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Monday, March 4, 1991 / University Daily Kansan
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Campus Connection goes on despite complaints
By Rick C. Honish Kansan staff writer
After rejecting a mediation panel's findings, a fundamentalist Christian group continues to go its own way on the KU campus.
The panel, formed by the Kansas University Religious Advisers, found 17 instances in which the group, Campus Connection, had violated KURA religious activities guidelines. In December, the panel found that
In December, the panel found that Campus Connection:
Required members to break off relationships with parents and friends who were not involved in the Kansas City Church of Christ
Used members' confessions of sins to influence behavior.
Did not inform potential converts about the expectations of members.
Father Vince Krische, KURA president and director of the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center, said that in the last week, he had received two more complaints against Campus Connection.
KURA is a group of 24 religious organizations that was formed to promote cooperation among the various religious organizations on campus.
Campus Connection is affiliated with the Kansas City Church of Christ, which is part of the Boston Church of Christ movement.
The Kansas City Church of Christ is a non-denominational organization that formed in 1986 with 60 members and since has grown to 300 members. It is a separate entity from other churches, being the Lawrence Church of Christ.
The panel said that, to maintain membership in KURA, Campus Connection had to sign a statement that the group no longer would intimidate, coerce or suppress members. Campus Connection was to stop undue harassment and psychological, physical or mental pressure harmful to members' health or personal autonomy.
The panel also said that members should not be required to participate in anything that would violate a principal tenet of their faith.
Damon Pabst, then professional adviser to Campus Connection, refused to the statement, so the group was expelled from KURA
"I couldn't sign it because the findings are not true." Pabst said. Investigation starts
The conflict began when the three original complaints from parents and members were filed against Campus Connection with KURA last semesters.
Krische said that because the complaints were filled through the umbrella organization, KURA could direct the investigation itself, rather than using the University's formal process.
The Rev Jay Henderson of the First United Methodist Church and a member of the inMedation panel, said the trial was designed to abjugation by researching the complaints.
"We gathered reading material, talked to the group leaders and with students and parents who were involved." he said.
Henderson said the panel reviewed its findings, presented them to KURA
and determined that Campus Connection's continued membership in KURA hinged on the elimination of the procedures in question.
"The Campus Connection leaders did not believe they were doing anything wrong." Henderson said. "Their theology and practices are very closely related. I knew it would be tough, but I had some hope that they would see what needed to be done."
Past refused to change his organization's practices based on what he called totally untrue accusations.
They did not.
"These findings came about after the complaints of a few members and, from my perspective, after they (the committee) pooled information in an effort to advise the said. "It is hard for us to talk to a defense when these things are not true."
ers at KU. They no longer could use staff identification cards or Watson Library, participate in the division of student affairs staff development seminars or be included on the University's mailing list.
The group is still, however, a registered student organization at KU.
Upon expulsion from KURA, Paist and his wife Terrin lost their privileges as professional religious advises
Richard Augustin, an assistant payroll controller, was brought in as the new faculty adviser for the group.
"It is not a major time-consuming thing." Augustin said. "Damon more or less runs things. I make sure it is legitimate."
Spiritual Disillusionment
The Rev. Jim Musser, chairperson of the mediation panel and leader of Campus Christians, said the core problem with Campus Connection was the lack of information it gave to new members about its theology.
"They basically present themselves as a loving group, but they don't let members know their expectations until a meaningful relationship has been established," Musser said.
Once a relationship develops, members present their expectations in the context of "this is what it means to be a follower of Jesus," and if one does not act accordingly, he or she is not a Christian, he said.
"The person is then in a double-bind," Musser said. "They want to maintain their new relationships, but they may not want to go along with some of the other things, and they have to choose.
Cynthia Wimmer, a former member of the group, agreed. She said she had been overwhelmed by the initial anger and affection the group offered.
group confused, self-doubting and with a distrust of all religions.
"They were so nice," she said. "I didn't have any friends here, and all of a sudden there were 30 people wanting to be my friend."
Pabst said that some mistakes had been made in recruiting those who later complained but that Campus Connection had taken the suggestion the mediation panel and would now "let people know where we are headed."
"We tell people in classes or on the street that we are a non-demonational group that studies the Bible," he said.
The Rev. Jay Henderson does not think that is enough.
"As they begin coming to the group and the Bible studies, they should know that they are expected to become baptized a certain way and that confessions of their sins are needed to remain members," he said. "I think it all ties back in with deceptive recruitment."
New members are contacted daily by their mentors. That, coupled with various church activities, does not allow the student a chance to step back and think about all that is going on, Henderson said.
He said people emerged from the
Speaking of the mediation panel, Musser said, "No one could deny the effects of these methods on the students."
Musser said the process resulted in spiritual disillusionment.
Damon Pabst does not see things the same way.
"It is all about love," he said. "Our goal is to have a great relationship with God and follow the Bible.
"We don't tell anyone what to do. We tell them to read the Bible and come to their own convictions. We want people to understand how much Jesus loved them and realize the price he paid so we can be free."
Pabst said the church tried to avoid old traditions and rules created by men.
"We only want to follow the Bible," he said.
Campus Connection is evangelical and constantly tries to recruit new members by asking people to attend Bible studies. Pabst said
He described Campus Connection is an offshoot of the Kansas City Church of Christ, a branch of the Boston Church of Christ.
There have been complaints about affiliated groups on campuses from Harvard to MIT
Augustin said the church wanted to bring people closer to God.
"We are a family, a brotherhood devoted to following Jesus," he said. "We view people as souls, and we want them to go to heaven."
Augustin dismissed the charges against Campus Connection as ignoring
"You can't control the actions of everyone, and we don't try to." he said. "But when one of us runs away, we need to help others to efforts to keep them in the family."
"There are no handcuffs, though. We do everything we can to love them."
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