A Note from Founder & President Matt Bennett

The majority of America’s most strategic universities were expressly founded as Christian colleges. But over the years these gradually shed their religious affiliation and became secular institutions. I love these universities (I directed a ministry at Princeton for many years before founding Christian Union), including my alma mater, Cornell.



It grieves me to see where they are today, spiritually and intellectually. In addition, these institutions, and the ideologies they promote, will shape American culture for decades to come.

Our Leaders Matter video was created to show the remarkably disproportionate impact just a handful of universities have in America.

If we are going to change the world, we need, by God's power, to see these campuses radically changed. The Lord put on my heart to seek an increasing and dramatic spiritual revival at these very schools. So, in 2002, I launched Christian Union at the campus I knew so well by that time, Princeton. The Christian leadership development ministry would take a strategic approach to national culture change; by bringing sweeping spiritual transformation to the nation’s most influential universities and to key cities that shape American culture.

Everything in our university ministry is tailored to the academically intense and secular environments of these schools. The ministry faculty we hire is of a caliber that can teach and train students who are bright and motivated, and who take readily to leadership development, yet often know very little about Scripture. The programs tested and refined at Princeton were rolled out to additional campuses in the years that followed.

We have since launched our first city ministry in New York, to begin developing networks of influential Christian leaders, and more recently a web-based ministry with a much broader scope, Christian Union Day & Night.

What is the long-term goal? Christian Union envisions a country in which the Gospel has penetrated every people group and where Christians, filled with the Holy Spirit, are seeking God as the defining characteristic of their lives. Our desire is that this spiritual vibrancy is ongoing. 

Scripture and more recent history make plain the intimate connection between widespread, heartfelt revival and social reformation. Reformation includes rolling back destructive ideologies and reversing the harm they inflict on a society. Reformation involves men and women embracing and promoting what God loves; there is renewed emphasis on life-giving social norms that benefit all, especially the most vulnerable.

Would you join me seeking the Lord with great energy, asking God to soften our hearts and move us to desire Him more than we do today? Please explore this website to learn more about the ministry. I've unpacked our mission in five parts below. You also might enjoy this interview I did with CBN, which they ran in 2017:


We need partners like you to accelerate this exciting work, and I invite you to join Christian Union to bring God greater glory in the United States, to develop godly leaders, and, God willing, to use a transformed America to truly bless the world. 


Matthew W. Bennett 
Founder and President

 

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Christian Union is: (1) developing leaders; (2) with spiritual depth; (3)  in strategic places; (4) for cultural engagement; (5) to change the world.
  

Five Crucial Aspects 

Christian Union was founded in 2002 to develop and connect transformative Christian leaders. There are five elements of the Christian Union mission, the fourth is cultural engagement.

Christian Union exists to develop men and women who are prepared and inclined to champion Christ in their positions of leadership. Our country, and the world, need Christians who are ready and able to embody the gospel and pursue cultural change that reflects biblical values. It is the call of all believers to pursue justice, to stand for the oppressed, to govern with humility, and to bring the good news to the ends of the earth. But students at these prestigious colleges are uniquely poised to engage our culture because they will find themselves in significant positions of power and influence. The goal of cultural engagement is nothing less than cultural renewal and national revival.

Inspiring Examples

Working with passionate and gifted students, Christian Union ministry faculty members have coached and developed students to lead in profound ways.

• Courtney McEachon '15 organized what is now the annual Pro-Life Conference at Yale which aims to make the pro-life vision intelligible on college campuses that rarely hear this position.
• At Harvard, students involved with Christian Union annually engage the atheist/humanist student group on the nature of God, goodness, and suffering, in debates that attract hundreds of students.
• At Columbia, some required classes engage Scripture but teach it as mythology or a work of fiction. A ministry fellow was invited to teach from his doctoral thesis on Ecclesiastes in a class. This is a massive opportunity to meet non-Christian students on their turf and directly confront their biases.
• Owing to the high level of student-athlete involvement in the ministry, Christian Union ministry faculty have served as chaplains to sports teams at Columbia, Cornell, and Stanford.
• A student at Harvard Law School, Trenton Van Oss, penned an article for Harvard Law Review addressing religious liberty issues.

God is at work at these universities and major cities. Christian Union wants to be there as well, fervently seeking the Lord, equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, sharing the gospel, and giving glory to God.

 

You Can Make a Difference

1. Pray for the hearts of those poised to lead society would turn to the Lord.
2. Connect others to the ministry of Christian Union.
3. Give generously to develop more godly leaders to transform American culture.

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To Change the World >

Seeing an Opportunity, Praying & Working to Bring Change

 In 2002, Christian Union launched its first leadership development ministry at Princeton, one of the nation's foremost universities. The ministry's founder and president, Matt Bennett, had long observed the influence that top secular universities possess when it comes to producing many of the nation’s most prominent leaders. He had a conviction that US culture could and would be changed as the Gospel influenced these schools.

As a student member of Cru in the 1980s and later as a staff member and director at Princeton for more than a decade, Bennett (’88, MBA ’89), a Cornell alumnus himself, saw firsthand the impact a campus ministry could have if it were tailored to the spiritual, intellectual, and relational needs of highly intelligent, goal-oriented students.

The ministry launched its first Bible course at Princeton University with just three students. Today, the ministry at Princeton engages more than 400 students in its weekly Bible courses. 

On each campus where it operates, Christian Union’s highly credentialed ministry and teaching fellows mentor students and lead challenging, academically oriented Bible courses designed to help students develop a robust understanding of Scripture and Christian worldview. The ministries also host conferences, leadership lecture series, and evangelistic outreach events as they seek to change the spiritual climate at very secular institutions.

Thanks to the early lessons learned at schools like Princeton, and God's gracious provision at every step, each campus launched in the years since 2002 has experienced steady, fairly predictable growth patterns.

The natural progression of supporting alumni of the ministry as they transitioned into careers in major cities such as New York and the strategic impact of such cities led to the launch of the Cities ministries, which serve alumni and professionals.

Christian Union's most recent ministry, Christian Union Day & Night, now called Christian Union America, was launched in 2016. Christian Union America's mission is to promote spiritual strengthening in Christians across America, helping them thrive and impact an increasingly secular culture by covenanting together for successive spiritual initiatives. Given the nation's spiritual state, nothing less than the full power and presence of God will enable Christians to glorify him in all his splendor.

To view our partnerships, you can click here.

Historic Timeline 

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 and Night launched	2016

Learn More

Visiting campus ministry or city ministry pages, signing up to receive campus or city-specific prayer requests, and supporting the ministry financially at a specific campus or in the city.

Five Crucial Aspects 

Christian Union was founded in 2002 to develop and connect transformative Christian leaders. The mission can be unpacked into five aspects. This is the second of the five.

To make a difference in society, Christian leaders must be devout in their faith and able to integrate that faith with boldness and discernment in their various leadership capacities. Christian Union emphasizes in-depth biblical teaching and coaching, with an emphasis on seeking God wholeheartedly.

“I honestly cannot picture my college years without Christian Union. It’s been such a foundational community and really helped me learn what it looks like to pursue a life for God.” - Caroline, Princeton Class of ’22

“All throughout high school, I had placed reason before faith, as if it contained the greater truth….When I joined Christian Union, through the Bible Courses, and ministry fellows and directors, they really taught me to challenge that assumption I had made, as I saw that God is the arbiter of reason.” - Timothy Kinnamon, Columbia Class of ’20

“I don’t know where I would be without this Bible Course. It has been one of the most important parts of my college experience. I look forward to seeing the girls every single week and gathering together in the Word to study it together.” Maria Siciliano, Cornell Class of ’22

“During this tumultuous period, prayer time was super refreshing for me. I was so grateful to be able to pray with my brothers and sisters in Christ and see how they depend on God in their daily lives.” - Katherine Wang, Harvard Class of ’23

“I really feel Christian Union cultivates – and helps satisfy – spirit hunger. In our Bible course, I’m learning so much I never would have considered before.”  - Josiah Jordan, Brown, Class of 2018

“Approaching the Word of God with academic rigor was really new to me, so I was excited to participate. You come away with a better understanding of what God is saying in His Word.” – Sybil Sam, Yale '13, Harvard Law School '16

“Before attending Christian Union’s Bible courses, I had never encountered the Scriptures in a rigorous, academic way...Now every page is relevant and instructional.” - Barrett Block, Penn, Class of 2016 

“I spend more time in the Word and in prayer and in fellowship than in any other time of my life.” - Rachel McKee, Dartmouth, Class of 2017 

The Spirit is stirring up spiritual hunger at these leading universities and in New York City. Will you help to change lives and US culture for Christ?

You Can Make a Difference

1. Pray for the hearts of those poised to lead society would turn to the Lord.
2. Connect others to the ministry of Christian Union.
3. Give generously to develop more godly leaders to transform American culture.

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At Strategic Places >

Five Crucial Aspects 

Christian Union was founded in 2002 to develop and connect transformative Christian leaders. The mission can be unpacked into five aspects. Developing leaders is the first of the five crucial aspects.

Leaders matter. In Scripture, God used Moses, Daniel, Esther, and Paul, all of whom were in highly leveraged positions, to advance His purposes in the world, and to bring glory to Himself. The top leaders of the next generation are attending a handful of universities today and working in key cities.

Leading Universities

Each fall, as thousands of students arrive at some of the nation’s most influential universities, Christian Union is there. The ministry works directly with students to share the Gospel and ensure these future leaders are, learning to seek God with energy and commitment, and gaining advanced leadership skills to be effective and influential for Him. Students who take part in Christian Union’s Bible courses, mentorship, and leadership coaching experience profound spiritual and leadership growth.

Major Cities

Role models of the movement to transform a major cultural center such as New York City include businessmen and politicians such as William Wilberforce, who abolished the slave trade, JC Penny and John Wanamaker, who built businesses on Christian principles, and numerous other Christian lay men and women who have used their positions for cultural impact. Biblical examples include Daniel who served King Nebuchadnezzar and Esther who used her position of influence as Queen of Persia to prevent a Jewish genocide.

Each of these individuals allowed God to work dramatically through them. On the way, however, each was either mentored or joined by a community of believers to challenge and encourage them. Together they accomplished far more than could ever be done by one lone person. The ministry offers professionals in New York City programs for spiritual and leadership growth tailored to demanding schedules and helps them build vibrant and interconnecting networks. 

The Spirit is stirring up spiritual hunger at some of the nation's leading universities and in New York City. Will you help share the Gospel and transform US culture?

You Can Make a Difference

1. Pray for the hearts of those poised to lead society would turn to the Lord.
2. Connect others to the ministry of Christian Union.
3. Give generously to develop more godly leaders to transform American culture.

Learn More

With Spiritual Depth >

Christian Union was founded in 2002 to develop and connect transformative Christian leaders. The mission can be unpacked in its five crucial elements. This is the third of five elements.

Leading Universities

Imagine entering a room in which are gathered the most influential leaders in the United States. You meet editors of major newspapers, presidents of universities, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, Supreme Court Justices, and current and former US Presidents. As you walk through this room, you discover that more than 60 percent of those you meet attended a small pool of US colleges and universities, no more than twenty. The schools include Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Harvard Law, Penn, Princeton, Stanford and Yale.

Just a few US schools and their alumni significantly shape American culture. That should give us pause. Over more than three centuries in the case of some of these universities, while extraordinary influence consolidated at these universities, they have become intensely secular. {tweetme}At most of these leading schools, students have little-to-no contact with Christianity; many have never even read a Bible.{/tweetme} The secularism promoted by these schools and their alumni affect us all, disproportionately shaping our economy, government, media, and education. That can change. Christian Union envisions a day when these schools bless the nation with Christian scholarship and thought leadership. God is presenting an opportunity to utterly transform the spiritual climate of these leading schools.

Major Cities

US culture is shaped by the daily decisions of industry leaders who either embrace secular values outright, or by believers who may not know how to integrate their faith and their profession, and so tacitly promote secular values. From Wall Street, to arts and entertainment, to local or national government, medicine, and other key fields, Christian Union New York is focused on helping believers to increase in spiritual maturity and fervency, connect with other Christian leaders, and gain tools to lead with excellence and in such a way as promotes godliness and genuine human flourishing.

The nation desperately needs godly leaders. Please help to develop courageous, faithful Christian leaders. 

You Can Make a Difference

1. Pray for the hearts of those poised to lead society would turn to the Lord.
2. Connect others to the ministry of Christian Union.
3. Give generously to develop more godly leaders to transform American culture.

Learn More

For Cultural Engagement >

Five Crucial Aspects

Christian Union was founded in 2002 to develop and connect transformative Christian leaders. The mission can be unpacked into five aspects; this is the fifth.

National Focus, Global Implications

The primary focus of Christian Union is the renewing of the United States of America through its leadership and cultural institutions and by encouraging all Christians nationwide. The reason for the national focus is twofold. First, the nation has experienced sharp spiritual decline that needs to be reversed. Second, the spiritual vitality of the United States has a profound impact on the rest of the globe.

God loves each man, woman and child in the United States and offers reconciliation through the Gospel. The need to promote the Gospel and to renew a declining society is pressing, and the Lord has called this ministry to work faithfully to address it in the most strategic ways that it can identify.

The focus on the US anticipates a global impact: Historically, America has blessed the world by sending thousands of missionaries, and donating billions of dollars for international evangelization, development and poverty relief. That legacy is at risk because of increasing secularization of the country through its leaders, but it can be restored. The universities and key cities where Christian Union operates are cosmopolitan. The power of the Gospel, seeking God, and reforming society will have global reach as alumni fan out across the world, as international students do likewise or return home to work, and as professionals serve in other countries.

You Can Make a Difference

1. Pray that the hearts of those poised to lead society would turn to the Lord.
2. Connect others to the ministry of Christian Union.
3. Give generously to develop more godly leaders to transform American culture.

An Effective Way to Meet an Urgent Need

Christian Union was founded in 2002 to develop and connect transformative Christian leaders. This video (4:00) explains the strategic importance of focusing considerable attention and effort on spiritual renewal at some of the nation's most influential universities. 


Christian Union focuses its energy on developing Christian leaders at the leading universities in America and select cities because of their extraordinary influence on our culture and society. For instance, out of the 3,039 four-year colleges and universities in the country, 68 percent of the most influential leaders in our nation come from the top one percent of schools. Graduates from these schools also have an extraordinary influence on the international scene.

Although some leading universities were founded on Christian conviction, they have become intensely secular. {tweetme}While students are academically bright, they know little about Jesus Christ. Fewer than 10 percent will experience any Christian ministry regularly during their student years.{/tweetme} Even with the help of local churches and national campus ministries, the proportion of Christian involvement and impact on these campuses has not changed in 50 years. 

New approaches and energy are urgently needed.

A Strategic Approach

Christian Union takes a unique approach, employing highly qualified ministry faculty and producing an exceptional curriculum to develop Christian leaders. The ministry helps students and professionals discover the intellectual validity of Christian faith, the profound joy of seeking God wholeheartedly, and the practical skills to become significantly more impactful in their spheres of influence. Currently, Christian Union works with students at Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard College, Harvard Law School, Penn, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale.

The second part of Christian Union's strategy, beyond working at these key universities, is to develop networks of Christian leaders—alumni from Christian Union ministries and graduate students and professionals—in key cities, including New York City. The pages of history reveal that even small groups of committed, passionate Christian leaders have impacted their respective cultures in different eras.

If you are interested in strengthening Christian influence in the United States, please consider becoming a financial partner, praying, or connecting like-minded friends and colleagues to the ministry.

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Christian Union is: 
Developing Leaders >
With Spiritual Depth >
In Strategic Places >
For Cultural Engagement > 

To Change the World >