what is ruf?
we are a christian ministry associated with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), with chapters on over 125 campuses across the country. the UTK chapter began in the fall of 1990. though we are Presbyterian in affiliation, we welcome and have students from all walks of life, both the “convinced” and the “unconvinced.” reformed
the word “reformed” simply means that we embrace the basic principles rediscovered during the Protestant Reformation, namely: the supreme authority of scripture and justification by grace through faith. furthermore, we continually endeavor to have our hearts and minds “reformed” by the light of God’s truth and grace, because all of us are still in process.
university
we aim to be a ministry for UTK, not simply for ourselves. rather than pulling students away from campus, we encourage them to involve themselves in all that campus life has to offer. we seek to train students to engage and serve the university from a distinctly christian perspective. we also desire to provide an open door for non-christians interested in exploring christianity.
the hospitality of abraham by andrei rublevit is often said that religion is a private matter, but this strikes against the core of christianity. because christians are united to Christ, they are also united to each other. we are called to live in community. by following the example of Christ, we learn to share in one another’s joys, sorrows, strengths and weaknesses.