Dear Editor,
Campus Crusade published an advertisement in the Sept. 8, 2003, edition of the East Tennessean with the headline “Your faculty friends welcome you back to campus.” In the ad, students are encouraged to seek out the faculty listed there because they are Christians and are “available to talk to you (students) about any matter that concerns you.”
As one of the faculty whose name appears in the advertisement, I have three objections to the ad.
First, no one from Campus Crusade asked for my permission to include my name on the list.
To the best of my knowledge, I do not know even one person connected with Campus Crusade, either as a leader, sponsor or participant.
“Dismay” is the word that best describes my reaction when I first saw my name in the ad.
Second, if someone had sought permission to include my name, I would have declined.
My one brief experience with Campus Crusade occurred when I attended college over 30 years ago. I faced issues involving identity, relationships and vocation.
While Campus Crusade provided a sympathetic outreach of supportive community, I later came to view the counsel as simplistic, particularly regarding theological matters. Since then, Campus Crusade has not been on my “radar screen.”
Perhaps your work has become more effective but it has never interested me to find out.
Third, and most important, finding my name on a list caused embarrassment. Is your list of Christian faculty a group who has passed a Campus Crusade litmus test? I ask because there are scores of other ETSU Christian administrators, teachers and staff who are not included on your list. Perhaps, I thought, you only chose persons who, like myself, have some specialized training in theology and counseling. But, when I look at the list, I see that while all are assuredly competent in various areas, very few have training in Christian counseling.
Why did you not include all Christians if availability of Christians was your goal?
Further causing my embarrassment is what seems implied by the advertisement; that Christians have a corner on the capacity to care and be of service to students. I have yet to encounter any ETSU teacher, administrator or staff who would not do their utmost to meet student’s needs, whatever they are. And, if that university employee cannot personally give the student the needed help, then most will link the student with professional resources to address the student’s need.
One thing that sets ETSU apart is its support structure, staffed by caring professionals who provide both academic and professional help for students.
David W. Elliot

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