The Beleaguered Christians: Campus Crusade drops Christ
Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 05:11PM 
Many faithful Christians feel that Campus Crusade for Christ’s announcement to drop Christ from their name is one more confirmation that there is a wholesale departure from the bedrock foundation of their faith. A woman recently asked me, “Where will this end?” Certainly, she is not alone in feeling overwhelmed and confused at the changes taking place today.
While I am not one who questions the motives of CCCI’s current leadership’s decision to drop “Christ” out of their name, I do question the wisdom of their timing. In a time when political correctness has run amuck and the name of Christ has been eliminated from many Christian organizations (like The Christian Children’s Fund which is now ChildFund International), the faithful feel that Campus Crusade’s decision is yet another rug pulled out from under them.
Some Christians are rightly skeptical of CCCI Vice President Sellers’ words assuring them that, “…the ministry will still be committed to proclaiming Christ around the world.”
Sadly, these Christians have history on the side of their skepticism. When organizations in the past have found it necessary to downplay their Christian roots, for whatever reason, they always assured everyone that, “Our mission will remain the same.” Unfortunately, it oftentimes does not.
Take, for example, an organization known as The Fellowship Foundation. It was founded in 1935 by godly men who realized that politicians in the nation’s capital were in desperate need of Christ and His power. The current leaders have slowly but surely moved far away from this founding purpose. Today, they feel compelled to include Jewish and Muslim elements in their annual National Prayer Breakfast held in Washington, D.C. Yet, the changes began by saying that they just did not like the term “Christian.”
As a pastor, I hear the pain in the words of many Christians when they talk about how one super mega church pastor, when squeezed by a non-believer on secular television on whether Christ is the only way to salvation, ended up waffling. Another super mega church pastor apologized to homosexuals and Muslims for biblical stands that he previously held. As the lady said to me, “Where will this end?”
Every few weeks it appears that some super-duper mega church pastor who built his ministry and his reputation on biblical orthodoxy grabs the headline news by denying the very things that he once claimed to believe.
The tragedy of all tragedies is that the reason Campus Crusade for Christ was successful around the world was precisely because they overtly identified with Christ. When Mr. Sellers declared that the name of Christ was hampering their effectiveness, he placed “expedience” above the supernatural power that Christ promised to those who identify with His name. It was not CCCI’s methods or clever techniques that blessed them in the past, but the very Christ whose name they now have removed.
It leads me to wonder if the current leadership feels so secure with their sizeable endowment that they no longer feel wholly dependent on Christ, trusting Him alone to accomplish His mission through the ministry and provide for their needs. Clearly it is a question that we all need to ponder. Jesus taught that money (mammon) rivals for the allegiance and affections of His followers. This is why all Christians and Christian institutions must be extremely careful lest mammon move us away from our foundation, Christ, the very reason for our existence.
I say a daily prayer that has intensified in my life the older I get: “Lord, keep me more faithful in my latter days than in the previous ones, and if I am not…take me home to glory.”
Everyone is welcome to join me in this prayer.
Reader Comments (68)
I have read books written by great Christian men and women (my elders in the faith) whom I have followed through the years, just to find that they have compromised with the landscape of the world at large - a slippery slope. I will pray your prayer for my own life, and may we all be filled with the Truth, while abounding in Love, until we ascend to Glory!
Thank you brother Youssef,
Carl
but is this matter of what you have in your name or is matter of how faithful and commited are tocause of Christ...
let s wait a little a bit and see
why you don`t put Michael youssef for Christ in the blog
But, is not declension over time not an unavoidable absolute for every organization? Both scripture and history would seem to so indicate. The letters to the churches in Revelation start to all, but always end with a call to the individual - "Let him who has an ear to hear......."
As you said, only we as individuals MUST continue to press on...it's not how we start - it's how we finish that counts.
God knows the Catholic Church has her problems. However, it becomes increasingly evident that in another generation, the Catholic Church will be the only Christian institution left standing, as it has stood for 2000 years, as it was instituted by Christ himself who promised to be with her until the end of time. Maybe this is the reason that there's a crucified Christ above every Catholic altar.
John 11:35 "Jesus wept."
they have denied Christ's exsistence in their lives and organizations. We as Christians need
to understand that our strength andour very exsistence depends on Christ and not ourselves.
These folks need Much Prayer.
I also wrote a blog about this. But the disheartening thing is many in their organization say God led them to this new name and their mission is still the same.
We truly are in the last days and I am thankful that you continue to stand up for our LORD!
God bless you!
We must pray for the Church world - wide to "bend" as in the great Wales Awakening, to submit to God and break away our resistance to His Will. Pray, Pray, Pray dear Brothers & Sisters in the Lord.
They should just go all the way with the name change and call themselves "CAMPUS" that will really get their message across!
Our Lord Jesus reigns and rules, be at peace, they will stand before his throne too !
May God show who blesses whom
Doesn't it say in the Bible that there would be a great "falling away" in the end times? Perhaps we're seeing the beginnings of this.
http://www.ccci.org/about-us/donor-relations/our-new-name/qanda.htm
If your intention was to get rid of the "crusade" part, and the "campus" part, one would assume you would keep Christ, and not Cru, which from my understanding is short for CRUSADE!
In your header you x’d out Christ. You should have also "x"ed out "Campus," "Crusade," and "for." It was a complete name change. CCC is much more than "Campus" and does not care to be associated any longer with the negative connotations that "crusade" raises and thus keeps us from reaching people who immediately draw conclusions as to our intentions (based on a name). Cru is a name that has been used on many campuses since 1995. The ministry in this time accelerated the proclamation of Jesus as we grew from 150 movements on US campuses to over 1,000 campus movements with hundreds of thousands coming to salvation in Jesus.
This name change affords a second conversation. I cannot tell you how many times, conversations have been halted simply by responding to who I work for. The hearer draws their own conclusions and as a result, the name of Christ is shared (in the title of the organization I represent) but the message of His Gospel is hindered, never giving me a chance to explain about what we do or why we do what we do.
I do not question the motives and mission of the Passion Movement, Leading the Way, Navigators, Right From the Heart, Church of the Apostles, Northpoint Community Church, Perimeter Church, Saddleback, Willow Creek or a myriad of other Jesus proclaiming ministries and churches that do not include the name “Jesus”, “Christ,” or “God” in their titles. When you say you work for Leading the Way, you have an opportunity to explain what you do. You are more than often afforded a second conversation to explain what you do. I have not had that experience with non-Christians when I tel them who I work for. But that is not the only reason for the name change. For more information on the name change from the CCC website, please go to: http://www.ccci.org/about-us/donor-relations/our-new-name/commitment-to-christ.htm
Most sad to me however, is the misleading implication that CCC and Steve Sellers (whom I know personally and respect deeply as a Christ-follower) made this name change for financial expediency. “It leads me to wonder if the current leadership feels so secure with their sizeable endowment that they no longer feel wholly dependent on Christ, trusting Him alone to accomplish His mission through the ministry and provide for their needs.”
Stating that CCC was "resting on a sizable endowment" was both uniformed and misleading. CCC, a founding member of the ECFA has an impeccable reputation of being excellent stewards. Exactly what endowment are you referring to? The $500 million brought annually into the ministry provides the modest salary for 10,000+ missionaries (all of whom raise their own support)--an average staff make less than $40,000 a year. In addition these donations underwrite the vast amount of projects CCC sponsors to proclaim Jesus on campus, in the city and throughout the world. Take the Jesus Film for one, which has been translated into over 1100 languages and has had 5 billion exposures to the Gospel. It would be one thing to criticize this ministry if we were guilty of not proclaiming Christ and simply living off its reputation or supposed “sizable endowment.”
Unfortunately, our American culture is more prone to follow sensational headlines from news media (even the most conservative one out there) as opposed to asking the ministry leaders themselves what motivated them to change the name. May Christ continue to be glorified and may the work of Cru continue with great fruitfulness bringing all the glory to God. I am happy to provide a more informed response and links to statements from CCC that will help clarify the ministry’s process and decision.
Since it is the Lord Himself who does the drawing of souls, then why would there be even a slight pause to change anything that has to do with God or Jesus Christ?? Does not the CCFC realize that this is yet another 'tactic' of the enemy to try and stop the Gospel, and that sadly too many are playing right into his hands, although the CCFC states emphatically, "this will not hinder them from proclaiming God's Word"?? I just don't understand how people say that they love God and Jesus Christ, but have a problem with proclaiming "their name" despite what society says or does?? God help and have mercy on us. Jesus Christ IS coming very soon.
Since Mr. Sellers stated that it was the word 'Crusades' that was causing the 'problems, then how about just calling it "Campus for Christ"?? Problem solved right or is that too much as well???
That wouldn't be sufficient actually, because Campus Crusade is far more than a campus ministry. It started on campus in 1951, but now has ministries to families, military, marketplace people, the inner city, high school students, and 48 other segments of society. Campus doesn't describe the scope of the mission now, so Campus had to go. And Crusade had to go for reasons we all know, and from what I know of those on staff, they love Christ very much but are humble enough not to believe they are Christ and should just call themselves the remaining option, "Christ" (although I guess "For Christ" would be a weird name but an option)
Also, on the press release website, "Cru" actually is not suppose to be short for Crusade (although that's obviously where they derived it from), but it's a new word for the organization. On the site, it says: "Cru: A caring community passionate about connecting people to Jesus." From what I understand, that is the phrase they want Cru to be known for in years to come, no matter where you interact with them...on campus, later in life in the workplace, at a FamilyLife marriage weekend, etc. From what I know about Cru staff, they will live that out. And that descriptive tagline of Cru certainly doesn't sound ashamed of Christ.
So, before everyone keeps going on and on with this bashing speculation and borderline slander, which is sin, i would talk to a staff person you know personally about it, and then give it 2 years to see if they have lived out their commitment and purpose of doing this--which is to supposedly help more people encounter Jesus by their unashamed commitment to Jesus and his Great Commission. If that hasn't happened, and you see that it's indeed a slippery slope of PC lived out over the next 2 years, then start the calling out.
One last food for thought, God called Bill Bright to do some crazy things in his 52 years in ministry, that many in the body of Christ bashed at the time...but went on to greatly glorify God (first in the list is the Jesus Film...many made fun of him for pursuing the movie that is still used today by many church planting org's to reach unreached people groups.) My bet it is, Bill Bright would have done this himself...because if you watch the videos of Steve Sellers responding to the FoxNews backlash, he says something that someone worried about PC would not say: "If we as organization gets hammered in the media, but Jesus himself gets talked about nationwide, I can live with that. We are here to make Jesus known." God is concerned about his Glory, even more than a less-PC America...God could actually be the one orchestrating this, despite your apparent confident beliefs. If more people REALLY come to encounter and know Jesus Christ under this new name than the old, I am betting God could care less about one less organization having Christ in the name, as long as they are proclaiming His name.
So check your own spirit with THE Spirit, before you slander a Christ follower (and an org with a 60 year history of exalting Christ) on something that is an opinion level belief about a name change...And give it 2 years to evaluate how Cru is living out their calling. May God continue to use CCC/Cru to glorify Himself in even greater ways. From the people I know involved in the organization, and the amount of ways they share their faith more regularly than most Christ-followers, my bet is, they will.
uh, that doesn't sound very PC to me. Read and watch their stuff before commenting please!
We need a minister like yours to keep the faith to the end.
If you rarely express your faith in a real way to those around you who do not Christ, although you attend church regularly and are growing in the Lord...Then you be the first to repent as a Pharisee before calling CCC to.
May God unify those in the body in the Christ really seeking to glorify Him! This post by Michael Youssef seems lacking in discernment and full knowledge (and Jesus's heart).
As all these churches become secularized and become less tranditional and more comtemporary, you see less hymns sung, less Bible taught, only certain areas of the church with a cross, less "Sunday School," and more organizations giving in to the world. When was the last time you went to a Wednesday night prayer meeting or a Sunday night service. No churches in our area even have a Good Friday Service.
Why because this world is controlled more and more by Satan, the great decieiver who has now basically deceived Campus Crusade for Christ that Christ's name is not important. The name above all names is based on their own press release;
"It is true that we care more about effectively proclaiming the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ than we do about having the word “Christ” in our name. The only name that matters is Jesus and what matters most is connecting people to the name that gives life." This entire statement seems to be so contradictory.
Why not add Jesus, Campus Crusade for Jesus Christ?
CRU almost sounds like a street gang moniker!
Where will this end was commented? It will end when Christ returns.
It's because it's not about an impression or facade or just a name. It's about really having conversations about the great, powerful, sovereign person and name of Jesus Christ. They are less concerned about appearing spiritual, than they are actually living missionally and talking about Jesus to the billions of lost people in the world.
"Where will this end?" you ask...Seems like CCC/Cru completely agrees with your response, " It will end when Christ returns." Their new logo represents the 4 corners of the world--every tongue, tribe, and nation--knowing Christ when the Great Commission is fulfilled and Christ returns.
You are causing unnecessary destruction to the body of Christ and a army of front lines Great Commission laborers (CCC/Cru). Your battling the wrong enemy. Someone in tune the Christ returning would pick up on this.
But let's be mindful of a systematic trend to intimidate Christians to become ashamed of the Name JESUS.
This is not happening for the first time.It started when the church was birthed @ Pentecost.....' Do not preach in this Name any longer'....was the threat by the religious stalwarts at the time.
*The Name of JESUS & the Bible were taken out of our schools, & replaced with guns porno, drugs etc
* Merry Christmas has given way to Happy Holiday, What next?
Who is to be blamed?
Romans 1:16. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of CHRIST, for it the power of GOD unto salvation.........
We are all to be blamed as long as we put more value on doing promo for politicians, products, institutions etc than for He Who alone is THE WAY ,TRUTH,& LIFE.....
.
THE COST OF KEEPING MUTE OVER THESE SILENT UNDERCURRENTS BY DEMONIC FORCES MAY BE ETERNALLY PHENOMENAL.....He who has ears let him prayerfully reflect on these & be personally determined to lift Him high above all else...He has power to draw men into the kingdom...
STAY CONNECTED TO JESUS TO THE END..
http://www.baylyblog.com/2011/07/campus-crusades-jesus-idol.html