Nigerian-American University Organises Global Conference for Christian Students

The American International Christian University of Columbia (AICU), South Carolina, United States, founded by a Nigerian pastor from Osun State, Pastor Akinsola Ojo, in collaboration with churches and other universities, has concluded plans to convene one of the largest gatherings of Christian students in the world, including Americans and Africans.

The gathering aims to form a community of young Christians and professionals equipped to impact the next generation.

In a statement, Ojo said the upcoming ‘AICU Reignite 2024 Conference’ will enable students to discover, explore, and reignite an effort to reach, win and build up other students in Christ across the globe.

The conference, scheduled to be held 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, edifying Gen Z on how to mature in their faith, and encouraging the participants to move from passive to active engagement with the Great Commission—either through their churches or college-based ministries.

The three-day seminar will feature speakers, college ministers and workers, young professionals, senior high schoolers, sportsmen and women, church leaders, radio and social media teams, and students from the US and worldwide.

Among the speakers from Nigeria is gospel actor and filmmaker Evangelist Femi Adebile, who will also shoot a film during the event.

Attendees are expected from more than 50 countries and 40 US states, with students participating in person on campus and several thousand joining online.

According to Ojo, Christian universities, churches, corporate bodies and philanthropists are welcome to sponsor by making contact through the event website, https://aicuglobalcampusreignition.org/.
He said Interested students and bodies can contact Dr. Douglas Barnett, PhD, the Volunteer Advisor, at the American International Christian University of Columbia through his email at info@aicuglobalcampusreignition.org.

The university said the time had come for a global community of Christian students to take their place and positively influence society.

It noted that 18.1 million students are enrolled in all American colleges and universities, in addition to the 235 million students enrolled in universities around the world.

He said an estimated 500,000 students were enrolled in Christian colleges and universities across the United States, but that number has declined.

Ojo indicated that there may be as many as 70 million nominally and actively Christian students between the ages of 18 and 24 around the world whose potential transformational impact cannot be felt because they are not mobilised to be influential.

The university plans to make the conference an annual event, particularly involving students from Nigeria and other African countries, where Christianity is spreading and strengthening, where university students can explore their purpose in life, search for truth, and achieve true spirituality.

The Student Volunteer Movement was founded in 1886 to recruit college and university students in the United States for missionary service abroad. Over the last six years, it has tremendously impacted missions.