A fruitful Christian lay man movement: A case study of University Bible Fellowship

Abstract

Crisis phenomena (wars, epidemics) push people to seek spirituality. Scholars also need to study the experience of successful religious movements to identify effective management approaches in this area. An example of such a movement is the University Bible Fellowship (UBF). The study aims to identify effective methods of building a lay movement and methods of managing it and its development, based on the example of the UBF. To achieve this goal, the historical-genetic and historical-functional methods were used. It turned out that small group and one-on-one Bible studies are the most effective, as these didactic approaches have a therapeutic effect on movement members and candidates. An important role in the functioning of the Fellowship is played by the practice of writing personal testimony (sogam). From the point of view of ecclesiology, a certain amount of uncertainty is useful for the lay movement, which allows it to attract representatives of different denominations. The ability of the founders of the movement and its leaders to use their leadership qualities was important, as is seen in the examples of Samuel Lee and Sarah Barry. Some types of activities of religious organisations, such as presence on social media, are notable to convey religious experience but are necessary in the modern world. The rapid involvement of movement members in missionary or volunteer activities also plays an important role. The results of this study can be used both to further study the history of the UBF and to create lay movements using the most effective methods of management, evangelism, and didactic influence.