If your MBA fellowship is not currently affiliated with InterVarsity, we encourage you to consider affiliating with us. Contact us if you have specific questions not addressed below.
What are the basic elements needed to affiliate?
The basics of affiliation are simple. They include drafting a constitution for how the group will run (we have a sample that has passed legal inspection, if it helps), and all leaders must agree with InterVarsity’s Doctrinal Basis, which pulls from the very basics of Christian doctrine.
Once affiliated, what would be the role of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship?
InterVarsity at large began as a student leadership movement; it remains that way to this day. InterVarsity staff are there to coach, encourage, disciple, mentor, and occasionally add input. Our staff is present to co-lead a Bible study or give a talk, for example, but the face of the fellowship to the student body and administration is the student leaders.
Does our leadership need to sign a statement of faith? If so, where can I find the Statement?
Yes, we ask that all student leaders sign a very basic Doctrinal Basis. It does preclude non-believers or those with unorthodox theologies from ending up in leadership down the road.
What are the direct links between an affiliation and the national as well as the regional InterVarsity events?
In the past, these direct links have included retreats, conferences, service events, quarterly conference calls, periodic visits from InterVarsity staff, etc. Examples of business student conferences include Believers in Business and the Business Track at the Urbana Missions Conference. Scholarships to such events are sometimes available to group members. Regional events can occur as well. Access to InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s three camps for retreats may be a perk.
If we wanted to hold a conference or seminar of our own on campus, would InterVarsity help us?
Perhaps. Each new conference, panel, or seminar is its own conversation. In the past, InterVarsity has leveraged its networks of mentors and speakers of behalf of chapter events. In addition to locating speakers, we focus on maximizing the opportunity for the speaker as well.
Are there legal ramifications when affiliating?
You may be aware of the campus ministry case with the Christian Legal Society that was recently lost in the Supreme Court. Essentially, there is a major challenge to campus ministries brewing about whether or not a fellowship can restrict student leadership of a student organization to believers and/or an expectation of godly conduct (e.g., celibacy in singleness, no actively homosexual lifestyle, no drunkenness, etc.). Therefore, if your chapter was challenged on this by students or the administration, InterVarsity might not have any legal grounds to protect you without prior affiliation. Six or more cases — where InterVarsity groups and other Christian groups were going to be shut down on campus over these issues — occurred in the last decade. In each instance, InterVarsity was able to negotiate reinstatement. Without access to school facilities and marketing channels, most unrecognized student groups would die.
Are there foreseeable problems inherent to affiliations? How are they dealt with?
In the past, potential issues centered on a lack of shared vision or values. Our values include spiritual formation, community, evangelism, service, and integrating faith and work. So, it’s important to bear these in mind from the start.
What if our students or our administration decides it wants to suspend affiliation?
If at any point you wish to suspend affiliation, you have the right to “un-affiliate.” So there is minimal risk. Just so you know, this has not happened in our memory.
