Church of Christ campus ministry makes front page of St. Louis newspaper

The front page of today’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The headline is intriguing:

Campus ministry’s success at evangelism may be its undoing

That’s the above-the-fold, front-page description used by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch today to characterize a ministry associated with Churches of Christ. (Read the full story.)
On a recent reporting trip, I spent time with Robert Cox, senior minister for the Crossings Church, the St. Louis-area Church of Christ at the center of the controversy, and his son, campus minister Kerry Cox.
Robert Cox and Kerry Cox serve on the national board of directors for Campus Ministry United, a ministry-planting organization associated with Churches of Christ.
Look for my report on the Crossings Church and its campus ministry in an upcoming print edition of The Christian Chronicle.

• Feedback
  I appreciate the Post-Dispatch drawing attention to this issue.
  In my opinion, the article is written well save the final couple of paragraphs that make Robert Cox sound like some kind of fire and brimstone preacher. The �minions of Satan� and “fight” comments are taken completely out of the context in which they were used in Robert’s sermon. The article makes it sounds like Robert believes �anyone who doesn�t agree with me is a minion of Satan that we will fight� � that is not at all representative of Robert’s attitude or that of The Crossings Church. I have been familiar with that congregation for a number of years, and it is one of the most loving, open, and graceful communities of faith I have ever had contact with.
  Other than that bit, I give this article a thumbs up and look forward to further coverage.

  Wes Woodell

  June, 6 2012

  Sounds like the Boston/Crossroads movement is still alive.

  Russ Hicks

  June, 8 2012

  Are you sure this is an acappella Church of Christ? Crossings are popping up in the midwest and if anything seem to be more closely related to the independent Christian church.

  Barry Poyner

  June, 8 2012

  Why? Because they are evangelistic, operate on a college campus, and are being hassled about it? That attitude is why many churches of Christ will never be able to perform campus ministry effectively.
  I suggest investigating further before making up your mind.

  Wes Woodell

  June, 8 2012

  What am inspiring story! Sounds like New Testament Christianity where the church makes such a difference in society it gets persecuted. How many of us are seeing that in our churches?
  We will hold Kerry Cox, the student group, and the church leadership up in prayer that they make the right decisions and do not get discouraged. Outreach, loving fellowship, and zeal for the Lord is as biblical as you can get.

  Don Sevidge

  June, 8 2012

  I have no comment on the story as a whole, because I do not trust the source and have no confidence that I know what is really happening. But if indeed the school has a policy that “faith groups cannot ‘interfere with students’ by ‘proselytizing’, ‘witnessing’ or other acts of influence or persuasion'” then clearly the school is in the wrong. Essentially this is telling us that we have to promise not to be Christians at all in order to have a campus ministry. What other group would be told that they may not engage in “acts of influence or persuasion?” Are the communists or the atheists told that they are not allowed to persuade others to their point of view? This policy is unconstitutional, as well as just plain wrong. A school with a policy like that is asking for trouble.

  thayer salisbury

  June, 8 2012

  Thayer – unfortunately Lindenwood is not the only university pulling stunts like this.
  Read http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/05/07/house-members-blast-vanderbilt-for-policy-hostile-to-religious-groups-on-campus/ and http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2012/02/are-u-s-colleges-hostile-to-christian-students.php and you’ll see what I mean.
  Thank you Don for your support!

  Wes Woodell

  June, 9 2012

  Barry, yes, this is an a cappella congregation.
  Wes, since Lindenwood and Vanderbilt are both private universities, doesn’t religious freedom mean giving them the right to decide what groups can operate on campus? Would you want the government telling universities associated with Churches of Christ that they must recognize groups of students whose views conflict with the values of the university? I understand that there are extenuating circumstances at Lindenwood but ask that question from a wider scale.

  Bobby Ross Jr.

  June, 9 2012

  The problem at Lindenwood and Vandy is that precedents had already been set since the groups being affected had been on campus for a number of years without incident. You are correct in that private schools will ultimately do what they. While that is their right, it is the right of the affected groups to protest and push for a different outcome.

  Wes Woodell

  June, 9 2012