Urbana (convention)
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Urbana is a major
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
student missions conference sponsored by
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA (IVCF) is an evangelicalism, evangelical Christianity, Christian student movement with affiliate groups on university campuses in U.S.. It is a member of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students ...
. The event is designed to inform Christian students about global issues and issues around the world and missional living. The conference also encourages students to explore the biblical mandate for cross-cultural missions and encourages them to participate in missions. Each Urbana lasts for 4-5 days at the end of December and on New Year's Eve. In addition to the main speakers and sessions, participants are offered a choice of seminars, relating to specific topics within the general theme of the university and international missions. Group Bible study is an intentional part of the daily conference schedule. Worship is also a major highlight of the convention; special attention is paid to incorporating diverse worship styles, even including songs in foreign languages. Opportunities for coaching and receiving prayer are also a part of Urbana. The first/precursor “Urbana” Student Missions Convention was held in 1946 in Toronto, and since then, it has generally been held every three years. From 1948 to 2003, Urbana took place at the
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. Established in 1867, it is the f ...
, with the primary venue after 1963 being the Assembly Hall (now State Farm Center), the school's basketball arena.


Conference Elements

Each conference is filled with a variety of activities and seminars for students to engage in. Highlights include an exhibit hall in which students are encouraged to network with leaders from missions organizations and seminaries. Each morning and evening all participates gather in the main session room to hear from engaging and relevant world Bible expositors and mission speakers and to
worship Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity or God. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognition of a God. An act of worship may be performed individually, in an informal or formal group, ...
, with a focus specifically on multi-ethnic and global worship. The conference concludes with the conference participants welcoming in the New Year. Students are also encouraged to participate in a variety of seminars and "tracks", which specialize in specific topics. For example, past topics are known to include Business and technology, global issues, healthcare, justice, evangelism, and world religions. In addition to the main sessions and seminars, students participate in Bible Studies, and have the opportunity to sign up for prayer and coaching sessions.


History


1940s

The first Urbana was held in 1946 at the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...
in
Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Canada. 151 colleges, universities, and seminaries from across North America were represented, along with 100 missionaries. L. E. Maxwell, president of
Prairie Bible Institute Prairie College is an interdenominational Christian College located in the town of Three Hills, Alberta, Canada. Founded as Prairie Bible Institute, classes began on October 9, 1922, on the property of the McElheran family farm. History A local ...
, and other noted Christian leaders in academia spoke at the December event. The second Urbana was held in 1948, this time at the
University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...
at Champaign-Urbana.
Jim Elliot Philip James Elliot (October 8, 1927 – January 8, 1956) was an American Christian missionary and one of five people killed during Operation Auca, an attempt to evangelize the Huaorani people of Ecuador. Early life Elliot was born in Portla ...
, known for his missionary work and martyrdom in Ecuador, attended this Urbana as a student. The slogan for this Urbana was "From Every Campus to Every Country." 1,300 students from 154 campuses participated. Speakers included
Frank Houghton Frank Houghton (1894–1972) was an Anglican missionary bishop and author. Biography Houghton was born in Stafford and educated at the University of London and ordained in 1917. He held curacies at St Benedict, Everton and All Saints, ...
,
V. Raymond Edman Victor Raymond Edman (May 9, 1900 – September 22, 1967) was an American minister and author who served as the fourth president of Wheaton College in Illinois from 1941 to 1965. Edman was born in Chicago, Illinois, as one of six children to Sw ...
, and
Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (; November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American Evangelism, evangelist, ordained Southern Baptist minister, and Civil rights movement, civil rights advocate, whose broadcasts and world tours featuring liv ...
.


1950s

The 1954 Urbana had the theme "Changing World; Changeless Christ" and hosted 2,000 students from 263 schools. A. W. Tozer, who preached on Bible characters, and Alan Redpath were among those who spoke at this Urbana. The number of students attending Urbana grew to 3,500 in 1957, and the theme that year was "One Lord—One Church—One World." Billy Graham returned to speak at this conference, and was joined by the likes of
Donald Barnhouse Donald Grey Barnhouse (March 28, 1895 – November 5, 1960), was an American Christian preacher, pastor, theologian, radio pioneer, and writer. He was pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1927 to his dea ...
and
Harold Ockenga Harold John Ockenga (June 6, 1905 – February 8, 1985) was a leading figure of mid-20th-century American Evangelicalism, part of the reform movement known as "Neo-Evangelicalism". A Congregational minister, Ockenga served for many years as ...
. Urbana 57 was held in a gymnasium with poor acoustics, and with the University of Illinois set to finish building a new assembly room by 1961, the next Urbana was postponed.


1960s

Urbana 61 had a change in format from previous conferences. It featured a "plenary panel" about mission work, a "plenary forum" that involved a question-and-answer time with various Christian leaders, elective courses on specific topics related to missions, missionary sessions, and a pastoral group. The theme was "Commission—Conflict—Commitment." 5,400 students participated in this conference.
Eugene Nida Eugene Albert Nida (November 11, 1914August 25, 2011) was an American linguist who developed the dynamic equivalence theory of Bible translation and is considered one of the founders of modern translation studies. Life Nida was born in Oklah ...
, Arthur Glasser, and Urbana veterans David Howard Adeney and Billy Graham were speakers.
Festo Kivengere Festo Kivengere (1918–1988) was a Ugandan Anglican leader sometimes referred to as "the Billy Graham of Africa". He played a huge role in a Christian revival in southwestern Uganda, but had to flee in 1977 to neighboring Rwanda in fear for his l ...
preached on
Jacob and Esau The biblical Book of Genesis speaks of the relationship between fraternal twins Jacob and Esau, sons of Isaac and Rebekah. The story focuses on Esau's loss of his birthright to Jacob and the conflict that ensued between their descendant nations ...
.


1970s

Urbana 70's theme was "World Evangelism: Why? How? Who?" and included speakers
John Stott John Robert Walmsley Stott (27 April 1921 – 27 July 2011) was a British Anglican pastor and theologian who was noted as a leader of the worldwide evangelical movement. He was one of the principal authors of the Lausanne Covenant in 1974. I ...
, David Howard, Leighton Ford, Byang Kato, Samuel Kamelson, and Tom Skinner. Urbana 76 was themed "Declare His Glory Among the Nations."
John Stott John Robert Walmsley Stott (27 April 1921 – 27 July 2011) was a British Anglican pastor and theologian who was noted as a leader of the worldwide evangelical movement. He was one of the principal authors of the Lausanne Covenant in 1974. I ...
spoke on the biblical basis for mission,
Elisabeth Elliot __NOTOC__ Elisabeth Elliot (née Howard; December 21, 1926 – June 15, 2015) was a Christian missionary, author, and speaker. Her first husband, Jim Elliot, was killed in 1956 while attempting to make missionary contact with the Auca people (n ...
on the will of God, and Helen Roseveare on Declaring His Glory in Suffering. 17,000 students participated in 1,700 small groups, meeting each morning for Bible study and every evening for prayer. "That All Nations Might Believe and Obey Jesus Christ" was the theme for Urbana 79. Many speakers made repeat appearances, including John Stott, Billy Graham, and Elisabeth Elliot. Joining them were
Luis Palau Luis Palau Jr. (November 27, 1934 – March 11, 2021) was an Argentine-American international Christian evangelist. He was born in Argentina but moved to Portland, Oregon, in his mid-twenties to enroll in a graduate program in Biblical studies. ...
, David Howard Adeney, and others. Urbana 79 experienced capacity issues due to so many students wanting to attend that the next conference would be held just two years later.


1980s

Urbana 81 was themed "Let Every Tongue Confess That Jesus Christ Is Lord" and 14,000 attended. One unusual characteristic of this Urbana was that it came only two years after the previous one. Speakers included Wycliffe Bible translator Ed Beach, Eric Alexander from a church in Scotland, Gordon MacDonald, Isabelo Magalit, Marilyn Laszlo, Billy Graham, George McKinney, and author Rebecca Manley Pippert. Urbana 84 attracted 18,000 participants. Eric Alexander spoke on the conference theme "Faithful in Christ Jesus" from the book of Ephesians. Other notable speakers: Ada Lum, Billy Graham, Cliffe Knechtle, David Bryant, George McKinney, Joanne Shetler, John Kyle, Luis Palau, Mariano DiGangi, Ray Bakke, and Tokunboh Adayemo. Urbana 87 took its theme from the
Book of Jonah The Book of Jonah is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Nevi'im ("Prophets") in the Hebrew Bible, and an individual book in the Christian Old Testament where it has four chapters. The book tells of a Hebrew prophet named Jonah, son of Amitt ...
: "Should I not be concerned?" Nearly 19,000 participants came to hear Harvie Conn, Ray Bakke, Floyd McClung, Billy Graham, Helen Roseveare, Rebecca Manley Pippert, Roberta Hestenes, and Tony Campolo. Nearly 6,000 attendees indicated they felt they were being called by God to serve in overseas missions.


1990s

Throughout the 90s, Urbana was hosted at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, but the large numbers in attendance meant that the conference was pushing that venue's capacity. In these years, the conference was updated in significant ways. Urbana 90 was InterVarsity's 16th triennial student mission convention, was themed "Jesus Christ: Lord of the Universe, Hope of the World." Almost 20,000 people met December 27–31, 1990. Featured speakers included Joni Eareckson Tada, Ada Lum, Ajith Fernando, Caesar Molebatsi, George Otis, Glandion Carney, Isaac Canales, Luis Bush, M. Fisher, Paul Tokunaga, Peter Kuzmic and Philemon Choi. It was the first Urbana featuring a full 'contemporary' worship band and a prayer ministry team composed of campus staff members. Urbana 93 (entitled "God So Loves the World") attracted over 17,000 attendees. Featured speakers included Neil Anderson, Lindsay Brown, Isaac Canales, Peter Cha, Margarita Petrovna Dvorzhetskaya, Ajith Fernando, Mary Fisher, Steve Hayner, and David Zac Niringiye. Bruce Kuhn offered dramatic presentations of Bible passages. Urbana 96 (entitled "You Are My Witnesses") was the 50th anniversary of Urbana (counting back to the original InterVarsity student mission convention in Toronto in 1946). Over 19,600 were in attendance, making it the largest student missions gathering in the world. Featured speakers: Tokunboh Adeyemo, Rebecca Atallah, Jorge Atiencia, Robbie Castleman, Alex Gee, Steve Hayner, Jacqueline Huggins, Daniel Oh, Mac Pier, T.V. Thomas, and George Verwer. Bruce Kuhn returned to offer dramatic enactments of Scripture.


2000s

Urbana 2000, InterVarsity's 19th triennial student missions convention (themed "Because God First Loved Us"), was an unusual Urbana in that it was scheduled four years (vesrus the traditional three) after the previous conference, to avoid possible
Y2K Y2K may refer to: * Y2K problem, a computer issue related to the year 2000 * Year 2K, the year 2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular cultu ...
complications. Over 20,000 participated. Featured speakers included: Vinoth Ramachandra, Ken Fong, Steve Hayner, George Verwer, Jimmy McGee, Paul Borthwick, Marta Bennett, Barney Ford, and Alex Gee. Over 5,000 committed their lives to cross-cultural missions as their vocation. The last Urbana to be held at UIUC, Urbana 2003, was also the first to offer an "International Student Track", providing special housing options and electives to international students interested in spending time with other students from their respective countries. Urbana 06 again held a track for international students, as well as tracks that focused on the global
HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...
AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
pandemic A pandemic ( ) is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has a sudden increase in cases and spreads across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. Widespread endemic (epi ...
, the growing business as mission movement, and the needs of the world's largest
slum A slum is a highly populated Urban area, urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are p ...
communities in the
developing world A developing country is a sovereign state with a less-developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to developed countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreeme ...
. Tracks at Urbana 09 included International Students, Arts and Media, Advocacy and Poverty, Business as Mission, Evangelism, Jesus and Justice, The Mission of Healthcare, and The Church Around the World. The 2000s marked the move of Urbana from its long-time home at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign to St. Louis in 2006—a much larger venue for a conference that seemed to be maxing out every year. The new venue allowed nearly all of the convention to be held under one roof, with students staying in different hotels within the city and walking or transiting to the conference. At Urbana 2006, nearly 22,500 participants attended. Urbana 06 speakers included
Rick Warren Richard Duane Warren (born January 28, 1954) is an American evangelical Christian pastor and author. He is the founder of Saddleback Church, an evangelical Baptists, Baptist megachurch in Lake Forest, California. Since 2022, he serves as execut ...
, pastor and author of ''
The Purpose Driven Life ''The Purpose Driven Life'' is a Bible study book written by Christian pastor Rick Warren and published by Zondervan in 2002. The book offers readers a 40-day personal spiritual journey and presents what Warren says are God's five purposes for h ...
''; Ray Bakke, a professor and specialist in urban ministry;
Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by the nickname Bono ( ), is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist. He is a founding member, the lead vocalist, and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Bono is known for his impassioned voca ...
from the band U2 (via video); and Ajith Fernando, a well-respected Bible teacher who is the director of
Youth for Christ Youth For Christ (YFC) is a worldwide Christian movement working with young people, whose main purpose is evangelism among teenagers. It began informally in New York City in 1940, when Jack Wyrtzen held evangelical Protestant rallies for teenager ...
in
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
. Urbana 09 speakers included Ramez Atallah, General Secretary of the Bible Society of Egypt; Shane Claiborne of The Simple Way in Philadelphia;
Ruth Padilla DeBorst Ruth Padilla DeBorst is a Latin American evangelical theologian affiliated with the Latin American Theological Fellowship and based in Costa Rica. Biography Padilla DeBorst was born in Colombia as the eldest daughter of an American mother, Cath ...
, General Secretary of the Latin American Theological Fellowship; Sunder Krishnan, Senior Pastor of the Rexdale Alliance Church in Ontario, Canada; and Patrick Fung, General Director of OMF International. Oscar Muriu, Senior Pastor of Nairobi Chapel, Nairobi, Kenya, spoke at both Urbana 06 and Urbana 09. Worship at Urbana 09 was led by Sandra Maria Van Opstal.


2010s

Urbana 12 speakers included Calisto Odede,
David Platt David Andrew Platt (born 10 June 1966) is an English retired football coach and player who played as a midfielder. Born in Chadderton, Lancashire, Platt began his career as an apprentice at Manchester United before moving to Crewe Alexandra, wh ...
,
Chai Ling Chai Ling (; born April 15, 1966) is a Chinese psychologist who was one of the student leaders in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. According to the documentary Gate of Heavenly Peace, she had indicated that the strategy of the leadership gr ...
, Daniel Bourdanne, Ziel Machado, Geri Rodman, Terry LeBlanc, and featured a performance by
Andy Mineo Andrew Aaron Mineo (born April 17, 1988), is an American Christian hip hop artist, producer, music executive, and video director based in New York City. He was signed to Reach Records until leaving in September 2024 to pursue his creative ...
. Sandra Maria Van Opstal led worship again with a focus on the integration of multiethnic worship and mission. Urbana 12 also partnered with
World Vision The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk of a "plu ...
to include a Caregiver Kit Build: the 15,000 attendees assembled 32,000 Caregiver Kits which were then shipped to volunteer caregivers who work with AIDS patients in Swaziland and other African countries. Urbana 15’s theme was “Find Your Life” and focused on the book of Matthew. Speakers included
Francis Chan Francis Chan ( zh, 陳恩藩; born August 31, 1967) is an American Protestant author, teacher, and preacher. He is the former teaching pastor of the nondenominational Cornerstone Community Church, an Evangelical church in Simi Valley, Califor ...
,
David Platt David Andrew Platt (born 10 June 1966) is an English retired football coach and player who played as a midfielder. Born in Chadderton, Lancashire, Platt began his career as an apprentice at Manchester United before moving to Crewe Alexandra, wh ...
, Evelyne Reisacher, Michelle Higgins, MaryKate Morse, Allan Matamoros, and Christena Cleveland. Worship was directed by Erna Kim Hackett. "Faithful Witness” was the theme of Urbana 18, taken from the book of Revelation, and speakers included René Breuel, John Inazu, Dominique Gilliard, Beth Paz, and Anne Zaki. Worship was directed by Eric Lige.


2020s

Urbana 21 was postponed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Urbana 22 took place in Indianapolis, IN with the theme of “Rise Up” and a focus on the book of Acts. Speakers included Bishop Claude Alexander, Alexia Salvatierra, Michele Lee, James Choung, Alejandra Ortiz, Michael Oh, and Richmond Wandera. Urbana 25 will take place from December 28, 2025 through New Year’s Eve in Phoenix, Arizona.


Notable Speakers

*
Tony Campolo Anthony Campolo Jr. (February 25, 1935 – November 19, 2024) was an American sociologist, Baptist pastor, author, public speaker, and spiritual advisor to U.S. President Bill Clinton. Campolo was an influential leader in the evangelical left. ...
, 1987 *
Shane Claiborne Shane Claiborne (born July 11, 1975) is an American evangelical Christian and founder, an author and organizational leader. He is one of the founders of the non-profit organization, The Simple Way, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, cofounder of t ...
, 2009 *
Joni Eareckson Tada Joni Eareckson Tada (born October 15, 1949) is an American evangelical Christian author, radio host, artist, and founder of Joni and Friends, an organization "accelerating Christian ministry in the disability community". Early life Joni Eareck ...
, 1990 *
Elisabeth Elliot __NOTOC__ Elisabeth Elliot (née Howard; December 21, 1926 – June 15, 2015) was a Christian missionary, author, and speaker. Her first husband, Jim Elliot, was killed in 1956 while attempting to make missionary contact with the Auca people (n ...
, 1973, 1976, 1979, 1984, 1996 *
Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (; November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American Evangelism, evangelist, ordained Southern Baptist minister, and Civil rights movement, civil rights advocate, whose broadcasts and world tours featuring liv ...
, 1948, 1957, 1961, 1964, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1987 * Tom Skinner, 1970 *
John Stott John Robert Walmsley Stott (27 April 1921 – 27 July 2011) was a British Anglican pastor and theologian who was noted as a leader of the worldwide evangelical movement. He was one of the principal authors of the Lausanne Covenant in 1974. I ...
, 1967, 1970, 1973, 1976, 1979 *
A.W. Tozer Aiden Wilson Tozer (April 21, 1897 – May 12, 1963) was an American Christian pastor, author, magazine editor, and spiritual mentor. For his accomplishments, he received honorary doctorates from Wheaton and Houghton colleges. Early life To ...
, 1954 *
Rick Warren Richard Duane Warren (born January 28, 1954) is an American evangelical Christian pastor and author. He is the founder of Saddleback Church, an evangelical Baptists, Baptist megachurch in Lake Forest, California. Since 2022, he serves as execut ...
, 2006 *
Francis Chan Francis Chan ( zh, 陳恩藩; born August 31, 1967) is an American Protestant author, teacher, and preacher. He is the former teaching pastor of the nondenominational Cornerstone Community Church, an Evangelical church in Simi Valley, Califor ...
, 2015 *
George Verwer George Verwer (July 3, 1938 – April 14, 2023) was an American evangelist and founder of Operation Mobilisation (OM), an evangelical Christian missions organization. Verwer wrote several books on various Christian themes. He was a passionate ...
, 1967, 1987, 1996, 2000 * Helen Roseveare, 1976, 1981, 1987 *
Luis Palau Luis Palau Jr. (November 27, 1934 – March 11, 2021) was an Argentine-American international Christian evangelist. He was born in Argentina but moved to Portland, Oregon, in his mid-twenties to enroll in a graduate program in Biblical studies. ...
, 1973,1976, 1979, 1984 * Steve Hayner, 1993, 2000 *
David Platt David Andrew Platt (born 10 June 1966) is an English retired football coach and player who played as a midfielder. Born in Chadderton, Lancashire, Platt began his career as an apprentice at Manchester United before moving to Crewe Alexandra, wh ...
, 2012, 2015 * Michael Oh, 2009, 2022 * Ajith Fernando, 1987, 2006


See also

*
College religious organizations Religious departments in higher education Faith based services provide access to activities, events and counselling that allow students to pursue spiritual growth and development. Many campuses offer multi-faith spaces, ministering to those who ...
*
International Fellowship of Evangelical Students The International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) is an interdenominational association of 180 evangelical Christian student movements worldwide, encouraging evangelism, discipleship and mission among students. The headquarters is in O ...
*
World Student Christian Federation The World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) is a federation of autonomous national Student Christian Movements (SCM) forming the youth and student arm of the global ecumenical movement. The Federation includes Orthodox, Protestant and Cathol ...


References


External links


UrbanaInterVarsityInter-Varsity CanadaUrbana Gets Radical
{{commons category, Urbana 2006 Christian missions Evangelical Christian conferences Evangelicalism in North America