Tom Lin (evangelical) explained

Tom Lin (born February 13, 1973) is a Taiwanese-American evangelical and the eighth president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, an evangelical parachurch organization which works with university students.[1]

Biography

Raised in Chicago to Taiwanese immigrant parents, Lin earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in economics from Harvard University in 1994 and a Master of Arts (MA) in global leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary.[2] [3] In 2014, he earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School.

From 1994 until 2001, Lin helped to start local chapters of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Harvard University and Boston University, after which he was the Mongolia country director of International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, from 2002 to 2006.[4] Lin and his family returned to the United States in 2006, taking up various positions in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, including directing the Urbana Student Missions Conference and, in August 2016, becoming the organization's first non-white president.[5] Lin believes he was appointed the position because of his leadership in crossing racial, cultural, and ethnic barriers.[6]

In 2018, InterVarsity had over 1,000 chapters of its organization on 700 college campuses and Lin set a goal of establishing chapters on 2,500 college campuses.[7]

Controversy

In 2015, then president-elect Lin and interim president of InterVarsity Jim Lundgren issued a 20-page position paper highlighting views on divorce, extramarital sex, and gay marriage, and initiating a process of involuntary terminations of staff who disagreed with these positions. Critics have held that this marginalizes members who are LGBTI or supporters of same-sex marriage.[8]

Works

Notes and References

  1. News: Morgan . Timothy C. . Tom Lin named InterVarsity campus ministry president . 1 June 2021 . The Christian Century . 25 May 2016 . en.
  2. Web site: Petersen . Jonathan . InterVarsity Christian Fellowship: An Interview with Tom Lin . Bible Gateway Blog . 30 May 2019 . 8 August 2016.
  3. Web site: Tom Lin Commissioned as President . InterVarsity . 30 May 2019 . en . 10 August 2016.
  4. Web site: Tom Lin . InterVarsity . 30 May 2019 . en . 1 February 2011.
  5. Web site: Shellnutt . Kate . InterVarsity Names a Historic New President . Christianity Today . 30 May 2019 . en . 16 May 2016.
  6. News: Morgan . Timothy C. . InterVarsity leader: 'I know what it's like to live in a culture not my own' . 1 June 2021 . Religion News Service . 25 May 2016.
  7. News: Stetzer . Ed . One-on-One with Tom Lin on InterVarsity's 2030 Calling . 1 June 2021 . The Exchange . Christianity Today . 14 September 2018 . en.
  8. Dias . Elizabeth . InterVarsity to Dismiss Employees Who Support Gay Marriage . 1 June 2021 . Time . 6 October 2016 . en.