History



Students for Christ Europe as we know it today, began with a small group of students on the Technical University in Munich, Germany in 1981. However, pentecostal campus ministry in Europe goes back further than that.

Students for Christ (SfC) in Europe has its roots in the Assemblies of God (AG) church of the United States. Much of the foundational philosophy originated in the AG student ministry called Chi Alpha.

Jerry and Pat Sandidge, the national leader of Chi Alpha USA, came to Europe in the early 1970’s to pioneer student ministries. Shortly after they founded a ministry called University Action (UA) in Leuven, Belgium, the university was divided between French and Flemish.

The French moved to Louvain-la-Neuve, a city built specifically for the new university. UA was a very successful student ministry including a bookshop, coffeeshop and eventually established a training center which never formally opened as result of his battle with cancer. Pentecostal churches were started as a result of their vision. The Sandidges are fondly remembered by their former students and workers.

It was also at this time of transition that the University Action ministry in Leuven had a sister group in Louvain-la-neuve (LLN,) with Bob and Lucille Smith who had transferred from their missionary service in Benin to LLN. They established a student center and shortly after a church in this new city. Bob contracted cancer as had his colleague Jerry Sandidge in Leuven and their missionary careers were sadly shortened by death.

After the death of the two missionaries, Sandidge and Smith, the ministries that had flourished during their leadership, continued for approximately ten years under the leadership of their succesors but eventually ceased.

In the early 1980’s, John Koeshall and Bob Marks began to work on universities in Munich, West Germany and Nice, France. Marks developed ministries in Nice, Montpellier, Aix-en-Province, Toulon, Marseille, Dijon and Bordeaux. Bob Smith carried on with the work in Belgium until 1986 when a brain tumor took his life. John Koeshall began in Munich, Germany in 1981 and developed additional ministries in Augsburg and Regensburg. Through a divinely appointed meeting with one young man in Munich, the group grew to become a "group of Christians who meet on campus." The young people were opposed to being formally organized.

New direction and focus was brought to student ministry in Europe in 1983 when Dr. Jim Bradford taught a spring training week in Germany and in France. He was the leader of the University of Minnesota, USA ministry called Christians in Action and one of the national leaders instrumental in formulating the philosophy and strategy of Chi Alpha. His clear teaching on discipleship both in Munich and in Nice, France, was instrumental in the student ministries adopting much of the Chi Alpha philosophy, which has been retained till today.

SfC is an organization of students of higher education who unite to express the person and claims of Jesus Christ to their university communities and call others into relationship with Him.
SfC is in the mainstream of Pentecostal (charismatic) thinking and is under the direction of the Assemblies of God.
SfC exists to participate in the fulfillment on campus of Christ’s Great Commission.
SfC finds its identity and task in Paul’s words, "We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors…we implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God." (2Cor 5:20)

As Ambassadors for Jesus Christ who have been given the ministry of reconciliation, we seek to build a community of God’s university students. The Biblically commanded activities on which we build our community are worship, fellowship, discipleship, witness, and prayer*. We believe that gathered together we can more visibly and effectively demonstrate the love of Christ rather than as isolated individuals. We will use the term’ community’ to stress the importance of our coming together, loving one another and working together in all of our ministries.
*(the 5th pillar, prayer was added later.) (Campus Leaders’ Notebook 1991, 2005:5)

The beginnings of the ministry in both France and Germany were times of learning the culture, the language and exploring methodology of student ministry in the respective countries. It was also a time of building relationships with the Pentecostal church on a personal level.

In Germany SfC has become a recognized organization with the government and is considered a "sister" organization with the Pentecostal church. Since the 1990s national SfC ministries have been established or re-established in many European countries, including Belgium, Hungary, Spain, Netherlands, and Scotland to name just a few. (For more information regarding the history of SfC in the various countries - please contact those ministries directly via our Find a group page or our Links page.)

In 1996, a new regional AGWM director, Greg Mundis assumed European leadership. His strategy was to emphasize ministry to cities, campuses and children. This has given credibility and influence to the ministries working in these areas, including Students for Christ. As a result of the new emphasis on university ministry, SfC is seeing an upsurge of interest and cooperation to reach the universities for Jesus.

The most encouraging trend to see is the addition of full-time workers from European nations and graduates of the student ministries responding to the need in their nations as founders and leaders of local and national student ministries. The heart of ministry to the universities of Europe was, and continues to be, the desire to reach students with the good news of Jesus Christ.