Collection 274-1 - Sydney University Evangelical Union papers

Sydney University Evangelical Union was formed on 31st March 1930. An informal group, started by John Deane in 1919, was known as the Bible League and was formed in protest to the widening of the membership conditions of the Christian Union (now the Australian Student Christian Movement) to include 'seekers'. In 1929 Dr Howard Guinness visited Australia and spoke at the Katoomba Christian Convention where members of the Bible League encountered him and were inspired to reorganise. A committee was elected and the name changed to Evangelical Union. In 1935 members of the EU founded the Inter-School Christian Fellowship. The EU's parent body, the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship (now the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students) was formed in 1936.
In 1955 a General Committee was formed, comprised of the executive, faculty leaders, specialist committee leaders and a mission team representative. In 1964 the General Committee was remade into a Governing Council made up of the executive and faculty representatives.
In 1998 the Australian Chinese Evangelical Students group was incorporated into the EU.
Sources: EU Committee Handbook; Lake, Meredith. "Proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord : a history of the Sydney University Evangelical Union", Sydney: EU Graduates' Fund, 2005.