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Created page with "{{Infobox organization | name = UCCF: The Christian Unions | image = UCCF Logo in Teal.png | alt = The logo of UCCF, with orange text on a white background saying "UCCF: The Christian Unions" | caption = | formation = 1928 | type = Christian evangelical student association | headquarters = Oxford, United Kingdom | leader_title = Dir..."

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{{Infobox organization
| name = UCCF: The Christian Unions
| image = UCCF Logo in Teal.png
| alt = The logo of UCCF, with orange text on a white background saying "UCCF: The Christian Unions"
| caption =
| formation = 1928
| type = Christian [[evangelicalism|evangelical]] student association
| headquarters = [[Oxford]], United Kingdom
| leader_title = Director
| leader_name = Matt Lillicrap, since 2024
| secessions = [[Student Christian Movement of Great Britain|Student Christian Movement]]
| affiliations = [[International Fellowship of Evangelical Students]]
| website = {{URL|uccf.org.uk/}}
| formerly = Inter-Varsity Fellowship of Evangelical Unions (IVF)
}}

'''Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship''' ('''UCCF'''; also '''UCCF: The Christian Unions''') is an [[evangelicalism|evangelical]] [[Christianity|Christian]] student movement with affiliate groups on [[university]] campuses in the United Kingdom. It is a member of the [[International Fellowship of Evangelical Students]]. The UCCF endorses a [[wikipedia:Conservative evangelicalism in the United Kingdom|conservative evangelical]] form of [[Christian theology]].

The Christian Unions provide opportunities for fellowship, bible study and evangelism, with nearly 40,000 students attending outreach events each year.<ref name="ourstory">{{cite web |url=http://www.uccf.org.uk/about/our-story.htm |title=About – Our Story |author= |website=uccf.org.uk |publisher=UCCF |access-date=20 January 2015}}</ref>

==History==
The Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship was formally established in 1928 as the Inter Varsity Fellowship,<ref name="rise">{{cite journal |last1=Goodhew |first1=David |title=The rise of the Cambridge inter-collegiate Christian union, 1910-1971 |journal=The Journal of Ecclesiastical History |date=January 2003 |volume=54 |issue=1 |pages=62–88 |quote=Other conservative Evangelical bodies emerged after 1918, but there was no central organisation until the advent of the Inter Varsity Fellowship in 1928}}</ref><ref name=enjan2005>{{cite journal |last1 = Barclay |first1 = Oliver |date= January 2005 |title = Douglas Johnson: the invisible man |journal = Evangelicals Now |url = http://www.e-n.org.uk/p-2803-Douglas-Johnson-the-invisible-man.htm |access-date = 6 April 2012}}</ref> having emerged informally as a body influenced by the [[Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union]] earlier in the 1920s.<ref name=Bebbington259>{{cite book |last1=Bebbington |first1=D. W. |title=Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s |date=1989 |publisher=Unwin Hyman |location=London |page=259}}</ref> CICCU had split from the broader [[Student Christian Movement of the United Kingdom|Student Christian Movement]] (SCM) in 1910, following tensions between the two throughout the first decade of the 1900s. With a stronger [[Conservative evangelicalism in the United Kingdom|conservative]] and evangelical presence than other Christian Unions, CICCU disagreed with SCM's move towards interdenominationalism and [[liberal Christianity|modernism]] (including the endorsement of newly emerging methods of [[Biblical criticism]]) and wanted a greater emphasis to be put on [[evangelism]].<ref>Bruce, pp. 188-196</ref> An attempted reconciliation between the two groups in 1919 was ultimately unsuccessful, owing to CICCU's insistence on the centrality of the atonement for Christian faith, which SCM would not agree to.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Goodhew |first1=David |title=The rise of the Cambridge inter-collegiate Christian union, 1910-1971 |journal=The Journal of Ecclesiastical History |date=January 2003 |volume=54 |issue=1 |page=66}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Boyd | first = Robin | title = The Witness of the Student Christian Movement, 'Church ahead of the Church' | publisher = [[Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge|SPCK]] | year = 2007 | isbn = 0-281-05877-6 | page = 26 }}</ref> Evangelical students in the [[Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union]] subsequently seceded from the SCM and, following a two-year reaffiliation, permanently left the SCM in 1927.<ref>Bruce, p. 227</ref>

From 1919, under the influence of [[Norman Grubb]], conservative evangelical students from UK universities began meeting at an annual conference in London. The first meeting produced a declaration critical of the Student Christian Movement, in particular criticizing its basis of faith for not mentioning the [[Christology|divinity of Christ]] and omitting any mention of sin, forgiveness, and salvation. In 1922, at the fourth annual meeting, it was decided to formally make the conference an annual event, as well as to appoint an executive committee and draft a constitution. The constitution of the Inter-Varsity Conference, which was accepted in 1923, included the group's doctrinal basis.<ref>Bruce, pp. 230-233</ref> The 1923 doctrinal basis included the "divine inspiration and infallibility of Scripture", the "universal sinfulness and guilt of human nature", and the "redemption from guilt, penalty and power of sin <u>only</u> through the sacrificial death... of Jesus Christ".<ref>Bruce, p. 233</ref> Anyone who wanted to hold an official position in the running of the conferences had to sign the basis of faith, a requirement was created for prospective speakers to hold views in accordance with the basis, and the conference was prohibited from undertaking joint activities with groups that did not doctrinally align with the conference.<ref>Bruce, p. 234</ref>

By 1928, the Inter-Varsity Conference became a permanent fellowship of evangelical Christian Unions and rival organisation to the SCM.<ref>Bruce, p. 243</ref> After becoming the secretary of the Inter-Varsity Conference in 1924, [[King's College London|King's College]] alumnus [[Douglas Johnson (theologian)|Douglas Johnson]] was chosen as the first and founding General Secretary of the '''Inter-Varsity Fellowship of Evangelical Unions''' ('''IVF''') by delegates of the 1928 conference.<ref name=enowOct2003>{{cite web |first = Emma |last = Balch |title = Leadership, truth & witness: Emma interviews Oliver Barclay, former Gen Sec of UCCF |url = http://www.e-n.org.uk/p-2320-Leadership-truth-&-witness.htm |work = Evangelicals Now |location = [[Thornton Heath]], [[United Kingdom]] | date=October 2003 | access-date = 7 April 2012}}</ref> He remained in this role until 1964.<ref name=enjan2005/>

In 1947, the Inter-Varsity Fellowship became a founding member of the [[International Fellowship of Evangelical Students]] (IFES). The movement developed out of links that had been established between the IVF and the Norwegian network of Christian Unions, the ''[[Norwegian Christian Student and School Association|Norges Kristelige Studentlag]]''. From 1934, regular international conferences took place between evangelicals connected to universities in Europe, North America, South Africa, and Australia; in 1947 the IFES was formally established.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hutchinson |first1=Mark |editor1-last=Betz |editor1-first=Hans Dieter |editor2-last=Browning |editor2-first=Don S. |editor3-last=Janowski |editor3-first=Bernd |editor4-last=Jüngel |editor4-first=Eberhard |title=Religion Past and Present |date=2011 |publisher=Brill |chapter=International Fellowship of Evangelical Students}}</ref> In 1997, UCCF-affiliated Christian Unions at universities on the [[island of Ireland]] formed an independent movement called IFES Ireland (later renamed Christian Unions Ireland).<ref>{{cite web |title=Our History |url=https://cui.ie/about/our-history/ |publisher=Christian Unions Ireland |access-date=6 June 2023}}</ref>

Owing to the increasing number of IVF-affiliated Christian Unions in non-university [[College#United Kingdom|colleges]], the Inter-Varsity Fellowship changed its name to the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship in 1974.<ref>Bruce, p. i</ref>

Until 2007 UCCF continued to act as the umbrella organization for Christian Unions in institutions within both the [[higher education]] and [[Further education#England|further education]] sectors. In that year, UCCF, in co-operation with [[Scripture Union]], launched Festive, an independent initiative focused on supporting Christian Union groups in further education and [[sixth form]] colleges.<ref>{{cite journal |last1 = Povey |first1 = Claire |last2 = Richards |first2 = John |date = December 2009 |title = Up against giants: mission to FE and sixth form colleges |journal = The Evangelical Magazine |publisher = [[Evangelical Movement of Wales|The Evangelical Movement of Wales]] |url = http://www.emw.org.uk/magazine/2009/12/up-against-giants/ |archive-url = https://archive.today/20120730033509/http://www.emw.org.uk/magazine/2009/12/up-against-giants/ |url-status = dead |archive-date = 2012-07-30 |access-date = 7 April 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Festive Story |url=https://www.festive.org.uk/story |publisher=Festive |access-date=6 June 2023}}</ref>

===Key staff===
* [[Douglas Johnson (theologian)|Douglas Johnson]], Secretary, 1928–64<ref name=enjan2005 />
* [[Oliver Barclay|Oliver R. Barclay]], General Secretary, 1964–80<ref name=enowOct2003 />
* Robin Wells, General Secretary, 1980–92<ref>{{cite web |first = Pod |last = Bhogal |title = Obituary: Robin Wells, 1935-2011 |url = http://e-n.org.uk/p-5403-Robin-Wells-1935-2011.htm |work = Evangelicals Now |location = [[Thornton Heath]], [[United Kingdom]] |date=March 2011 |access-date = 7 April 2012}}</ref>
* Richard Cunningham, Director, 2004–2024<ref>{{cite web |title = Our Team – Richard Cunningham |url = http://www.uccf.org.uk/our-team/leadership-team/richard-cunningham.htm |publisher = UCCF |location = [[Oxford]], [[United Kingdom]] |access-date = 20 January 2015 |archive-date = 21 January 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150121103833/http://www.uccf.org.uk/our-team/leadership-team/richard-cunningham.htm |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Richard Cunningham to take 3-month sabbatical as he leaves UCCF after 20 years |url=https://www.uccf.org.uk/media-updates/richard-cunningham-to-take-3-month-sabbatical |access-date=2025-02-20 |website=UCCF: The Christian Unions |language=en}}</ref>
* Matt Lillicrap, Chief Executive Officer, 2024-<ref>{{Cite web |title=Matt Lillicrap appointed as CEO of UCCF |url=https://www.uccf.org.uk/media-updates/ceo-announcement |access-date=2025-02-20 |website=UCCF: The Christian Unions |language=en}}</ref>

===Research===
UCCF supports biblical research through [[Tyndale House (Cambridge)|Tyndale House]], [[Cambridge]], which opened in 1945<ref name=Bebbingto260n>{{cite book |last1=Bebbington |first1=D. W. |title=Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s |date=1989 |publisher=Unwin Hyman |location=London |page=260}}</ref> and became independent in 2015.<ref name="Tyndale House">'[https://tyndalehouse.com/about/our-history/ Our history]', Tyndale House.</ref>

From the late 1980s and into this century, support for those involved in Christian ethics was provided through the Whitefield Institute, [[Oxford]], founded by [[E. David Cook]]. In 2006, this was reconstituted to become the [[Kirby Laing Institute for Christian Ethics]], now the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology.<ref name="Kirby Laing Centre">[https://kirbylaingcentre.co.uk Kirby Laing Centre website], Cambridge</ref>

==Theology==
UCCF endorses a [[Conservative evangelicalism in the United Kingdom|conservative evangelical]] form of [[Christian theology]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Perfect |first1=Simon |last2=Ryan |first2=Ben |last3=Aune |first3=Kristin |title=Faith and Belief on Campus: Division and Cohesion: Exploring student faith and belief societies |date=2009 |publisher=Theos |url=https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/cmsfiles/Reportfiles/Theos---Faith-and-Belief-on-Campus---Division-and-Cohesion.pdf |page=115 |quote=UCCF, the broadly conservative, evangelical organisation to which 128 university Christian Unions are affiliated}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Cawdell |first1=Dominic |title=Yes I'm a Christian, but not one of those |url=https://www.varsity.co.uk/comment/8548 |website=Varsity Online |access-date=30 May 2021 |language=en |date=28 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Bush |first1=Jemima |title=The Christian Union should change its name |url=https://www.palatinate.org.uk/the-christian-union-should-change-its-name/ |website=Palatinate |access-date=30 May 2021 |date=11 March 2016}}</ref> Its doctrinal basis reflects typical elements of conservative evangelicalism, such as [[Biblical infallibility]], the [[total depravity|universal sinfulness of all humans]], and [[penal substitution]]. Individual Christian Unions must subscribe to UCCF's doctrinal basis in order to be affiliated with them, and anyone who occupies a leadership position (including student executive committee members) or speaks at a Christian Union event must also sign to affirm their agreement.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Guest |first1=Matthew |last2=Sharma |first2=Sonya |last3=Aune |first3=Kristin |last4=Warner |first4=Rob |title=Challenging ‘Belief’ and the Evangelical Bias: Student Christianity in English Universities |journal=Journal of Contemporary Religion |date=2013 |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=210–211 |doi=10.1080/13537903.2013.783326}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Roberts |first1=Vaughan |title=Reframing the UCCF Doctrinal Basis |journal=Theology |date=1992 |volume=95 |issue=768 |pages=443–444 |doi=10.1177/0040571X9209500604}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Perfect |first1=Simon |last2=Ryan |first2=Ben |last3=Aune |first3=Kristin |title=Faith and Belief on Campus: Division and Cohesion: Exploring student faith and belief societies |date=2009 |publisher=Theos |url=https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/cmsfiles/Reportfiles/Theos---Faith-and-Belief-on-Campus---Division-and-Cohesion.pdf |page=123}}</ref>

The explicitly conservative evangelicalism of UCCF's doctrinal basis has led some to criticise the exclusivity of UCCF's theology. Biblical infallibility, the view that the Bible is completely true and sufficient for Christian belief and practice, is rejected by many Christian denominations. The doctrine of penal substitution is likewise rejected by many non-evangelical Christians.<ref name=Ekklesia>{{cite web |url=http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/united_we_stand_report.pdf |title=United We Stand? A report on current conflicts between Christian Unions and Students’ Unions |publisher=[[Ekklesia (think tank)|Ekklesia]] |date=2006 |pages=4–5, 12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928074628/https://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/united_we_stand_report.pdf |archive-date=28 September 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In some cases, UCCF's evangelical theology has led to Christian Unions having difficult relationships with chaplaincies and/or [[Students' union|student union]]s.<ref name=Ekklesia /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/around-yorkshire/local-stories/campus_christians_accused_of_breaking_students_union_rules_1_2542211|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130505120808/http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/around-yorkshire/local-stories/campus_christians_accused_of_breaking_students_union_rules_1_2542211|archivedate=5 May 2013|website=Yorkshire Post|title=Campus Christians accused of breaking Students' Union rules|date=30 March 2004|first=Alexandra|last=Wood}}</ref> It is also a substantial and persistent difference between UCCF and [[Student Christian Movement of Great Britain|SCM]] (which is committed to [[ecumenism]], including co-operation with CUs).<ref name=SCM-hist>{{Cite web |url=http://www.movement.org.uk/scms-history |title=SCM – History |access-date=8 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219035800/http://movement.org.uk/scms-history |archive-date=19 December 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Demographics and organisation==
According to a 2013 research paper, there are approximately 200 UCCF-affiliated Christian Unions in the UK, with a total membership of around 10,000. UCCF members thus accounted for just over 1% of the total Christian student population in the UK (800,000). In the same survey, 10% of Christian students (over 82,000) reported engaging with Christian Union activities during term time.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Guest |first1=Matthew |last2=Sharma |first2=Sonya |last3=Aune |first3=Kristin |last4=Warner |first4=Rob |title=Challenging ‘Belief’ and the Evangelical Bias: Student Christianity in English Universities |journal=Journal of Contemporary Religion |date=2013 |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=216 |doi=10.1080/13537903.2013.783326}}</ref>

UCCF employs about 80 staff, and has a further 80 or so volunteer "Relay Workers" on a one-year training programme. Many of these staff and volunteers are graduates who were involved in the CU as undergraduates. They support the student Christian Unions with training, advice and materials.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} According to a 2006 ''[[Ekklesia (think tank)|Ekklesia]]'' report, the majority (>65%) of UCCF's funding comes through donations by individuals. A further 10% of its funding is from donations by churches, while the rest is made up of contributions made by individual Christian Unions groups and support from charitable trusts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/united_we_stand_report.pdf |title=United We Stand? A report on current conflicts between Christian Unions and Students’ Unions |publisher=[[Ekklesia (think tank)|Ekklesia]] |date=2006 |pages=3–4, 12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928074628/https://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/united_we_stand_report.pdf |archive-date=28 September 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[International Fellowship of Evangelical Students]]
*[[Inter-Varsity Press]]

'''Members'''
*[[Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union]]
*[[Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union]]

'''International sister organisations'''
*[[InterVarsity Christian Fellowship]] (USA)
*[[Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship of Canada]]
*[[Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students]]
*[[Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship]] (New Zealand)

==Bibliography==
*Douglas Johnson, ''Contending for the Faith – A History of the Evangelical Movement in the Universities and Colleges''. {{ISBN|0-85110-591-2}}.
*Steve Bruce, ''The Student Christian Movement and the Inter-Varsity Fellowship: a sociological study of two student movements'', (unpublished PhD thesis) – A copy is held at the British Library and also at the Center for Research Libraries, Chicago, IL 60637. [https://dspace.stir.ac.uk/handle/1893/2398 An online PDF is also available].
*Lindsay Brown, ''Shining like Stars'' – stories from students worldwide. {{ISBN|1-84474-167-2}}
*Oliver Barclay & Robern Horn, ''From Cambridge to the World'' – history of Cambridge CU. {{ISBN|0-85111-499-7}}
*Bebbington, David W, ''Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s''. London: Unwin Hyman, 1989. {{ISBN|0-04-941018-0}}

==References==

[[Category:Evangelicalism in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Christian student societies in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:International Fellowship of Evangelical Students National Fellowships]]
[[Category:Christian organizations established in 1928]]
[[Category:Christian organisations based in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Oxford]]
[[Category:Christianity in Oxford]]
[[Category:Student organisations in the United Kingdom]]

Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship - Revision history