Hoya Staff Writer Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Following confusion and criticism in the wake of its decision last month to bar affiliated Protestant ministries from campus, the Office of Campus Ministry formed an advisory committee last week to review student complaints. But in searching for alternative ways to organize at Georgetown in compliance with the university’s new policy, many members of the affected organizations said that the decision has had mixed consequences, and that they may prefer to organize with the Student Activities Commission. In a letter to ministries affected by the decision, Fr. Timothy Godfrey, S.J., the director of campus ministry, said that the review committee would help “in designing a future model for ministry in keeping with Georgetown values.”We recognize the pain this decision has caused,” Godfrey said in the letter. “Hopefully, we can use this time of review and evaluation to envision a more effective structure for serving our Protestant students in keeping with our university values.” He did not say if the committee would consider reversing last month’s decision. The committee will be made up of university faculty, campus ministry officials, students and local religious leaders, according to the letter. Godfrey has not released any further details about the committee. Calls to campus ministry were referred to the university’s Office of Communications. Hanna Coyne (COL ’07), co-leader of one of the affected organizations, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, will serve on the advisory committee. She said that her ministry has considered filing as a student-run organization with SAC. But Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson said that students wishing to organize as religious groups will have to report to campus ministry. Coyne said that this policy is unfair to the affiliate ministries. “The problem is that we want the university to recognize us as legitimate,” she said. She added that religious groups like the Muslim Students Association are allowed to exist as SAC-funded groups without reporting to campus ministry. Than Oakes (MSB ’07), who serves on the executive board of InterVarsity, which was also affected by the decision, said that the organization should be able to register with SAC, and that lawyers for the national organization have advised that there is legal precedent for such a belief. “I don’t think it’s fair that any student group would be denied recognition on campus,” Oakes said. “If we were affiliated with the university in some way it would be great.” Director for Student Programs artha Swanson said while that several of the affiliate groups have expressed interest to her in becoming student organizations, none have applied. She added that the deadline for clubs to register for the year has passed. Some members of affected ministries said that affiliation with SAC would have benefits over their previous relationship with campus ministry. Oakes said that being under the campus ministry was at times inconvenient, and the group now has “more flexibility” because it is no longer has to report to office. In recent years affiliate groups were required to notify campus ministry of upcoming events and social schedules one year in advance. “I would absolutely not want them to reverse the decision,” Oakes said. Oakes, however, said that InterVarsity’s new structure has had its disadvantages, noting that recruitment this year is down from expected levels. Kim Loke (COL ’07), who was a member of the Crossroad Christian Fellowship when it was an affiliated ministry, said that the group has moved on without university affiliation, relocating its meetings off campus and changing its name to the Agape Campus Christian Fellowship. “We just don’t use the name Crossroad Christian Fellowship anymore . because of this new change in structure,” she said. “We don’t want . people to think we’re still affiliated.” Loke said, however, that despite steps that her organization has taken in past weeks, she “definitely would” like campus ministry to reverse its decision. Jeff Davis (SFS ’07), another ACCF member, said that while he is unsure whether he wants the Office of Campus Ministries to review its decision, he is glad that the newly formed committee will finally bring administrators and students together on the issue. “I won’t necessarily say it’s a positive thing or a negative to go through anybody,” he said about no longer having to report to the office. “But it’s a positive to be on the same side.”