American International Christian University of Columbia (AICU), South Carolina, United States, said it is convening one of the largest gatherings of Christian students in the world, aimed at forming a community of young Christians and professionals who will be equipped to impact the next generation.
AICU was founded by a Nigerian pastor from Osun State, Akinsola Ojo, in collaboration with churches and other universities across the globe.
Pastor Ojo said this in a statement, copy of which was made available to newsmen, saying that the upcoming event tagged: “AICU Reignite 2024 Conference,” will enable students to discover, explore, and re-ignite an effort to reach, win, and build up other students in Christ across the globe.
According to Pastor Ojo, the conference scheduled to hold from June 20 to 22, 2024, in Columbia, South Carolina, USA, will focus on helping students find an assurance of salvation or a renewal of commitment to their calling, edify Gen Z on how to mature in their faith and encourage the participants to move from passive to active engagement with the Great Commission – either through their churches or college-based ministries.
He said the 3-day seminar will be attended by speakers, including Gospel actor and filmmaker, Evangelist Femi Adebile, college ministers and workers, young professionals, senior high schoolers, sports men and women, church leaders, radio/social media teams and students, adding that attendees were expected from more than 50 countries and 40 US states, with students participating in person on campus and several thousand joining online.
“The organizers welcome Christian universities, churches, corporate bodies and philanthropists to join them by becoming sponsors by making contact through the event website. Interested students and bodies can contact Dr. Douglas Barnett, PhD, the Volunteer Advisor, at the American International Christian University of Columbia through email.
“The University said the time had come when a global community of Christian students need to take their place and positively influence the society,” he said.
The cleric, while noting that t noted that there were 18.1million students enrolled in all American colleges and universities, as part of the 235 million students enrolled in universities around the world, with an estimated 500,000 students enrolled in Christian colleges and universities across the US, indicated that there might “be as many as 70 million nominally and active Christian students between the ages of 18 -24 around the world, whose potential transformational impact cannot be felt because they are not mobilized to be influential.”
“The University wanted this conference to become an annual event, involving particularly students from Nigeria and other African countries, where Christianity is spreading and strengthening, where university students explore their purpose in life, search for truth and achieve true spirituality.
“With all that is going on in the world today, it is more important than ever to reach the students today, who are going to be the leaders of tomorrow.
“Participating institutions are already planning the next convention to take place in an African country as a result of the excitement of connecting Christian youths globally.
“The Student Volunteer Movement was an organization founded in 1886 that sought to recruit college and university students in the United States for missionary service abroad. Over the last six years, it has had a tremendous impact on missions,” Pastor Ojo stated.
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