Christian Groups Blossom

In high school, Nate S. Becker '98 was active in his church and in a Bible study group, and he wanted to continue his involvement in college.

So when he visited Harvard as a pre-frosh, he was looking for a strong Christian community in his prospective school.

He found it, he says.

"The main reason I chose to go to Harvard is because of the Christian fellowship groups here," he says. "I felt like this would be a really good chance for me to serve God and grow and learn more."

Becker is one of a growing number of Harvard students participating in Christian groups and activities. Over the last five years, many groups have seen mushrooming membership lists.

The Harvard-Radcliffe Christian Fellowship's attendance at its weekly large group meetings has risen from only 30 students in 1989 to about 150 in 1994, not including 70 members who now form the separate Asian American Bible Study.

Another group, Christian Impact, has grown from only seven members in 1989 to 70 this year, according to president Vicky Clisham '95.

Students offer several reasons for the increased membership. One may be the social value of the groups, though students say they are primarily religious organizations, not clubs.

"I'm sure it's some factor, but I think very, very few people are there for just the social reason," says Thomas S. Hwang '95, executive coordinator of Christian Fellowship.

Many students point to a widespread need for spiritual stability in a relativistic world. The Christian groups, and their faith, provide a moral code and a base, they say.

"Christian faith gives a clear, moral set of standards," says Robert A. Fryling, vice president of the Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship. "It is liberating for people to have something to rely on."

Growing Numbers

Christian Impact and Christian Fellowship are not the only groups whose numbers have grown.

The Asian Baptist Student Koinonia, founded in 1991, doubled from five to ten members within one year, says president Daniel S. Cho '96.

The Orthodox Christian Fellowship, which had only 10 members three years ago, has grown to about 30 graduate and 30 undergraduate members today, according to co-chair Christiana M. Ajalat '96.

Despite the dramatic surge in membership, the basic activities of Harvard's Christian groups have remained the same, according to group leaders.

Most groups have weekly general meetings with speakers or music, and Bible studies, in which a smaller group discusses a selected passage from the Bible.

Recruitment has stayed the same as well, group leaders say, even as their memberships have grown.

"We've haven't made any increased efforts [to recruit students," Clisham says. "There's just been an increased general interest."

Most groups rely on word-of-mouth and tabling during registration, leaders say.

And not all Christian groups have expanded their core memberships so quickly.

The Catholic Students Association's committees have maintained a steady membership for the last few years, with between 80 and 90 members, according to president Frank A. Pasquale '96.

But the association offers a more cultural type of Christianity, students say.

It is the evangelical Christian groups, like Christian Impact and Christian Fellowship, that are drawing the biggest increases.

Members say they can see the greater student numbers and enthusiasm in their activities.

Christian Fellowship's noon prayer meetings, for instance, traditionally sparsely attended, now draw many undergraduates.

"Noon prayer used to be something that people didn't want to come to," Hwang says. "More people care now, and a dozen people come every day."

A Fad?

But though many groups say the number and commitment of their members has grown, leaders are not sure about the reasons for the phenomenon.

Asian Baptist Student Koinonia President Cho says that he is concerned that the increased membership is just a brief trend, with students joining simply to imitate their friends.

"I'm not sure if it's something that's spiritual, or if it's just a fad," Cho says. "There's definitely a lot of that among Christian groups, especially among Asian, ethnic-specific groups. It's inevitable, it happens."

"A lot of groups, especially those groups that don't have a church, the [members] don't know what to do after they graduate," Cho says.

He worries that many students drop the religion after graduation, which may signify that their membership was just for social reasons.

Hwang agrees that the social reasons are a factor in Christian groups' growth, but says it is minimal. And some leaders argue that some distinctive characteristics of the new membership definitively point to a genuine effort among students to grow spiritually.

"There's a significant population whose lives have been changed," says Gregory Y. Fung '95, who is part of the executive team of Christian Fellowship. "The evidence is what they've gone on to do after graduation."

He says he has seen people come to Harvard on the "fast-track" to a career, and leave with a passion for social justice and missionary work.

In Christian Fellowship, upperclass students comprise a large part of the new membership. Leaders say this shows that students aren't joining just to find new friends, but because of a genuine commitment.

"In the last couple of years, we've being seeing a lot of upperclassmen entering the HRCF," Fung says. "That's a new thing."

Of the 40 new members the group has seen this year, between 10 and 15 are upperclass, Hwang says--a "significant number" more than usual.

Christian leaders also point to a growing number of students who convert to Christianity as evidence that commitment to the spiritual mission of the groups is genuine.

"The last few years we had some people who were not believers before but who decided to become Christians," Hwang says.

Spirituality

Christian group organizers say they also see a growing interest in spirituality among all students at Harvard, not just in Christian students or groups.

Many point to growing attendance at the annual Veritas Forum as evidence that students are thinking more seriously about religious issues.

The forum is a weekend of speeches, seminars and panel discussions of religious issues sponsored by 16 Christian organizations at Harvard and other area colleges.

According to founder Kelly K. Monroe, the forum seeks "to explore the relevance of Jesus Christ to all of life with Veritas, truth, being the goal."

Monroe says forum attendance has risen from about 600 people in 1992 to about 1300--filling Sanders Theatre--this year.

Those attending the forum were not all Christian group members, organization leaders say. Students of all religious backgrounds came to discuss the spiritual issues of the forum, they say.

Nationally, Americans are seeking spiritual rebirth, according to a recent Newsweek cover story. 58 percent of the people in the U.S. feel the need for spiritual growth, the story says.

Against Relativism

At Harvard, Christian group leaders say students are seeking not just spirituality, but security in a relativistic world.

"Apart from a relativistic culture, we still have these deep questions that need to be satisfied, questions that relativism doesn't satisfy," Monroe says.

For some students, Christianity is the answer--a moral code which is comfortingly "exclusive in terms of faith choices," Fryling says. In the crises of the modern world, Fryling says, Christianity offers "a real dimension of hope."

"Christian faith goes beyond the temporal and deals with some of the eternal spiritual issues," Fryling says.

Elizabeth S. Dinonno '95, HRCF manuscript study leader and a member of the spiritual development leadership team of the Catholic Student Association, says Christianity is attractive today because it appeals to people's sense of the here and now.

"It's not that the message of the Bible has become more appetizing, but the joy of the students and their sincerity and the way they live their lives interests people, and that's why I think the numbers may have grown," Dinonno says. "The Christian life is a life that brings great joy. It's not just about eternity, it's about today."

Other students agree that they find their faith relevant in their day-to-day lives.

"It can be a rat race [at Harvard]," says Frank T. Apodaca '97, a member of Christian Impact. "People are saying, 'Why am I doing this?'.... [In Harvard's Christian groups] you're really examining how God and how your relationship with Jesus Christ is influencing your day-to-day [existence]."

Students also say that Harvard's academic atmosphere, traditionally seen as "Godless" and anti-religious, has become far less hostile and skeptical.

"Liberalism is not incompatible with Christianity," Dinonno says.

Christian group members say they do not feel uncomfortable expressing their faith at Harvard. Some, who did not expect to find such a welcoming environment for their belief, say they were pleasantly surprised.

"I have friends at other colleges and universities, and [compared to them] the Christian groups at Harvard are really strong and growing," says Ivy A. Ku '98, a member of the Asian-American Bible Study.CrimsonRebecca L. BennettNATE S. BECKER '98, GREGORY Y. FUNG '95 and JENNIFER RODRIGUEZ '96 at a Christian Fellowship Bible study yesterday.

Another group, Christian Impact, has grown from only seven members in 1989 to 70 this year, according to president Vicky Clisham '95.

Students offer several reasons for the increased membership. One may be the social value of the groups, though students say they are primarily religious organizations, not clubs.

"I'm sure it's some factor, but I think very, very few people are there for just the social reason," says Thomas S. Hwang '95, executive coordinator of Christian Fellowship.

Many students point to a widespread need for spiritual stability in a relativistic world. The Christian groups, and their faith, provide a moral code and a base, they say.

"Christian faith gives a clear, moral set of standards," says Robert A. Fryling, vice president of the Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship. "It is liberating for people to have something to rely on."

Growing Numbers

Christian Impact and Christian Fellowship are not the only groups whose numbers have grown.

The Asian Baptist Student Koinonia, founded in 1991, doubled from five to ten members within one year, says president Daniel S. Cho '96.

The Orthodox Christian Fellowship, which had only 10 members three years ago, has grown to about 30 graduate and 30 undergraduate members today, according to co-chair Christiana M. Ajalat '96.

Despite the dramatic surge in membership, the basic activities of Harvard's Christian groups have remained the same, according to group leaders.

Most groups have weekly general meetings with speakers or music, and Bible studies, in which a smaller group discusses a selected passage from the Bible.

Recruitment has stayed the same as well, group leaders say, even as their memberships have grown.

"We've haven't made any increased efforts [to recruit students," Clisham says. "There's just been an increased general interest."

Most groups rely on word-of-mouth and tabling during registration, leaders say.

And not all Christian groups have expanded their core memberships so quickly.

The Catholic Students Association's committees have maintained a steady membership for the last few years, with between 80 and 90 members, according to president Frank A. Pasquale '96.

But the association offers a more cultural type of Christianity, students say.

It is the evangelical Christian groups, like Christian Impact and Christian Fellowship, that are drawing the biggest increases.

Members say they can see the greater student numbers and enthusiasm in their activities.

Christian Fellowship's noon prayer meetings, for instance, traditionally sparsely attended, now draw many undergraduates.

"Noon prayer used to be something that people didn't want to come to," Hwang says. "More people care now, and a dozen people come every day."

A Fad?

But though many groups say the number and commitment of their members has grown, leaders are not sure about the reasons for the phenomenon.

Asian Baptist Student Koinonia President Cho says that he is concerned that the increased membership is just a brief trend, with students joining simply to imitate their friends.

"I'm not sure if it's something that's spiritual, or if it's just a fad," Cho says. "There's definitely a lot of that among Christian groups, especially among Asian, ethnic-specific groups. It's inevitable, it happens."

"A lot of groups, especially those groups that don't have a church, the [members] don't know what to do after they graduate," Cho says.

He worries that many students drop the religion after graduation, which may signify that their membership was just for social reasons.

Hwang agrees that the social reasons are a factor in Christian groups' growth, but says it is minimal. And some leaders argue that some distinctive characteristics of the new membership definitively point to a genuine effort among students to grow spiritually.

"There's a significant population whose lives have been changed," says Gregory Y. Fung '95, who is part of the executive team of Christian Fellowship. "The evidence is what they've gone on to do after graduation."

He says he has seen people come to Harvard on the "fast-track" to a career, and leave with a passion for social justice and missionary work.

In Christian Fellowship, upperclass students comprise a large part of the new membership. Leaders say this shows that students aren't joining just to find new friends, but because of a genuine commitment.

"In the last couple of years, we've being seeing a lot of upperclassmen entering the HRCF," Fung says. "That's a new thing."

Of the 40 new members the group has seen this year, between 10 and 15 are upperclass, Hwang says--a "significant number" more than usual.

Christian leaders also point to a growing number of students who convert to Christianity as evidence that commitment to the spiritual mission of the groups is genuine.

"The last few years we had some people who were not believers before but who decided to become Christians," Hwang says.

Spirituality

Christian group organizers say they also see a growing interest in spirituality among all students at Harvard, not just in Christian students or groups.

Many point to growing attendance at the annual Veritas Forum as evidence that students are thinking more seriously about religious issues.

The forum is a weekend of speeches, seminars and panel discussions of religious issues sponsored by 16 Christian organizations at Harvard and other area colleges.

According to founder Kelly K. Monroe, the forum seeks "to explore the relevance of Jesus Christ to all of life with Veritas, truth, being the goal."

Monroe says forum attendance has risen from about 600 people in 1992 to about 1300--filling Sanders Theatre--this year.

Those attending the forum were not all Christian group members, organization leaders say. Students of all religious backgrounds came to discuss the spiritual issues of the forum, they say.

Nationally, Americans are seeking spiritual rebirth, according to a recent Newsweek cover story. 58 percent of the people in the U.S. feel the need for spiritual growth, the story says.

Against Relativism

At Harvard, Christian group leaders say students are seeking not just spirituality, but security in a relativistic world.

"Apart from a relativistic culture, we still have these deep questions that need to be satisfied, questions that relativism doesn't satisfy," Monroe says.

For some students, Christianity is the answer--a moral code which is comfortingly "exclusive in terms of faith choices," Fryling says. In the crises of the modern world, Fryling says, Christianity offers "a real dimension of hope."

"Christian faith goes beyond the temporal and deals with some of the eternal spiritual issues," Fryling says.

Elizabeth S. Dinonno '95, HRCF manuscript study leader and a member of the spiritual development leadership team of the Catholic Student Association, says Christianity is attractive today because it appeals to people's sense of the here and now.

"It's not that the message of the Bible has become more appetizing, but the joy of the students and their sincerity and the way they live their lives interests people, and that's why I think the numbers may have grown," Dinonno says. "The Christian life is a life that brings great joy. It's not just about eternity, it's about today."

Other students agree that they find their faith relevant in their day-to-day lives.

"It can be a rat race [at Harvard]," says Frank T. Apodaca '97, a member of Christian Impact. "People are saying, 'Why am I doing this?'.... [In Harvard's Christian groups] you're really examining how God and how your relationship with Jesus Christ is influencing your day-to-day [existence]."

Students also say that Harvard's academic atmosphere, traditionally seen as "Godless" and anti-religious, has become far less hostile and skeptical.

"Liberalism is not incompatible with Christianity," Dinonno says.

Christian group members say they do not feel uncomfortable expressing their faith at Harvard. Some, who did not expect to find such a welcoming environment for their belief, say they were pleasantly surprised.

"I have friends at other colleges and universities, and [compared to them] the Christian groups at Harvard are really strong and growing," says Ivy A. Ku '98, a member of the Asian-American Bible Study.CrimsonRebecca L. BennettNATE S. BECKER '98, GREGORY Y. FUNG '95 and JENNIFER RODRIGUEZ '96 at a Christian Fellowship Bible study yesterday.