Increase the Impact of Your Giving

---

Financial Partner Testimony

"I grew in my Christian knowledge, faith, and fellowship at Princeton largely because others provided the funds for Christian ministry to exist on campus. I want other students to have this same opportunity."  
- Melinda Sims '95

---

For Assistance

If you need assistance with any of these giving opportunities, call a donor representative at: 1-609-688-1700 Option 2 or email giving@christianunion.org.

Key Partners in Developing Christian Leaders

Foundations 

Christian Union is honored to partner with foundations to accomplish shared goals to impact the world for Christ.

Christian Union invites foundation board and staff members to visit the campuses where the ministry operates leadership development programs. To arrange a visit or to simply learn more about the ministry, request annual reports and other materials, and to discuss whether Christian Union's mission and vision align with the foundation's funding priorities, contact a director of public affairs for your region. 

Churches

Christian Union is thankful for the support of churches in developing future leaders of wholehearted Christian faith.

A director of public affairs can answer your church's questions about Christian Union's ministry to universities and cities. They can also address campus-specific questions, and help to determine if funding this ministry would help your church reach its missional goals. 

---

"Briarwood Presbyterian Church is striving to equip the next generation of leaders for the church and for the nation. Because of the immeasurable influence and impact of Ivy League graduates, Christian Union is a valuable partner for discipleship and evangelism, bringing the gospel of grace to bear on the lives of the now-student and soon-to-be-leader, as they become change agents in our world. This is a ministry worth coming alongside."
--Dr. Tom Cheely (deceased), former Missions Pastor, Briarwood Presbyterian Church

---

For Assistance

Email: giving@christianunion.org 

Write to:
Christian Union
19 Vandeventer Avenue
Princeton, NJ 08542

Recognize Someone Special through Your Giving

---

Financial Partner Testimony

"Christian Union has an ambitious goal: sweeping spiritual transformation of the Ivy League universities. The integrity, experience and maturity of the leadership team, led by Matt Bennett, convince me that this is an achievable goal toward which I am delighted to contribute my resources." 
- Eric T. Halverson

---

For Assistance

If you need assistance with any of these giving opportunities, call a donor representative at: 1-609-688-1700 Option 2 or email giving@christianunion.org.

Create Your Legacy

Planned gifts are typically made through provisions in a revocable trust or will.

Other planned gifts include: securities or real estate, life insurance policies, beneficiary designations of an IRA or other tax-deferred retirement account, and gifts that provide tax-advantaged income by means of charitable trusts or gift annuities.

• Planned gifts are popular because of the financial flexibility and tax benefits they provide.
• They are also an effective means of Christian stewardship as they redirect assets to ministry that otherwise might be lost to income taxes, capital gains taxes, or estate taxes.

Consider making a bequest to Christian Union by will or living trust, or by other creative ways in which you, your loved ones and Christian Union can all benefit. 

 

Navigate planned giving options in the menu to the left.

Please contact the Annual Giving Associate to explore planned giving options.

---

Financial Partner Testimony

"I give generously of my time, finances and prayers because I believe so much in Christian Union. In return I am blessed in so many ways."
- Adair Webb

---

For Assistance

 

If you need assistance with any of these giving opportunities, call a financial partner representative at: 1-609-688-1700 Option 2 or email giving@christianunion.org.

A form of giving that may offer tax advantages. 

Gifts of appreciated securities held by either your bank or brokerage or held by you offer significant tax advantages for alumni, parents, and friends and are easy to make.

Step 1: Transfer Shares

Ask your broker to make an electronic transfer of the shares to Christian Union's account.

A sample letter might read:

I wish to make an irrevocable gift to Christian Union of "x" shares of "XYZ" Corporation. Please transfer the stock to Christian Union via DTC as follows:

     • Merrill Lynch
     • FBO (for the benefit of) Christian Union, Inc.
     • Christian Union's account number: 2X7-02131
     • DTC routing number: 8862

Once the stock is received and transferred into Christian Union's account, the ministry will receive notification of the transfer. For the ministry to provide you a receipt you will need to inform Christian Union of the details of your stock gift (see step 2).

Step 2: Notify Christian Union

To avoid unidentified gifts, please send a copy of your correspondence with your brokerage to Christian Union. If you would like to specify a designation for your gift (i.e. Columbia, Harvard, Princeton), please include that in your correspondence with the ministry:

Mail to:
Christian Union
19 Vandeventer Avenue
Princeton, NJ 08542

Email: giving@christianunion.org

Phone: (609) 688-1700 Option 2

Fax: (609) 688-1795

For each gift, please include:

• Your name
• Name of stock
• Number of shares
• Brokerage

If you hold the certificate for your shares:

If you hold the actual stock certificates, you will need to sign a stock power form for each certificate you contribute. You may obtain a stock power from any broker or financial institution. When you sign the power, be sure to sign your name precisely as it appears on the certificate. For example, if you are listed as John A. Johnson on the certificate, sign it John A. Johnson. Leave the rest of the form blank.

When mailing the certificates, use two envelopes.

• In the first envelope, place the unendorsed certificates. If you would like to designate your gift to a specific ministry (i.e. Brown, Dartmouth, University of Pennsylvania), include a letter indicating your intentions.
•  In the second envelope, place the completed stock power(s).

Send the envelopes to Christian Union on the same day by certified mail. Christian Union's address is:

Christian Union
19 Vandeventer Avenue
Princeton, NJ 08542

Determining the Gift Date

The date of the gift is determined by the act of relinquishing the stock.

Electronic transfer: the date the shares are received in Christian Union's account.

Mail: If mailed through a private mail service (FedEx, etc.) the gift is complete on the date Christian Union receives the mail containing the stock certificates and signed powers documents. If mailed through USPS, the gift is complete on the date of the postmark of the last envelope to arrive at Christian Union (in case they do not arrive at the same time).

Hand delivery: the date of delivery.

Receipting of Stock Gifts

Receipts to donors indicate the number and types of shares. The donor of publicly traded stock will be credited with the fair market value which is determined by averaging high and low trading prices on the date of the gift (see above paragraphs to determine the date of a gift).

Liquidation of Stock

Stocks are liquidated as soon as Christian Union receives them, or upon notification by the ministry's broker that the shares have been transferred to one of Christian Union's accounts.

---

For Assistance

If you need assistance, call a donor representative at: 1-609-688-1700 Option 2 or email giving@christianunion.org.

Transform Realty into Generous Giving

Giving a gift of real estate, such as a personal home, vacation home, undeveloped property, or a farm, can be a highly effective philanthropic and financial strategy. Each of the following gift arrangements has distinct tax benefits, which Christian Union would be happy to discuss with you:

• Your property can fund a trust that makes payments back to you or someone you name.
• You can choose to make an outright gift of real estate, which can be used for funding a ministry fellow or other purposes.
• If you are planning to sell your real estate, you can transfer ownership of an interest in the property to Christian Union. After the sale, the ministry receives its share of the proceeds.
• You can make a gift through a retained life estate arrangement, under which you give Christian Union your home, but retain the right to live there for the rest of your life. You also receive a current income tax deduction.
• The property that you contribute is removed from your taxable estate.

Steps for Gifting Real Estate >

---

For Assistance

If you need assistance with any of these giving opportunities, call a financial partner representative at: 1-609-688-1700 Option 2 or email giving@christianunion.org.

Establish your legacy

Christian Union can help you explore ways to make a bequest that will assure your own legacy through a life-changing ministry. Making a gift from your estate begins with the following steps:

Understand Ways to Give

Name Christian Union as a beneficiary 

• Christian Union welcomes gifts of a remainder interest in an IRA or other qualified retirement plan (Keogh, tax-sheltered annuity, or qualified pension or profit-sharing plan). For some people, these can be the most highly taxed assets they own, since retirement plans assets can be subject to both estate and income taxes. Christian Union is a tax-exempt organization, so when you name the ministry as a beneficiary of your qualified retirement plan, these assets can pass to the ministry without being taxed. Similarly, when you name Christian Union as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy, the assets pass to the ministry tax free. Please contact your own Retirement Plan Administrator for a beneficiary designation form. The legal name for Christian Union is: "Christian Union Inc" and the tax ID number is: 22-3834440.

Make a gift through your will or living trust. 
Few legal instruments are more important to the people and causes you care about than your will. Before you meet with your attorney, we suggest that you become familiar with the ways you can make a bequest:

• A specific bequest directs a dollar amount or particular assets, such as securities, real estate, tangible personal property (works of art or rare books), to Christian Union.
• A residuary bequest directs all or a percentage of the remainder of your estate, after specific amounts bequeathed to other beneficiaries are distributed and estate-related expenses are paid, to Christian Union.
• A testamentary trust can be helpful for you and your family as well as for Christian Union. A lead trust saves estate taxes by providing annual payments to Christian Union in lieu of taxes; the remaining amount goes to your family or friends. A remainder trust provides payments to your surviving family members or friends for life or a set term, with the remainder going to Christian Union.

 

Think about your Christian Union Legacy

A gift to Christian Union may memorialize a friend or relative, or carry in perpetuity the name of the donor.
• An unrestricted bequest allows the ministry to determine how to use the funds based on its highest and most pressing needs. If you prefer to make an unrestricted bequest, we suggest the following sample language: "I give and bequeath to Christian Union Inc, a New Jersey not-for-profit corporation, the sum of ___________ Dollars {or all the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate} to be used for the general purposes of the Ministry in the discretion of its Board of Trustees."
• A restricted bequest directs assets to a specific fund or a particular purpose. If you are considering designating your bequest for a specific purpose we suggest that you speak to a development officer at Christian Union. The ministry will help ensure that your gift is used as you would like. Staff members are available to discuss what you want to accomplish through your gift and can provide sample language for you and your attorney to review.

Resources

Letter of Intent >
Sample Bequest Language > 

---

For Assistance

If you need assistance with any of these giving opportunities, call a financial partner representative at: 1-609-688-1700 Option 2 or email giving@christianunion.org.

40-Day Seasons

Christian Union invites Christians from around the country and world to join together in special seasons of prayer and fasting.  

Previous 40-days initiatives have made a tremendous impact in the lives of participants. Christian Union has heard from many of the hundreds who participated, encouraging the ministry to call and give leadership to ongoing 40 Day Initiatives.

During each of the 40 Days Initiatives, participants have shared wonderful stories about ways that God moved in their lives. These 40 Days Initiatives are now being run through Christian Union's new Day & Night ministry. To learn more, go to DayAndNight.org/moves. 

Stay Engaged with Christian Union

Christian Union welcomes any and all Christians who have graduated from any of the universities at which the organization ministers to get involved with alumni programming, regardless of involvement with the ministry at the undergraduate level. Join the mission to develop and connect transformative Christian leaders!

 
Christian Union Boards

---

Volunteer Time and Talents

Become a mentor, city welcomer, or volunteer for a board.

There are various ways to get involved with the mission beyond the leadership of an alumni board.

Volunteer as a mentor to encourage graduating seniors in their journey beyond the university.

Attend or help host a reunion event to get to know the ministry staff, see the ministry center, and reconnect with peers.

Welcome recent graduates into a new city.

Volunteer on a committee focused on specific alumni initiatives.
 

Contact alumni engagement to learn more and get involved.

 

---

Stay Informed

Christian Union, in partnership with alumni and Cornerstone Partner volunteers, gathers and sends monthly email newsletters including prayer requests from each university faculty team. To sign up to receive these monthly updates, email prayer@christianunion.org and include which university ministry to subscribe to.

 

Likewise, the ministry wants to know the latest happenings in the lives of alumni and Cornerstone Partners worldwide. Please share news, events, trends, or new contact information with alumniengagement@christianunion.org. The content provided just might be featured in an upcoming newsletter!

 

---

Give Back Financially

Sow into Christian Union’s University Ministries

 

Countless hours of faculty time and many financial resources are regularly poured into the ministry by generous financial partners. Some are alumni of the Christian Union’s ministry or these schools; others are not. All are giving in obedience to God’s call.

 

Your charitable gift of $25 or more will make you a Cornerstone Partner and help lay the foundation for revival and spiritual health in our nation. Please prayerfully consider becoming a Cornerstone Partner today.

Welcome to Christian Union

Christian Union’s mission is to develop and mobilize godly leadership across all sectors of American society. I founded this Christian leadership development ministry in 2002 to do so, by bringing sweeping spiritual transformation to the nation’s most influential universities and to key cities that shape American culture. 

Below, you will find general information about the ministry and resources such as the leadership team, the ministry logo, and photos. Christian Union has been featured in several news outlets over the years. You will find more details about that below as well. 

Please contact me to learn more and to request an interview for your organization or news outlet.

In Christ,

Matthew W. Bennett 
Founder and President

---

Quick Facts

Christian Union Founded	2002
Princeton ministry launched	2002
Harvard College ministry launched	2008
Yale ministry launched	2010
Columbia ministry launched	2011
Dartmouth ministry launched	2011
Christian Union New York launched	2012
Cornell ministry launched	2012
Harvard Law ministry launched	2013
Penn ministry launched	2013
Brown ministry launched	2014
Stanford ministry launched	2016
Christian Union Day & Night launched	2016

---

Christian Union Leadership

Executive Leadership
Board of Trustees

---

Resources 

Christian Union Logos
(A downloadable .zip file of both a vertical and horizontal Christian Union logo in .eps format)

---

Media Contact

Please direct all interview requests to the CEO's office. Email the Executive Assistant to the CEO to arrange an interview.

---

Past Media Coverage

CBN's 2017 interview with Christian Union Founder & President, Matt Bennett
World Magazine: "Influencing the Influencers."

Sharing a Vision to Transform Dartmouth

The alumni board is an alumni-led organization which will inevitably play a vital role in the future of the ministry at Dartmouth College. The alumni board is committed to furthering the development of programs focused on alumni as it furthers the following objectives: advance the work at Dartmouth College, transition graduates well, develop Christian leaders and bring revival.

 

Andrew Shuffer '18

Board Member

Kenneth Kvistad '63

Board Member

Elaine Lunsford '17

Board Member

 

Contact Us:

AlumniEngagement@ChristianUnion.org.

Alumni with a Vision to Transform Princeton

The Alumni Board is an alumni-led organization which will inevitably play a vital role in the future of the ministry at Princeton University. The Alumni Board is committed to furthering the development of programs focused on alumni as it furthers the following objectives: advance the work at Princeton University, transition graduates well, develop Christian leaders and bring revival.

 

Kenneth Jasko '78 

Chair 

Vince Naman '82 

Board Member

Edward (Ted) Duffield '58 

Board Member

Tiffany Agyarko '23 

Board Member

Betsy Salazar '10

Board Member

 

Contact Us:

AlumniEngagement@ChristianUnion.org

Sharing a Vision to Transform Yale

The alumni board is an alumni-led organization which will inevitably play a vital role in the future of the ministry at Yale University. The alumni board is committed to furthering the development of programs focused on alumni as it furthers the following objectives: advance the work at Yale University, transition graduates well, develop Christian leaders and bring revival.

Kia K. Quinlan '16

Chair

 
Edward Duffy '75

Board Member

 

Jin Li '21

Board Member

Stuart Monk '19

Board Member

 

George Taylor '68

Board Member

 

Contact Us:

AlumniEngagement@ChristianUnion.org.

Serving Christian Union's Financial Partners 

Contact the Christian Union development staff by email using: Firstname.Lastname@ChristianUnion.org

 

---

Cheryl Ennis Self

Vice President of Development

Cheryl Ennis Self, ACFRE was the Founder and Chief Development Officer of the consultancy Funding for Change (FFC). Since 2016, FFC has provided expert guidance to both nonprofit and for profit corporations in the areas of creative visioning, innovative strategic planning, excellence in resource generation, and sustainable attainment of stated goals.

Prior to serving as a Business Consultant, Ms. Self was the Executive Director of Global Social Partnerships at World Vision (WV). Her prior roles at World Vision over 16 years included leadership of major donor, corporate and foundation development officers, while personally stewarding a strong portfolio of donor relationships. 

Her previous experience includes service as National Director of Advancement at Prison Fellowship Ministries, Washington, DC, and Interim Director of Development at The Stony Brook School, Long Island, NY. She began her early career as a teacher, then sales and sales management in Manhattan before moving into the nonprofit sector.

In 2013, The Association of Fundraising Professionals, the largest community of professional fundraisers in the world, awarded its highest professional certification, the Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive (ACFRE) to Ms. Self. Available only to senior-level fundraisers who have worked in the profession for 10 or more years, the ACFRE is a distinguished achievement earned by only 104 professionals since the inception of the program in 1992. 

Ms. Self holds a BA in French Language from Gettysburg College, PA, where she graduated cum laude. She and her husband of 30 years, Jim, live in Northern Virginia.

---

Isabella Campolattaro

Development Writer

A longtime freelance writer and communications consultant, Isabella holds an MS in management and public relations, and BA in communications studies, both from the University of Maryland. Isabella is an active Christian blogger, author, and contributor to nearly twenty books, including several Guideposts devotionals. 

Born in Southern California and raised in Maryland, Isabella now lives on Florida’s lush and lovely Suncoast with her two amazing school-age sons, Pierce and Isaac.

---

David Cole

Director of Technical Services

David brings over ten years of fundraising operations experience serving organizations across the religious, social service, and education sectors. David specializes in helping non-profits optimize donor databases, streamline processes, and enhance data-driven strategic planning efforts.

David is a native Texan, a devout Catholic, and an Eagle Scout. He lives in Dallas-Ft. Worth area with his wife, Jennifer, and two daughters. He earned a BA in Communications from the University of Texas in San Antonio.

---

Landon Eckhardt

Director of Development

Landon represents Christian Union in the Northeast Region, working closely with ministry financial partners, including individuals, churches, and foundations. His role is to steward their participation in developing Christian leaders to impact culture across the country.

Born and raised in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas metroplex, Landon earned a BSBA in finance from Samford University in 2009, an MDiv from Palmer Theological Seminary in 2014, and an MBA from Eastern University in 2017. Prior to joining Christian Union, Landon worked in development at The Bowery Mission in New York City where he managed a team overseeing donor relations, donation processing and receipting, and various data and reporting mechanisms.   

Landon and his wife, Amanda, currently live in New York City and are avid foodies, coffee lovers, and enjoy spending quality time with family and friends.

---

Patty Fillman

Administrative Assistant

Patty provides crucial administrative support to the development team. She graduated from Mansfield University with a degree in Early Childhood Education and has worked a variety of secretarial and managerial jobs while fulfilling her primary responsibility of raising her children.

Patty has three wonderful, grown children: Adam, Rachel, and Hannah. Between them, she and her husband, Jim, have four children and three grandchildren.

---

Dave Magnuson

Associate VP Strategic Gifts

Dave directs the work of the directors of public affairs. He also works closely with financial partners in the Central Region and around the country.

Dave hails from Minnesota. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Business from Bethel University in 1983 and an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management in 1992. Prior to joining Christian Union, Dave served successfully as the Chief Development Officer at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Presbyterian Homes, and The Salvation Army in Chicago. Dave has also been active as a board member with several international social service ministries.

Dave and wife, Caryn, live in the Chicago area and are the proud parents of three adult sons, Trent, Caleb, and Nathan, and daughter, Grace, who is in college.


  

---

Deborah Oladapo

Data Director

Deborah grew up in Auburn, Alabama. She attended the University of Alabama where she received her BA in International Studies and Spanish and her MBA. She spent eight years working as an IT professional with Rohm and Haas Company, The Dow Chemical Company, and with a non–profit community college before joining Christian Union.

Deborah is married to Abiola. They have two children and live in Columbus, Indiana.

---

Edit Planas

Senior Development Associate

 

Christian Union operates additional ministries to encourage renewal and revival, and equipped and networked Christian leaders.

The Christian Union Conference on Faith and Action

Nexus runs two parallel conferences, one for students from a select number of universities, and one for professionals. Each conference offers an inspiring weekend of dynamic worship and thought-provoking messages from world-class speakers. 


The 2017 Nexus student & professional conferences will be held in Stamford, Connecticut, April 7-9, 2017. 

Nexus for Students

Learn More & Register 

Nexus creates space for students from some of the world's leading universities to gather together and learn about Christian leadership and its potential for impact in culture today. Student attendees can look forward to:

Dynamic Worship || From gospel to contemporary to classic, draw closer to God with exciting worship, prayer, and music in diverse musical styles.

Engaging Speakers || Be encouraged from God's Word with talks by world-class speakers, pastors, and thought leaders.

Building Relationships || Get to know students from other campuses and develop a network of passionate Christians who desire to impact the world.

Nexus: Professional 

Learn More & Register

The Christian Union Conference for Professionals convenes influential professionals from across many industries for a life-changing weekend of dynamic worship and compelling ideas about faith and its relevance to our entire lives. Attendees will interact with recent graduates as well as seasoned professionals.

As Christian leaders in a broken world, it is important that we are unified in our mission to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and engage to transform our culture. This weekend will encourage you and equip you to be a part of God's redemptive plan in your workplace.

"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." - Isaiah 2:3

To watch videos or listen to audio recordings of the Nexus 2016 plenary sessions, or to download and listen to audio recordings of breakoutsessions, please visit the Nexus 2016 website. 

---

Christian Union Day and Night

 

 

God
God is Triune—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each an uncreated person, one in essence, equal in power and glory.

The Scriptures
The Bible alone, and the Bible in its entirety, is the Word of God written and is therefore wholly truthful in the original manuscripts and authoritative for faith and practice.

Creation
God created all things out of nothing, and He has created all people in His image, equal in worth. However, because of sin, all people are alienated from God and one another and justly deserve God’s eternal judgment.

Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ, the only and eternal Son of God and His perfect image, took on human flesh to save us, in order that we might be restored in relationship with God and one another, rightly worship, and love God and love our neighbor as ourselves, and be freed from the power of sin and the just judgment of God.

Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, fully God and fully man. He lived a perfect and sinless life, loving others, teaching truth from God, and working miracles. He was crucified for us, died, and was buried. On the third day He rose from the dead with a glorified body. He ascended into heaven, and he now rules as Lord at the right hand of God the Father, where He intercedes for His people.

The Gospel
Because of the love of God and for the glory of God, Jesus died in the place of sinners in order to secure our salvation. All who, by the power of the Holy Spirit, repent of sin, believe in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, and confess Him as Lord receive God’s free gift of restored relationship with Him and eternal life.

Our good works do not earn salvation, but by God’s grace through the Holy Spirit good works always accompany salvation and make it manifest, for the glory of God and Christ. God gives to all believers the Holy Spirit who indwells, sanctifies, instructs, gifts, and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service, the unity of faith, and knowledge of the Son of God, through which we grow in the maturity and fullness of the image of Christ in us. The Spirit Himself is the down payment of our promised inheritance in Christ.

Jesus has commissioned His church to bring the gospel to all peoples, to make disciples of Him, and to celebrate baptism and communion until He returns. Jesus is coming back to earth personally, bodily, and gloriously to consummate His righteous rule. All who trust in Him will enjoy eternal, joyful fellowship with God and one another in resurrected and glorified bodies in a new heavens and new earth.

See also our Statement of Ethics

A Process of Drawing Close to God 

Christian Union emphasizes a mindset and behaviors considered normative by Christians for centuries which have fallen out of practice in the US, save during periods of revival. These are characteristic of the international church, such as in Uganda, China and Korea, and include frequent prayer; large intake of Scripture; repentance; humility through fasting; perseverance; promptly obeying the Spirit; and extended times of gathering with fellow believers. Something as essential as seeking God entails attention, time, and energy.

Learn more about seven characteristics of a Seeking God Lifestyle.

Training Christian Leaders to Engage Culture

We need Christians to assume positions of leadership across many vocations and to take the part of (and continue to take up) issues of justice. Christians who are isolated in a "holy huddle" either socially or intellectually will not change culture.

---

"What we want is not more little books about Christianity, but more little books by Christians on other subjects—with their Christianity latent...It is not the books written in direct defense of Materialism that make the modern man a materialist; it is the materialistic assumptions...he would be troubled if, whenever he wanted a cheap popular introduction to some science, the best work on the market was always by a Christian." —C.S. Lewis, "Christian Apologetics," God in the Dock

---

There are numerous examples of Christian leaders whose lives inspire Christian Union to develop new generations of Christian leaders. C.S. Lewis himself is one of them.

The following five examples illustrate the range of social and cultural impact that Christians have when they submit their influence to God-honoring ends:

Five Examples of Inspiring Christian Leaders

C.S. Lewis (1898 – 1963)
The Oxford Scholar, novelist, poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, and Christian apologist wrote such classics as the Narnia Chronicles (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe etc.), Mere Christianity, The Great Divorce, Surprised by Joy, and of course many other titles. He bridged academia and mass culture with popular works of fiction and non fiction, and compelling presentations of Christian worldview. We need many Christian to take the lead in academia, journalism, as essayists, cultural commentators, story tellers, filmmakers, and in many other fields, to impact our culture.

Dr. Ida Scudder (1870 –1960)
A third-generation American medical missionary in India, she was a graduate of Cornell Medical College, New York City, 1899; the first class at that school to accept women medical students. Ida had resolved not to become a medical missionary, but seeing women die in childbirth needlessly convinced her God wanted her to help as a physician. In 1918, she started one of Asia's foremost teaching hospitals, the Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore, India. She dedicated her skills to God. We need Christians in the medical fields, sciences, economy, and more, to do likewise.

George Gallup Jr. (1930 – 2011)
An American, George Gallup Jr. graduated with a degree in religion from Princeton, then worked at a ministry on Galveston Island in Texas. He considered becoming an Episcopal priest until he was drawn into work for his father's polling firm, where he worked from mid 1950s until 2004. He expanded the firm's surveys into religion, becoming one of the first pollsters to ask questions about organized religion and religious teachings and practice. Under Gallup Jr. the polling firm became a barometer of Americans' views on religion and politics. Late in life, he lamented that politicians had come to follow polls so closely; still he felt polling to be good for democracy. "It's removed power out of the hands of special interest groups...It's given people who wouldn't normally have a voice a voice."  We need Christians to lead in the social sciences, media, and more, to bring Christian values and perspective to bear on the pressing issues of our time.

Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 – 1968)
A Baptist minister, King is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. His efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. Remarkably, King balanced the tension between confrontation and nonviolence, and in 1964 he received the Nobel Peace Prize. Leading up to his death, he expanded his focus to include poverty and the Vietnam War. Just days after his assassination, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1968. We need Christians to lead on behalf of the oppressed, whether that means working to pass just laws, living and serving among those who suffer, or advocating for "the least of these."

Sandy McDonnell (1922 – 2012)
This engineer, businessman and philanthropist was the former chairman and chief executive officer of McDonnell Douglas Corporation, he also served as national president of the Boy Scouts of America and as chairman of Character Education Partnership. He became a Christian later in life and used his influence to institute a code of business ethics, one of the first of its kind. Following his retirement, he worked energetically to advance character training in public schools. We need many business leaders to implement Christian values in the marketplace and society.

Men and women poised to lead in their fields must be reached with the Gospel and equipped to serve effectively for God-honoring ends.

Networked Christian Leaders

Movements may be known by one leader, but it takes a network of high-level influencers to shift culture. 

One of the most successful examples of a modern network of Christians is the extraodinary group of believers who pooled their collective influence, resources, physical and spiritual energies together to form a group dubbed the Clapham Circle. In the 19th century, when a member of the British parliament, William Wilberforce, came to faith and dedicated his influence to abolishing slavery, these peers became a network - in fact, a community - of spiritual and practical encouragement. They leveraged their influence for God.

---

Movements may be known by one leader, but it takes a network of high-level influencers to shift culture.

---

After decades of toil, God used Wilberforce and this influential network of Christian believers working with him, to not only end slavery in the British empire, but also to usher in an era that honored virtue in a society that had fallen into deep darkness.

Together, the Clapham Circle—a small group that included writers, philanthropists, scholars, politicians, clergy and businessmen who were driven by their faith—literally changed the world. Their far-reaching impact included dramatic success in prison reform, education, integrity in politics, mission, medicine and cultural change.

Christian Union works to network together leaders of wholehearted devotion, who will have a greater impact together than they could ever have leading alone.

Please prayerfully consider how you can help. 

Honoring the Lord with Excellence

The nature and significance of Christian Union’s calling compels a culture of accountability. While our primary output or product as an organization is changed lives, we hold ourselves accountable for our diligence and progress.

Metrics are a means to the end of ensuring that accountability which, in turn, flows from the desire to honor God with our best efforts. We aspire to be as organizationally robust as some of the best well-run for-profit firms. From score-carding mechanisms, to assessing year-over-year results, to post-event analyses, we seek to continuously improve our performance and effectiveness.

Christian Union is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Christian Union is audited annually by an external firm. You can view these audited financial statements. The ministry highly values the contributions of financial partners and carefully manages every gift. We will respond to financial partners promptly with questions and requests for additional information. 

The Christian Union Difference

Christian Union tailors its ministry to people of high intellectual capacity whose knowledge of Scripture ranges from non-existent to well-developed. The ministry develops Bible courses, conferences, certifications, lectures, reading groups, and more, for our targeted audience. Christian Union ministry faculty are selected for their capacity to assess needs and to teach to this level.

The high-caliber materials and instruction Christian Union provides is tailored to its audience, not to  produce seminarians but to ensure its offerings have suitable intellectual depth to be appealing and effective.