Campus Ministry Drops 'Christ' From Name!

CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR ______?

Campus Crusade for Christ is undergoing a name change.

The ministry's new name -- "Cru" -- will become official early next year.  Vice president Steve Sellers tells OneNewsNow the change is coming because of the first two words in the old name.  With some 30 ministries under Campus Crusade's umbrella -- including Family Life, Athletes in Action, and Josh McDowell -- it is much more than a campus ministry.  And regarding the term "crusade," Sellers says words change over time.

"Back in the 1950s when we came into existence, the word 'crusade' had more to do with things like what Billy Graham did in stadiums -- it had a positive connotation," he explains. "But just like other organizations today, [we] have realized it's a word that has become more of a flashpoint than a help."

Asked about removing the name "Christ" from the organization's title, Sellers emphasizes they are "100-percent committed" to lifting up the name of Jesus.

"If the objective that we all have as believers is to help Christ be known, then just putting his name in the organization's name isn't necessarily the best way to do that," Sellers comments.  "We believe that separating his name from the name of the organization allows us to be more effective at actually proclaiming his name and letting it stand alone for who he is."

According to Sellers, Campus Crusade founder, the late Bill Bright, even acknowledged early on in the ministry that the name would eventually need to be changed.

The new name, chosen from among a pool of 1,600 potential names, was revealed to thousands of staffers on Tuesday during a biennial gathering in Colorado. The ministry reports that "Cru" already has a track record, as the term has been used locally on the majority of its U.S. campus ministries.

READ: Campus Ministry Drops 'Christ' From Name - FoxNews.com