http://exploringcollegeministry.com/2007/11/30/the-collegiate-church-model-episode-one/

I don’t know the size of New Life, but there are several large collegiate churches in the U.S. – several hundred in attendance each week, probably, with longevity of decades. (Longevity is a major factor in determining success in many cases, clearly.)

As for the SBC, I think the post you’re probably talking about is here: http://exploringcollegeministry.com/2007/11/30/the-collegiate-church-model-episode-one/. I only wrote that at that time, the SBC was tilting toward a church-planting model in Boston, and that was true. They certainly didn’t tilt that way nationwide.

As for collegiate churches causing a “firestorm,” that’s probably overstating the case – college ministry isn’t important enough in ANY denomination to cause any firestorms. :) There are some church-based college ministers and campus-based college ministers who don’t love that model, some who are fans of it, and some who are happy where it excels and see it as one of several possible college ministry models.

One of the things I gained from these trips the past two years was realizing how circle-centric we all can be: We know our circles, our networks, our regions, and we too often generalize from those. I definitely disagree that any form of ministry has been an “embarrassment” or a “wake-up call” to others – no one model has tested, widespread, significant . Remember, BCM has struggled in many places in Ohio, while OSU is far from “standard” among collegiate ministry situations in general (from what I could tell). So the success of a very different model isn’t surprising.

As for people’s concerns about collegiate churches, the big issue for many people seems to be Ecclesiological, not Methodological. The best thing anyone can do who wants to advocate for that form is to present theological arguments alongside practical ones. If those get hashed out, those who have concerns will probably find that model more palatable! In general, that’s the kind of deep, solid discussion we need in the field of college ministry – as long as it reflects a understanding of the national scene. Like foreign missions, it’s a hard field to talk about without really wide exposure.

I redirected this conversation back to that post, so the additional comments on this issue can be found here.

Did you happen to pay New Life OSU (Ohio State) a visit on your trip? They have probably one of the largest, most successful college churches in the U.S. As of now, they’re connected with the New Life Network (based out of Gahanna, OH), but are in the process of (probably) affiliating with the SBC.

Interestingly, I read your 2007 post about collegiate church planting in which you said that the SBC was moving toward collegiate churches vs. BCMs. However, talking with Jason (OSU) yesterday, he said the topic is a “firestorm” right now and that collegiate churches are frowned upon in the SBC at large, including in the denominational collegiate ministry leadership (the Ohio college ministry director is hoping to reverse this opinion, with NL’s help).

Anyhow, I can’t help but wonder what would happen if denominations took their money out of campus ministries and put them into collegiate churches. NL-OSU’s success is an embarrassment to BCMs across the country and should serve as a wake-up call not just to Baptists, but to denominations and donors to campus ministries like IV and CC. I believe this is the next key move to being missional about reaching college students for Christ.

His Kingdom come,

Matt

http://vimeo.com/2587774

Interesting: My husband went to A&M & I went to HSU. We both are graduates of SWBTS. Currently, we work with college students in Gainesville, FL. Quite a different environment than Abilene, Bryan-College Station or Ft. Worth.

DH

Your site was recently recommended to me, and I’m enjoying reading about your experience. I’m a college pastor at a church in Oceanside, CA, so I particularly enjoyed reading about your experience at different churches in San Diego the San Diego area. Thanks for the work that you’re doing, I’ve appreciated your insights into college ministry.

-Brian Kiley
College Pastor, New Song Community Church
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