Why Campus Ministry

Why Campus Ministry? How one denomination organized a national campus ministry that has become a major Christian student movement. The two authors, Dennis Gaylor, and John W. Kennedy provide the history and contemporary stories of Chi Alpha Campus Ministries, USA.

In Part 1, Dennis Gaylor tells a 76-year (1947-2023) Chi Alpha history by decades. He explains how Chi Alpha was organized with a handful of students and a volunteer instructor. He takes us through decades of growth led by six national leaders, describes powerful student and staff conferences, intensive leadership training, and world missions summits mobilizing generations of students in cross-cultural missions. Today, there are hundreds of campus ministry staff and thousands of students active on almost 300 campuses.

In Part 2, John W. Kennedy captures current stories of Chi Alpha leadership and students, originally published as news stories in AG News during the past year, 2022. Kennedy has interviewed hundreds of campus ministers and students, including visiting campuses and Chi Alpha conferences, to observe Chi Alpha firsthand. He has written hundreds of stories about Chi Alpha demonstrating the influence and power of a relationship with Jesus Christ and tells how the Holy Spirit works in campus ministry today. Part II brings the ministry of Chi Alpha to life.