Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
The '''Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union''', usually known as '''CICCU''', is the [[University of Cambridge]]'s most prominent student Christian organisation, and was the first university [[Christian Union (students)|Christian Union]] to have been founded.  It was formed in 1877, but can trace its origins back to the formation of the Jesus Lane Sunday School in 1827 and the Cambridge Prayer Union in 1848.  CICCU's stated purpose is "to make Jesus Christ known to students in Cambridge".<ref>[http://www.ciccu.org.uk/  CICCU website]</ref>

Currently CICCU runs two main outreach activities – 'Events Week' in [[Lent term]], and 'Big Questions' lunches on Fridays in [[St Andrew the Great]] which feature short talks and Q&As about questions of life and faith – along with a variety of occasional events, and bigger activities in colleges.

Students in many other universities followed Cambridge's lead in forming their own Christian Unions, beginning with [[OICCU]] being founded in [[University of Oxford|Oxford]] in 1879. Initially CICCU was part of the [[Student Christian Movement of the United Kingdom|Student Christian Movement]], which it left in 1910 to provide a specifically [[Conservative evangelicalism in the United Kingdom|conservative evangelical]] ministry in Cambridge.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Goodhew |first1=David |title=The rise of the Cambridge inter-collegiate Christian union, 1910-1971 |journal=The Journal of Ecclesiastical History |date=January 2003 |volume=54 |issue=1 |pages=62–88 |quote=The causes of the split were plain: CICCU stood for a conservative Evangelical view of the Bible and deeply mistrusted higher criticism, whilst SCM accepted the validity of new views of the Bible}}</ref> Again, OICCU and other Unions followed them in this move, and together they founded the Inter-Varsity Fellowship of Evangelical Unions in 1928, which now the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship or [[UCCF]]. UCCF spread to Canada in the same year and later to the United States, Australia ([[Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students]]), New Zealand ([[Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship]]) and across the globe.

==Membership declaration==
Students who become members of CICCU are asked to sign the following statement, "I desire in joining this Union to declare my faith in Jesus Christ as my Saviour, my Lord and my God". This was one of the issues in the dispute with the SCM.{{when|date=December 2020}}{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} However, this declaration is ''not'' necessary to attend any events, or become involved with helping.

==Leadership==
CICCU is led by Christian students from a wide variety of backgrounds, united in a common desire to "make Jesus Christ known to students in Cambridge." Past CICCU members have included [[Josh Moody]], [[Basil Atkinson]], [[Helen Roseveare]], [[John W. Wenham]], [[John Stott]] and [[Vaughan Roberts]]. The leadership operates on two levels – university wide and within colleges. A committee of eight students, known as the Exec organise CICCU. Two reps in each college lead college events and meetings.

==Structure==
There are weekly meetings in almost every college during term time – these include Bible study, prayer and praise. The college groups then meet together as a whole for Bible Teaching and prayer each week. The CICCU organises weekly talks, explaining what Christians believe, and discussion groups (Christianity Explored courses). The college groups organise termly events in the colleges where people can come and find out more about Christianity. Every year there is a high-publicity main event, during which events are held in most of the colleges and there are lunchtime and evening talks.

==Doctrinal basis==
CICCU adopts the [[creed|doctrinal basis]] of [[UCCF#Doctrinal basis]], to which it is affiliated.

==Controversy==
Attitudes towards [[homosexuality]] have been a particular area of controversy, in particular during their 2004 Promise Week event, in which it was alleged that homosexual relations were equated with [[bestiality]].<ref>{{cite news |work=Varsity |issue=594 |publication-date=6 February 2004 |pages=1–2 |first1=Gabriella |last1=Jozwiak |first2=Laura-Jane 1|last2=Foley |title=Predator – Pray? CICCU defends itself from accusations of homophobia |url=http://archive.varsity.co.uk/594.pdf}}</ref> CICCU members deny that their organisation is anti-gay, stressing "equality in the sight of God", and point out that they love homosexual and heterosexual friends equally, as does God.{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}.

Recent comment on the CICCU has been more ambivalent – surprised by the intense focus on sharing rather than simply maintaining their faith, but impressed by the warmth of their welcome, and the depth of their conviction.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.varsity.co.uk/comment/1868 |title=Confessions of a Chr*sti*n |work=Varsity |publication-date=29 January 2010 |first=Rosie |last=Tegelaars}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.varsity.co.uk/news/6885 |title=My week with Jesus |work=Varsity |publication-date=13 February 2014 |first=Hannah |last=Wilkinson}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.varsity.co.uk/news/8281 |title=Searching for salvation |work=Varsity |publication-date=16 February 2015 |first=Sarah |last=Sheard}}</ref>

==Presidents==

{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|
*1877:    A. Coote
*         W. Mitchell-Carruthers
*1877–78: J.C. Taylor
*1878–79: G.H. Pole
*1879–80: J. Harford-Battersby
*1880-2: ''Names lost''
*1882–83: [[Kynaston Studd|J.E.K. Studd]]
*1883–84: I.B. Wane
*1884–85: Hon. W.G. Scott
*1885–86: E.D.M. Hamilton
*1886–87: A. Klein
*1887–88: R.M. Webb-Peploe
*1888–89: D.W. Carr
*1889–90: A. Rouse
*1890–91: L.F.D. Blair
*1891–92: C.T. Horan
*1892–93: N. Bennett
*1893–94: A.H. Swann
*1894–95: [[Theodore Woods|F.T. Woods]]
*1895–96: A.G. Dodderidge
*1896–97: H.F. Buxton
*1897–98: D.R. Barclay
*1898–99: T.W. Thompson
*1899–1900: J. Stenhouse
*1900–01: W.G. Hardie
*1901–02: R. Hodgkin
*1902–03: S. Donnithorne
*1903–04: G.A. Barclay
*1904–05: D.P. Robinson (''afterwards'' Brereton)
*1905–06: J.R.S. Taylor
*1906–07: A.E. Bradley
*1907–08: R.L. Pelly
*1908–09: H.N. Rodgers
*1909–10: A.C.B. Bellerby
*1910: G.F.B. Morris
*Lent 1911 – Easter 1912: [[Howard Mowll|H.W.K. Mowll]]
*1912–13: G.B. Sellwood
*1913–14: W.R.D. Robertson
*1914–15: J.W.McK. Nicholl
*1915–16: E.W. Hare
*1916–17: G.R. Lindsay
*1918–19: R.P. Dick
*1919–20: [[Godfrey Buxton|B.G. Buxton]]
*Easter 1920: M.H. Webb-Peploe
*Michaelmas 1920:  C.A. Martin
*Lent 1921 – Easter 1921: T.S. Goodwin
*1921–22: C.H.M. Foster
*1922–23: C.G. Webb-Peploe
*1923–24: F.H. Pickering
*1924–25: C.J.B. Harrison
*Michaelmas 1925: H.W. Boake
*Lent 1926 – Easter 1927: [[Hugh Gough (bishop)|H.R. Gough]]
*1927–28: K.H. Hooker
*1928–29: N.A.L. Miller
*1929–30: H.A.Evan Hopkins
*1930–31: J.N.D. Anderson
*1931–32: R.G. Allison
*1932–33: R.J. Cobb
*1933–34: C.G. Scorer
*1934–35: H.T. Hughes
*1935–36: B.C. Gough
*1936–37: R.J. Knight
*1937–38: R.J.B. Eddison
*1938–39: D.C. Argyle
*1939–40: [[Derek Kidner|F.D. Kidner]]
*1940–41: R.F. Hettlinger
*Michaelmas 1941 – Michaelmas 1942: [[Oliver Barclay|O.R. Barclay]]
*Lent 1943 – Easter 1943: J.D. Davis
*1943–44: G.K. Barker
*1944–45: J.H.F. Batstone
*1945–46: R.S. Dell
*Michaelmas 1946: [[John Pollock (author)|J.C. Pollock]]
*Lent 1947 – Easter 1947: J.A. Boyes
*Michaelmas 1947 – Lent 1948: G.F. Grobecker}}
''From this point the usual tenure was from the Easter Term of one year to the Lent Term of the next''

{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|
*1948–49: D.J. Drew
*1949–50: J.F. Sertin
*1950–51: J.T.C.B. Collins
*1951–52: M.C. Griffiths
*1952–54: ''Names lost''
*1954–55: A.A.W. Kimpton
*1955–58: ''Name lost''
*1958–59: J. Morris
*1959–63: ''Names lost''
*1963–64: S. Baldock
*1964–69: ''Name lost''
*1969–70: M. Cuthbertson
*1970–71: M. Elston
*1971–72: D. Evans
*1972–73: D. Hunt
*1973–74: R. Capper
*1974-75: P. Doyle
*1975–76: J. Glauert
*1976–77: J. Samuel
*1977–78: J. Partington
*1978–79: P. Weston
*1979–80: J. Barclay 
*1980–81: J. Stuart
*1981–82: T. Green
*1982–83: T. Pickett
*1983–84: C. Naylor
*1984–85: ''Tim Law''
*1985–86: I. McIntosh
*1986–87: [[Vaughan Roberts|V.E. Roberts]]
*1987–88: A. Horn
*1988–89: K. Green
*1989–90: T Thomas 
*1990–91: T. Cole
*1991–92: J. Moody
*1992–93: G. Treece
*1993–94: U. Mayr-Harting
*1994–95: J. Rea
*1995–96: D. Horrocks
*1996–97: J. Sidders
*1997–98: D. Gobbett
*1998–99: S. Wearn
*1999–2000: J. White
*2000–01: R. Mann
*2001–02: R. Evans
*2002–03: K. Butler
*2003–04: J. Percival
*2004–05: G. Shearer
*2005–06: D. Pfeiffer
*2006–07: B. Monteiro
*2007–08: C. Butler
*2008–09: J. Young
*2009–10: M. Pilkington
*2010–11: P. Hammersley
*2011–12: C. Nickerson
*2012–13: M. Lewis
*2013–14: A. Greaves
*2014–15: J. Thompson
*2015–16: G. Sterlini
*2016–17: D. Palmer
*2017–18: J. Payne
*2018–19: T. Colpus
*2019–20: T. Saer<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ciccu.org.uk/the-exec/|title=CICCU Executive|website=ciccu.org.uk|language=en|access-date=2019-05-11}}</ref>
*2020–21: A. Webb
*2021–22: K. Heasman
*2022–23: P. McCartney
*2023–24: D. Read
*2024–25: T. France}}

Sources in the [[Cambridge University Library]]

==Affiliation==
*[[UCCF]] (Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship)
*[[International Fellowship of Evangelical Students|IFES]] (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students)

==See also==
* [[Cambridge Seven]]
* [[Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* [http://www.tertullian.org/rpearse/scanned/old_paths_in_perilous_times.htm ''Old Paths in Perilous Times'': an account of the Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union], [[Basil Atkinson|Basil F. C. Atkinson]] : London, [[Inter-Varsity Press|Inter-Varsity booklet]], 1932.
* ''A Cambridge Movement'', [[John Pollock (author)|J. C. Pollock]]: London, John Murray, 1953.
* ''Whatever Happened to the Jesus Lane Lot?'', Oliver R. Barclay : Leicester, [[Inter-Varsity Press]], 1977, {{ISBN|0-85110-396-0}}.
* ''From Cambridge to the world'': 125 years of student witness / Oliver R. Barclay and Robert M. Horn : Leicester, [[Inter-Varsity Press]], 2002, {{ISBN|0-85111-499-7}}.
* '[http://www.journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=148535 The Rise of the Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union], 1910–1971', David Goodhew, in ''Journal of Ecclesiastical History'' Vol.LIV no.1, pp.&nbsp;62–88.

==External links==
* [http://www.ciccu.org.uk/ Official website]
* [http://ciccu.org.uk/tomorrow/ Tomorrow] – CICCU Events Week 2019 website
* [http://ciccu.org.uk/life/ Life] – CICCU Events Week 2020 website

{{University of Cambridge}}

[[Category:Christian student societies in the United Kingdom|CICCU]]
[[Category:Clubs and societies of the University of Cambridge|Christian]]
[[Category:Religious organizations established in 1877]]
[[Category:1877 establishments in England]]