The Campus Crusade for Christ has existed at UB for 34 years, aiming to spreading the Christian gospel, providing fellowship for students, and acting as an organizational ambassador for the Christian faith.
Several dozen members of Campus Crusade for Christ got together for a picnic on the Ellicott Complex rugby field to relax and talk about scripture last Friday. Members also discussed their role as evangelists and their public image on campus.
The usual sights and sounds of a late summer barbeque followed the gatherers. Some ate food fresh off the grill while others threw a football around. A group of about 12 sat around a picnic table studying from the bible.
"We want to help people know what Christianity is and who Christians are," said Joy Cronin, a Crusade member and junior international studies major.
"I'm tired of people judging me for being a Christian," said Selena Hughes, a junior English major, attending her first Crusade event. Hughes said critics of Christians bring up the "crazy stuff," Christians do, a characterization she believes society would not tolerate if it were directed toward other religions.
Sharon Ruppar, a Crusade member, prospective staff member and UB graduate of the class of 2003, said that the organization is often misunderstood.
"We're the cool kind," she said. "We're not the scary kind that some think we're cracked up to be."
At the picnic, people came and went over the course of a couple hours, stopping to shake hands and share hugs with familiar faces. Impromptu games of volleyball and dodge ball sprung up throughout the evening, as people ate and discussed the positives, as well as the drawbacks, of evangelism.
Some say evangelism, which is a basic tenet of Christianity, and in Greek means "delivering the good news," often gives devout Christians the image of being overzealous.
For their part, the members of Crusade said they do not see themselves as converting anyone. Instead, they see conversion as a theological concept that only God can work. The place of Christians, they believe, is to "show the way."
"We're not the people who convert," said Lauri Kreinheder, an eight-year Crusade staff member. "It's God."
Crusade members said they do more than defend against stereotypes, however.
"We've participated in all university activities this semester," said the Rev. John Mansfield, local director of Crusade and professor of religious studies. "We've passed out 450 Bibles, passed out video tapes, CDs and video CDs. We like to give out literature so students can take it on their own time. We want to get something in people's hands so they can do their own investigation."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
