InterVarsity's StudentSoul.org

Ever wonder what really goes on behind the scenes at an Urbana convention? This week, we’re interviewing Matthew Philip, the Operations Director for Urbana 06, InterVarsity’s twenty-first student missions convention.

StudentSoul.org: Matthew, tell us a little about yourself. Where did you grow up, and how did you intersect with InterVarsity?

Matthew: I was born in Nigeria where my parents were missionary teachers in high schools and colleges, west of Lagos. After nine years in Nigeria, and a brief two-year stop in the U.S. (when my parents completed their doctoral work), we returned to India where I completed my schooling and undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering. It was during those college years that life intersected with the local InterVarsity group — the Evangelical Union. They thought I needed the gospel, and I needed a break from some of my socio-political activities. An InterVarsity college retreat on the banks of a river in a lion sanctuary was the beginning of significant change.

StudentSoul.org: How many Urbana conventions will this be for you? And knowing your job, some people are asking if you have ever really “been” to one, as in participating? Where do you usually hang out at these things?

Matthew: Urbana 06 is my second one as Operations Director. I attended Urbana 90 as an international student (reg. #18544!). I remember vividly the plenary sessions, the fellowship with other international students and the freezing cold — till then cold, in my book, was anything below 60 degrees!

At Urbana I systematically tour different parts of the convention, daily touching base with my team leaders. During the plenary sessions the program director and I work just off of the main stage dealing with last minute changes, calling them as best we can in the moment! After the evening plenary the core operations team is usually up till around 2 a.m. reviewing and preparing for the next day. At 6:30 a.m. there is often a briefing with InterVarsity’s senior leadership over breakfast.

StudentSoul.org: We hear some people remark, “But Urbana is in Illinois and not Missouri, right?” You may be tired of hearing that observation about sticking with the name Urbana, when it’s in St. Louis this time. How do you respond these days?

Matthew: Not at all; I am extremely enthusiastic about the change, having worked on case for the change for nearly three years. I am always delighted to share why moving to St. Louis is a strategic one, and why we are super-excited about the 25,000 attendees coming this December. I never fail to mention that St. Louis is three to four degrees warmer than Champaign-Urbana!

StudentSoul.org: You were in Urbana, er, St. Louis a few weeks ago. Did you catch the storm that knocked out power to half a million residents and blew out windows in one of the hotels the convention will use? How did that experience make you feel?

Matthew: Just one hour before the storm hit us, the Operations Team had completed Stage One of Contingency Planning. Over dinner as the lights flickered and finally went out, some on the team thought I was driving home the lesson! As we waited out the tornado warning in a dimly lit designated shelter, the fire alarm went off with the recorded message, “Please vacate the building.” Does one stay or leave? Our security manager stepped into the gap, helped clarify the alarm (which turned out to be a false one), disseminated information and updates, and demonstrated clear leadership. Needless to say, the next day’s session — Stage Two of Contingency Planning — got everyone’s full attention!

StudentSoul.org: Do you have a favorite Urbana story you like to tell people, or maybe don’t like to tell people? Would you tell us anyway?

Matthew: There are always those incidents that are “interesting”: delegates missing at 2 a.m., FBI alerts on death threats against an exhibitor, dealing with personnel issues on my team (more than 2,000 people in U03). There are many “crisis stories.” One that few know about happened in U03. The national threat level had switched to orange just before convention began. On the third day of the convention there was credible information circulating in the intelligence community of possible incidents the night of the 31st that could shut down public transportation for a few days. We pulled together a crisis team that worked through plans to restock the University food supplies, mobilize hundreds of charter buses for planned trips across the entire nation, and so on. We even had announcements ready to go from the platform, and plans on how to handle a disrupted final night service. Nothing happened; however, it was immensely satisfying to how well the crisis team pulled together with a clear plan in 24 hours.

However, my favorite stories about Urbana are without doubt those of students who come to the convention, hear the call of God, feel his presence, get a taste of heaven (worshipping with thousands from “every nation, tongue and tribe”) and make a commitment to join Christ and His church in building and extending the Kingdom worldwide.

StudentSoul.org: What are you looking forward to most as the convention approaches? What’s your greatest fear? How do you find yourself praying?

Matthew: I’m looking forward to the plenary worship sessions led by our talented and gifted worship group, and the Scripture exposition by Ajith Fernando. My greatest fear is that as we lead the different teams, program, communications and operations, we shift our dependency from God to ourselves, because we do have a track record of doing this Urbana gig quite well. A frequent prayer is, “Lord, may I be led of you.”

StudentSoul.org: When you write home, what do you tell your family about your work with the Urbana convention and your team? Do they think you are making a career out of this line of work and ministry?

Matthew: My family and close friends know that I thoroughly enjoy leading the Urbana Operations Team. The last four years are full of good memories of working with great people, facilitating the transition to a new Urbana, and collectively with my team leaving a legacy of one of the best teams to work with in InterVarsity!

I have strongly felt that my time with Urbana Operations as Director is coming to an end. Transition plans are already in place and the formal search for a new operations director for 2009 will begin in a few weeks. I love leadership development, change management and strategic thinking. As a family we are in a process of discernment as we wait for the Lord’s guidance.

StudentSoul.org: How can others be praying for you in the next few months?

Matthew: It would be wonderful to have prayers that we would frequently remember the exploits of our God, his character, and therefore his trustworthiness as we partner with him in honoring the legacy he has entrusted InterVarsity with — hosting the world’s largest student missions convention.