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Some educators warn that it acts like a cult; others say students can make up their own minds
A LONELY STUDENT would quickly feel welcome at a Greater Pittsburgh Church of Christ service.
On a recent Sunday, a stranger was immediately greeted by a member with a warm smile. As other members arrived at the hotel meeting room where the church holds its services, they made a point of introducing themselves and finding out who the visitor was and how she had heard about their group.
Of the 60 or so people in attendance, most appeared to be of college age. The service began with lively singing and handclapping and continued with two hymnsnothing out of the ordinary for church services.
What was unusual took place during the hour-long sermon. All of the participants diligently took notes on everything that Jack Armstrong, the church's evangelist, said. His topic was the conversion of Saul, as described in the Acts of the Apostles, and the importance of encouraging conversion today. Conversion is a key element of this group's faith, as well as what gets it into trouble on many campuses.
'MOST DESTRUCTIVE RELIGIOUS GROUP
The Pittsburgh church is part of the International Churches of Christ, which is not affiliated with the mainline Church of Christ. The international group is known for recruiting drives aimed at students and for heavy proselytizing-which critics say amounts to harassment and intimidation. At least 20 colleges have banned it from their campuses, according to the American Family Foundation, which describes itself as a cult-education organization.
The Rev. Robert Watts Thornburg, dean of Boston University's Marsh Chapel, calls the church "the most destructive religious group I've ever seen." Boston stopped allowing members on its campus in 1987, when they refused to stop proselytizing students door-to-door in the dormitories, he says.
Other colleges that have banned the group include American University, Boston College, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Marquette University, Smith College, and the University of Southern California.
As branches of the church have popped up across the country, mainly in large cities with several campuses, college officials have had to decide what, if anything, to do. Some clerics and administrators say they have an obligation to warn students away from the group,...