In my previous post, Student Leadership: Agony or Ecstasy? (Part 1), I addressed the importance of a student leadership team that has high kingdom potential. Another essential component to reinforce during the leadership selection process is clearly defining and ensuring agreement with InterVarsity's mission and beliefs.
Commitment to Mission and Beliefs
I remember one leadership team I served on where one of our more gifted team members came into our meeting half-way through the first semester and confessed that he did not believe that people were lost without Jesus and therefore was uncommitted to evangelism. Because we cared about this leader and did not want to lose him, we spent the next two months trying to change his mind. Finally after many conversations, he indicated that he was firm in his position and we asked him to step down from leadership. Unfortunately by that point our team had lost its way in advancing the mission and all of our chapter’s missional momentum was lost.
InterVarsity is committed to protecting student leaders and chapters from the kind of lost momentum that disunity brings by requiring each new leadership team to affiliate with InterVarsity. We require affirmation and agreement with our Doctrinal and Purpose Statements. These two documents lay the foundation for team leadership that can advance the mission on campus without looking back.
