Administrators granted an exception for sororities and fraternities, which restrict membership based on gender, but refused to do the same for Christian groups, which want to maintain their ability to select leaders based on faith requirements.

Christian student groups opposed to Vanderbilt University’s nondiscrimination policy kicked off a three-day public appeal to their fellow students and the school’s trustees on Wednesday.

The groups hope to persuade trustees to tell administrators to abandon the policy, which requires all official campus organizations to open membership and leadership to all students.

Administrators granted an exception for sororities and fraternities, which restrict membership based on gender, but refused to do the same for Christian groups, which want to maintain their ability to select leaders based on faith requirements.

During the last two weeks, 13 Christian organizations announced they would not comply with the policy, leaving them to operate as unofficial student groups next year, unless trustees intervene.

Student leaders from the 13 groups started working together in January to oppose the policy. Since then, they have coordinated petitions, organized rallies and scheduled meetings with administrators. This week could be their last opportunity to appeal to Vanderbilt’s decision-makers before school starts again in the fall.

As Vanderbilt students and professors made their way between classes during lunch on Wednesday, members of the student-led opposition group handed out 4,000 personal video players, preloaded with a message explaining why they believe the policy is bad for the university. The group also sent the devices to the school’s 35 Board of Trust members, who will hold their last meeting of this school year on Friday.

The video includes interviews with students, alumni and former administrators, who say the policy stifles religious freedom on campus.

“I’m concerned now that because of Vanderbilt’s actions, they indeed now are, in my opinion, discriminating against the Christian organizations,” said Bill Campbell, former head of admissions.

The video ends with the students reminding viewers that the U.S. Constitution guarantees religious freedom and summing up their point in two words: Leadership matters.

On Wednesday night, the students will hold a worship and prayer service, specifically for the trustees and administrators. The students plan to pray for each one by name, asking God to bless them and grant them wisdom as they discuss the situation.

When the students started talking about planning an event for this week, they first considered holding some kind of rally. But that just didn’t feel right, said Pieter Valk, one of the coalition’s student leaders.

“A rally is good for what it is, but worship just feels most natural to us,” Valk said.

Singer Ricky Skaggs will help lead the service, representing members of the Nashville community who support the students.

On Thursday, the students will begin a prayer vigil that will last through Friday’s board meeting. Although several of the students have been able to meet individually with a few of the trustees, they have not had an opportunity to appeal to the whole group. Students do not have an official system for taking concerns to the board. Administrators are supposed to provide a link between the board and the student body, but because administrators support the policy, they are not likely to take the students’ case to trustees.

The students hope this week’s events will help convince trustees to take another look at the policy, Valk said: “We’re just appealing to the Board of Trust to right what we see as a wrong.”

@Copyright 2012 WORLD Magazine – used with permission