Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union
Encyclopedia
The Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union, usually known as CICCU, was the first university Christian Union
and is the University of Cambridge
's most prominent student Christian organisation. It was formed in 1877, but can trace its origins back to the formation of the Jesus Lane Sunday School in 1827 and the Cambridge Prayer Union in 1848. The organisation's stated purpose is "to make Jesus Christ known to students in Cambridge".
Students in many other universities followed Cambridge's lead in forming their own Christian Unions, beginning with OICCU (Oxford) in 1879. Initially CICCU became part of the Student Christian Movement
, formed in 1889; however, the two organisations clashed in 1910, and CICCU left the SCM in order to provide a specifically evangelical
ministry in the University of Cambridge. Again, OICCU and other Unions followed them in this split, and together they founded the Inter Varsity Fellowship of Evangelical Unions (now UCCF
, Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship) in 1928, which spread to Canada
in the same year and later to the USA, Australia
(Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students
) and New Zealand
(Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship
).
, Basil Atkinson
, John F. Wenham, John Stott
and Vaughan Roberts
. The leadership operates on two levels - university wide and within colleges. A committee of eight students, known as the Exec organise CICCU. Two reps in each college lead college events and meetings. The committee for 2010 - 2011 is Phil Hammersley, Katie Forbes, Julia Spence, William Hogg, Emily Clarke, Jonathan Rogers, Oliver Fricker and Andrew Gales.
, an evangelical
Christian organisation with which CICCU is affiliated. The doctrinal basis contains what evangelicals perceive as the biblical
foundations of Christianity, including:
have been a particular area of controversy, in particular during their 2004 Promise Week event, in which it was alleged that homosexual relations were equated with bestiality.. CICCU members deny that their organisation is anti-gay, stressing "equality in the sight of God", and point out that they love homosexual and heterosexual friends equally, as does God..
Christian Union (students)
Christian Unions are evangelical Christian student groups. They exist in many countries and are often affiliated with either International Fellowship of Evangelical Students or Campus Crusade for Christ. Many Christian Unions are one of the societies affiliated to their universities' students'...
and is the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
's most prominent student Christian organisation. It was formed in 1877, but can trace its origins back to the formation of the Jesus Lane Sunday School in 1827 and the Cambridge Prayer Union in 1848. The organisation's stated purpose is "to make Jesus Christ known to students in Cambridge".
Students in many other universities followed Cambridge's lead in forming their own Christian Unions, beginning with OICCU (Oxford) in 1879. Initially CICCU became part of the Student Christian Movement
World Student Christian Federation
The World Student Christian Federation is a federation of autonomous national Student Christian Movements forming the youth and student arm of the global ecumenical movement...
, formed in 1889; however, the two organisations clashed in 1910, and CICCU left the SCM in order to provide a specifically evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
ministry in the University of Cambridge. Again, OICCU and other Unions followed them in this split, and together they founded the Inter Varsity Fellowship of Evangelical Unions (now UCCF
UCCF
Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship , formerly known as the Inter-Varsity Fellowship , is a UK-based evangelical Christian charity that operates on university campuses....
, Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship) in 1928, which spread to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in the same year and later to the USA, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students
Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students
The Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students is an evangelical Christian parachurch organisation that aims to encourage university students to believe in and follow Jesus Christ...
) and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
(Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship
Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship
Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship is a New Zealand evangelical Christian student movement with affiliate groups on most university campuses, as well as some polytechnics and other tertiary institutions. It is a founding member of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students...
).
Membership declaration
Students who became members of the CICCU are asked to sign the following statement, "I desire in joining this Union to declare my faith in Jesus Christ as my Saviour, my Lord and my God". This was one of the issues in the dispute with the SCM. However, this declaration is not necessary to attend any events, become involved with helping or to attend any of the meetings held.Leadership
CICCU is led by Christian students from a wide variety of backgrounds, united in a common desire to "make Jesus Christ known to students in Cambridge." Past CICCU members have included Josh MoodyJosh Moody
Josh Moody is Senior Pastor of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois.-Education and career:Moody was born in Epsom, Surrey, England and reared in an Anglican family...
, Basil Atkinson
Basil Atkinson
Dr. Basil Ferris Campbell Atkinson was the under-librarian of the University of Cambridge from 1925 to 1960, and a writer on theology.Atkinson was most notable for his advocacy of soul sleep and conditional immortality...
, John F. Wenham, John Stott
John Stott
John Robert Walmsley Stott CBE was an English Christian leader and Anglican cleric who was noted as a leader of the worldwide Evangelical movement. He was one of the principal authors of the Lausanne Covenant in 1974...
and Vaughan Roberts
Vaughan Roberts
Vaughan Roberts is the Rector of St Ebbe's Church, Oxford, United Kingdom., an evangelical Anglican church, subscribing to a traditional eleven point evangelical doctrine. In 2009, he became president of the Proclamation Trust.-Life:...
. The leadership operates on two levels - university wide and within colleges. A committee of eight students, known as the Exec organise CICCU. Two reps in each college lead college events and meetings. The committee for 2010 - 2011 is Phil Hammersley, Katie Forbes, Julia Spence, William Hogg, Emily Clarke, Jonathan Rogers, Oliver Fricker and Andrew Gales.
Structure
There are weekly meetings in almost every college during term time — these include bible study, prayer and praise. The college groups then meet together as a whole for Bible Teaching and prayer each week. The CICCU organises weekly talks, explaining what Christians believe, and discussion groups (Christianity Explored courses). The college groups organise termly events in the colleges where people can come and find out more about Christianity. Every year there is a high publicity main event during which events go on in most of the colleges and there are lunchtime and evening talks.Doctrinal basis
CICCU adopts the doctrinal basis of UCCFUCCF
Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship , formerly known as the Inter-Varsity Fellowship , is a UK-based evangelical Christian charity that operates on university campuses....
, an evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christian organisation with which CICCU is affiliated. The doctrinal basis contains what evangelicals perceive as the biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
foundations of Christianity, including:
- The unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead.
- The sovereignty of God in creation, revelation, redemption and final judgement.
- The divine inspiration and infallibility of Holy Scripture as originally given, and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
- The universal sinfulness and guilt of human nature since the fall, rendering man subject to God's wrath and condemnation.
- The full deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate son of God; his virgin birth and his real and sinless humanity; his death on the cross, his bodily resurrection and his present reign in heaven and earth.
- Redemption from guilt, penalty and power of sin only through the sacrificial death once for all time of our representative and substitute, Jesus Christ, the only mediator between God and man.
- Justification as God's act of undeserved mercy, in which the sinner is pardoned of all his sins, and accepted as righteous in God's sight, only because of the righteousness of Christ imputed to him, this justification being received by faith alone.
- The need for the Holy Spirit to make the work of Christ effective to the individual sinner, granting him repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ.
- The indwelling of the Holy Spirit in all those thus regenerated, producing in them an increasing likeness to Christ in character and behaviour, and empowering them for their witness in the world.
- The one holy universal Church, which is the Body of Christ, and to which all true believers belong.
- The future personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge all men, executing God's just condemnation of the impenitent and receiving the redeemed to eternal glory.
Controversy
An organisation such as CICCU which embraces biblical truth as infallible will inevitably be controversial, and its tactics have been called into question as hardline and patronising . Attitudes towards homosexualityHomosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
have been a particular area of controversy, in particular during their 2004 Promise Week event, in which it was alleged that homosexual relations were equated with bestiality.. CICCU members deny that their organisation is anti-gay, stressing "equality in the sight of God", and point out that they love homosexual and heterosexual friends equally, as does God..
Affiliation
- UCCFUCCFUniversities and Colleges Christian Fellowship , formerly known as the Inter-Varsity Fellowship , is a UK-based evangelical Christian charity that operates on university campuses....
(Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UK)) - International Fellowship of Evangelical StudentsInternational Fellowship of Evangelical StudentsThe International Fellowship of Evangelical Students is an association of about 136 evangelical Christian student movements worldwide, encouraging evangelism, discipleship and mission among students. The goal of the organisation is to establish local autonomous student movements in every country...