For those who wanted it to be a Christians-only home, it just wasn’t going to happen. After all, the building is being constructed on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which has strict discrimination policies. But the Christian dorm is still creating controversy. I know, because I graduated from UW-Madison and just returned from a visit to the campus a couple of weeks ago.
At the center of the controversy is the Pres House, which is run by the Presbyterian Campus Ministry. As I mentioned earlier you don’t have to be Presbyterian to live there—heck, you don’t even have to be a Christian. But some are questioning whether dorms of this nature are a good idea.
The building itself is not complete. Construction of the dorm got under way a few months ago directly behind the ministry, and smack in the middle of UW-Madison’s campus. Its location makes it the perfect target for those who wonder why it’s being built in the first place.
Leading the charge for the dissenters of the project is the Freedom from Religion Foundation. Group leaders there have sounded off in the media maintaining that the dorm “sounds like faith-based segregation.” They go on to say that: “Clearly if you open up a Christian dormitory what you’re signaling is that you want Christian students to live there that you need to be surrounded by people who won’t question your views.”
Ministers at the Pres House adamantly disagree saying: “We’re not interested in creating a fortress or a protective environment in that sense, we want students to be engaged in all aspects of the university experience.”
Prior to the dorm’s groundbreaking, Pres House pastors released a statement to the press that read: “The purpose of the dorm is to provide a unique living option on campus for students, somewhere they can find encouragement to explore their faith and spirituality, somewhere that will make the large university a little bit smaller for them.”
While church membership isn’t necessary to move into Pres House, many of the students who have signed up to live there are Christians who say that they are looking to be a part of an extended Christian community.
The dorm is making history as the first of its kind in the Midwest. It’s fully funded by the Presbyterian Church (no public money is going to the Pres House), which has owned the land for 75 years and when it is complete it will house apartment-style living quarters for about 250 students. Pastors say rent will be comparable to a private apartment.
Where do you stand on the issue? Do you think this is all much ado about nothing? To visit the Pres House website click here.