilt

Kirkland Hall, Vanderbilt University
January 27, 2012

InterVarsity Senior Vice President Jim Lundgren is calling on InterVarsity’s staff, students, faculty supporters, alumni, and friends to be in prayer about campus ministry at Vanderbilt University.

The leadership of Vanderbilt University has decided that several campus Christian organizations, including InterVarsity’s Graduate Christian Fellowship, should be placed on provisional status until coming into compliance with Vanderbilt’s nondiscrimination policy. The policy, as it currently stands, would prohibit a Christian organization from using any religious criteria when selecting leaders.

We believe such a policy not only flies in the face of common sense but is also contrary to the spirit of the Freedom of Religion protections in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

InterVarsity is asking for prayers that Vanderbilt will change its position and allow religious organizations to choose leaders who believe in the principles and beliefs of those organizations. A Town Hall meeting will be held on the Vanderbilt campus on Tuesday evening, January 31, 2012. University officials will explain how the nondiscrimination policy will be applied to student groups at that time.

More information about the Vanderbilt situation and this issue in general can be found at our website at http://www.intervarsity.org/campusaccess.

UPDATE: Vanderbilt's Board of Trustees is meeting February 9-10. Please be in prayer for the Trustees, that they will decide to overturn the nondiscrimination policy as it affects campus religious groups.

Comments

Persecution

Posted by Anonymous on February 3rd, 2012 at 6:59 am
Jesus told us of what the end times would look like. He said we would be persecuted. We will at some point get there. We are in a place of constant erosion of our values and freedoms (in this country). Look at the foolishness of having Obama as our president , he lies and honours Muslims, hold to and drives socialist government to name a few. We have a world court system in place. Luke 21:29-32 29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree and all the trees ; 30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. In 1948 the nation of Israel was remade by the UN. We need to fight for what is right!

But what about other groups--

Posted by Anonymous on February 1st, 2012 at 12:31 pm
But what about other groups-- such as political organizations? going by this logic, College Democrats & College Republicans would be required to allow students of the opposing party in leadership positions... I just think this whole thing opens up a Pandora's Box.
  • Clubs/organizations should be open to all students but able to select their own leadership, in order to preserve the integrity and mission of the organization... and remember that any dissatisfied student is free to start a new organization, too.

    • leadership selection

    Posted by Anonymous on January 27th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
    This is ridiculous, the supreme court just had a ruling a few weeks ago on that same issue with faith organizations hiring people. They can't do this to your fellowship. See Jan 11, 2012 5:25pm Supreme Court Backs Church in Landmark Religious Liberty Case http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/01/supreme-court-backs-church-...

    I think if that organization

    Posted by Anonymous on January 30th, 2012 at 12:27 pm
    I think if that organization receives public funding, that's a different story. That's the basis on which the Obama administration is forcing faith-based healthcare providers to provide contraceptive and abortion services. The analogy here would be that the graduate student fellowship is probably using university resources (rooms to meet, etc.), and since it accepts resources from the campus, I guess the campus decides that it has to follow rules about nondiscrimination. It's still a terrible idea nonetheless.

    wow

    Posted by Anonymous on January 31st, 2012 at 5:48 pm
    Well, I feel that the Christian church will probably be facing more of these rules. I do agree that if the christian groups are using Vanderbilt's facilities than the christian groups will have a difficult time winning unless grace is there or those groups that don't comply with Vanderbilt will probably have to meet outside of campus. If Vaderbilt has a contract with the christian groups stating that unbelievers can be leaders in these groups, than Vanderbilt will win but if the univerity has no contract stating that than it will hard for University to win. In other words, If Vanderbilt has no contract speaking about their "non-discriminatory" views or policies, they really have no say in IVP policy. Vanderbilt will have to raise their wishes to IVP leadership for an agreement on nondiscrimination. If IVP does not wish to comply with university wishes, Vanderbilt will have little say to do anything or ask IVP to leave univesity as a whole. Vanderbilt is appearing as if they have a contract giving those rights. It seems that the Christian groups and the university have a mutual written agreement on university rights and religious rights. It sounds like Vanderbilt already has made agreement with IVP on the national scale about nondiscrimination, if not, Vanderbilt does seem to be violating IVP rights. Hopefully they can come to an agreement on this matter.

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