31-535: Torchbearers International consists of an affiliation of 25 centers around the world. Torchbearers International was founded by evangelist and author Major W. Ian Thomas , in England, in 1947. Torchbearers International's goal is to provide practical Christian education to develop personal spiritual growth, prepare people for an effective Church life, and teach a working knowledge of the Bible. The organization works by providing
62-514: A hopeless failure.' That night things happened. The Lord seemed to make plain to me that night, through my tears of bitterness: 'You see, for seven years, with utmost sincerity, you have been trying to live for Me, on My behalf, the life that I have been waiting for 7 years to live through you.'" Thomas later reflected: "I got up the next morning to an entirely different Christian life, but I want to emphasize this: I had not received one iota more than I had already had for seven years!" Thomas served in
93-496: A life they never live. They have come to Christ and thanked Him only for what He did, but do not live in the power of who He is. Between the Jesus who "was" and the Jesus who "will be" they live in a spiritual vacuum, trying with no little zeal to live for Christ a life that only He can live in and through them, perpetually begging for what in Him they already have! It is further observed that it
124-540: A number of Bible schools and Christian conference centers around the world. Torchbearers' mission is to proclaim the transforming presence of Jesus Christ through biblical teaching and practical training, equipping men and women for service in His church worldwide. Torchbearers' founder, Major W. Ian Thomas , was an evangelical teacher often identified with the Keswick Convention ministry. The main thrust of their theology
155-449: Is also a substantial and persistent difference between UCCF and SCM (which is committed to ecumenism , including co-operation with CUs). According to a 2013 research paper, there are approximately 200 UCCF-affiliated Christian Unions in the UK, with a total membership of around 10,000. UCCF members thus accounted for just over 1% of the total Christian student population in the UK (800,000). In
186-600: Is an evangelical Christian student movement with affiliate groups on university campuses in the United Kingdom. It is a member of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students . The UCCF endorses a conservative evangelical form of Christian theology . The Christian Unions provide opportunities for fellowship, bible study and evangelism, with nearly 40,000 students attending outreach events each year. The Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship
217-455: Is man's consent that is the efficacious will that moves God to accomplish sanctification in the life of the believer: The One who calls you to a life of righteousness is the One who by our consent lives that life of righteousness through you! Torchbearers International (initially known as the "Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers") began in northern England at Capernwray Hall in 1947. It
248-579: Is that of the exchanged life or 'Christ in You'. Central to Torchbearers' theology is the belief that the way in which one lives the Christian life is by quieting or extinguishing the self, and allowing Christ to live his life through you in a very literal way. This is the essential teaching of the Keswick Convention, which Major Thomas had been a featured speaker for. His advocation of Keswick theology earned him
279-678: The Battle of Monte Cassino , Major Thomas went and took the flag of surrender. The white tablecloth used as the flag is on display in the Royal Fusilier Museum at the Tower of London. After World War II, Thomas was probably best known as a Bible teacher, author, and as the founder of both Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers (based at Capernwray Hall , England) and subsequently Torchbearers International (based in US). He moved to Colorado, US in
310-629: The British Expeditionary Force in Belgium at the outset of World War II and taking part in the evacuation at Dunkirk. He would also spend time during the war in France, Italy, and Greece (often, fighting). He was decorated with the D.S.O. (Distinguished Service Order) for conspicuous gallantry in taking out a German machine gun nest, and the T.D. (Territorial Decoration). When the Germans surrendered at
341-590: The Torchbearers Bible schools. Ian Thomas was born in London on 13 September 1914. At the age of 12, he was invited to a Bible study group of the Crusaders Christian Youth Movement by a friend. The following summer he was converted to Christ at a Crusaders Union camp. At the age of 15, he was convinced that he should devote all of his life to serving Jesus Christ. He began to preach out in
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#1732854843759372-446: The universal sinfulness of all humans , and penal substitution . Individual Christian Unions must subscribe to UCCF's doctrinal basis in order to be affiliated with them, and anyone who occupies a leadership position (including student executive committee members) or speaks at a Christian Union event must also sign to affirm their agreement. The explicitly conservative evangelicalism of UCCF's doctrinal basis has led some to criticise
403-435: The "redemption from guilt, penalty and power of sin only through the sacrificial death... of Jesus Christ". Anyone who wanted to hold an official position in the running of the conferences had to sign the basis of faith, a requirement was created for prospective speakers to hold views in accordance with the basis, and the conference was prohibited from undertaking joint activities with groups that did not doctrinally align with
434-629: The IFES was formally established. In 1997, UCCF-affiliated Christian Unions at universities on the island of Ireland formed an independent movement called IFES Ireland (later renamed Christian Unions Ireland). Owing to the increasing number of IVF-affiliated Christian Unions in non-university colleges , the Inter-Varsity Fellowship changed its name to the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship in 1974. Until 2007 UCCF continued to act as
465-665: The Inter-Varsity Fellowship became a founding member of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES). The movement developed out of links that had been established between the IVF and the Norwegian network of Christian Unions, the Norges Kristelige Studentlag . From 1934, regular international conferences took place between evangelicals connected to universities in Europe, North America, South Africa, and Australia; in 1947
496-526: The Lord Jesus gave Himself FOR me, so that risen from the dead He might give Himself TO me, He who IS the Christian Life. Instead of pleading for help I began to thank Him for all that He wanted to be, sharing His Life with me every moment of every day. I learned to say “Lord Jesus, I can’t, You never said I could; but You can, and always said You would. That is all I need to know”. From that moment life became
527-601: The SCM and, following a two-year reaffiliation, permanently left the SCM in 1927. From 1919, under the influence of Norman Grubb , conservative evangelical students from UK universities began meeting at an annual conference in London. The first meeting produced a declaration critical of the Student Christian Movement, in particular criticizing its basis of faith for not mentioning the divinity of Christ and omitting any mention of sin, forgiveness, and salvation. In 1922, at
558-470: The adventure that God always intended it to be. That was the beginning of Torchbearers, and this continues to be the main thrust of our ministry around the world the – Saving Life of Christ.” The organization maintains 25 locations in 20 different countries worldwide. Burradoo, NSW, Australia Major W. Ian Thomas W. Ian Thomas (13 September 1914 - 1 August 2007) was an evangelist, Christian evangelical writer, theological teacher and founder of
589-482: The age of 19, every moment of my day was packed tight with doing things. Thus by the age of 19, I had been reduced to a state of complete exhaustion spiritually, and I felt that there was no point going on." "Then, one night in November, that year just at midnight, I got down on my knees before God, and I just wept in sheer despair. I said, 'With all my heart I have wanted to serve Thee. I have tried to my uttermost and I am
620-529: The conference. By 1928, the Inter-Varsity Conference became a permanent fellowship of evangelical Christian Unions and rival organisation to the SCM. After becoming the secretary of the Inter-Varsity Conference in 1924, King's College alumnus Douglas Johnson was chosen as the first and founding General Secretary of the Inter-Varsity Fellowship of Evangelical Unions by delegates of the 1928 conference. He remained in this role until 1964. In 1947
651-505: The endorsement of newly emerging methods of Biblical criticism ) and wanted a greater emphasis to be put on evangelism . An attempted reconciliation between the two groups in 1919 was ultimately unsuccessful, owing to CICCU's insistence on the centrality of the atonement for Christian faith, which SCM would not agree to. Evangelical students in the Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union subsequently seceded from
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#1732854843759682-440: The exclusivity of UCCF's theology. Biblical infallibility, the view that the Bible is completely true and sufficient for Christian belief and practice, is rejected by many Christian denominations. The doctrine of penal substitution is likewise rejected by many non-evangelical Christians. In some cases, UCCF's evangelical theology has led to Christian Unions having difficult relationships with chaplaincies and/or student unions . It
713-427: The fourth annual meeting, it was decided to formally make the conference an annual event, as well as to appoint an executive committee and draft a constitution. The constitution of the Inter-Varsity Conference, which was accepted in 1923, included the group's doctrinal basis. The 1923 doctrinal basis included the "divine inspiration and infallibility of Scripture", the "universal sinfulness and guilt of human nature", and
744-533: The label of a "strict Keswick" by M. James Sawyer Th.M., PhD in his article concerning the Keswick movement.[2] While there is no end to the verbiage and metaphor used to describe this process of Christ living through you (Thomas himself never used the term "extinguish oneself"), Major W. Ian Thomas states it in the following manner in the foreword he wrote for well-known Higher Life proponent Bob George in his Higher-Life opus "Classic Christianity". There are those who have
775-687: The late 1980s and into this century, support for those involved in Christian ethics was provided through the Whitefield Institute, Oxford , founded by E. David Cook . In 2006, this was reconstituted to become the Kirby Laing Institute for Christian Ethics , now the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology. UCCF endorses a conservative evangelical form of Christian theology . Its doctrinal basis reflects typical elements of conservative evangelicalism, such as Biblical infallibility ,
806-553: The late 1980s. Thomas was married to Joan from Belfast . They had four sons, who continue the work of Torchbearers. His first book, The Saving Life of Christ , had a profound effect on Bert Harned, M.D., as can be seen in Harned's book, Any Old Bush - Christ Living in Us . Thomas died on 1 August 2007 at the age of 92. Inter-Varsity Fellowship Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship ( UCCF ; also UCCF: The Christian Unions )
837-626: The open air at Hampstead Heath . He was also actively engaged in Sunday School work as well as in the Crusaders' Bible class. He decided to become a doctor and studied at university where he became a leader in the Inter-Varsity Fellowship group. He started a slum club in the East End of London "out of a sheer desire to win souls, to go out and get them. I was a windmill of activity until, at
868-477: The same survey, 10% of Christian students (over 82,000) reported engaging with Christian Union activities during term time. UCCF employs about 80 staff, and has a further 80 or so volunteer "Relay Workers" on a one-year training programme. Many of these staff and volunteers are graduates who were involved in the CU as undergraduates. They support the student Christian Unions with training, advice and materials. According to
899-463: The umbrella organization for Christian Unions in institutions within both the higher education and further education sectors. In that year, UCCF, in co-operation with Scripture Union , launched Festive, an independent initiative focused on supporting Christian Union groups in further education and sixth form colleges. UCCF supports biblical research through Tyndale House , Cambridge , which opened in 1945 and became independent in 2015. From
930-669: Was formally established in 1928 as the Inter Varsity Fellowship, having emerged informally as a body influenced by the Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union earlier in the 1920s. CICCU had split from the broader Student Christian Movement (SCM) in 1910, following tensions between the two throughout the first decade of the 1900s. With a stronger conservative and evangelical presence than other Christian Unions, CICCU disagreed with SCM's move towards interdenominationalism and modernism (including
961-520: Was the German youth who came in those early years to Capernwray who began calling themselves the “Fackelträger” or “carriers of the torch”, and so the name “Torchbearers” was born. According to Thomas: "As a young evangelist, my love and enthusiasm for Christ as my Saviour kept me very, very busy until out of sheer frustration, I finally came to the point of quitting. That was the turning point which transformed my Christian life. In my despair I discovered that