Intervarsity

Intervarsity or “IV” as its members affectionately call it, is a loosely connected federation of collegiate undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff, and chapters within national organizations found in many different countries of the world. The central focus of this global movement is for persons to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, placing IV squarely within evangelicalism. All members of IV affirm a written doctrinal statement that includes the Christian doctrines of the Trinity, divine inspiration and authority of the Bible, dignity of all people, sinfulness of humankind, deity of Jesus Christ and his resurrection, salvation through personal commitment of one's life to Christ, transforming power of the Holy Spirit, unity of all believers in Christ, need to reach others with the gospel and disciple new converts, the personal return of Jesus Christ, and a literal heaven and hell.

The origins of IV go back to university campuses in Great Britain in the 1600s where groups of Christian students met regularly for Bible study, prayer, mutual encouragement, and to be a witness to others of their personal faith. By the late 1800s, many of these campus groups were part of the Student Christian Movement (SCM) that organized activities both within and across campuses. As British theologians and churches in the late 19th century became more liberal in their views concerning traditional Christian doctrines, SCM chapters at many universities became increasingly disenchanted with this move toward liberalism and began to separate from the organization.

Two groups of these disaffected students at Oxford and Cambridge Universities decided to jointly meet at High Leigh, England during the annual “Inter-Varsity” rugby match between the two universities in 1919; the word “Inter” means “between” and “varsity” is the English term for students in college. The following year they invited student groups from other universities. By the tenth High Leigh conference in 1928, there were 14 participating university groups. Together they formed the “Inter-Varsity Fellowship of Evangelical Students” with the express purpose to “stimulate personal faith and further evangelistic work amongst students by upholding the fundamental truths of Christianity.” This year also signaled the first missionary work of the group, as money was raised to support the journey of Howard Guinness, a recently graduated medical doctor and vice chairman of the British organization to help solidify emerging student groups among Canadian universities. After a year of decisive work in Canada that left behind a fledgling “Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship of Canada,” Guinness headed off to Australia for a year of similar work. Upon his return to Canada in 1930, he also established groups of students among Canadian high schools (the “Inter-School Christian Fellowship”), as well as supporting the formation of professional groups for working teachers and nurses.

The movement spread to the United States at the University of Michigan, when Stacey Woods, the Canadian IV director, helped students form a chapter in 1938. An InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA was organized in May of 1941 with Woods as its first secretary general. InterVarsity Press (IVP) was also formed shortly before the United States entered [Page 212]World War II, and imported books from Britain's InterVarsity Press for U.S. chapters and students. IVP produced its first homegrown Bible study guide on the Gospel of Mark in 1943, and by 1947 had a formal publishing program underway using Fleming H. Revell Company as its distributor.

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