Weinberg second-year Daniela Caceres was waiting at the bus stop on Chicago Avenue when a stranger approached her, gesturing for her to take off her headphones. Caceres thought the stranger needed directions for the bus — until he asked if she knew Jesus.
“And then I was like, ‘No, I don’t know,’” Caceres said. “I was really trying to end the conversation.”
Other Northwestern students have shared similar encounters with members of the International Churches of Christ, a religious organization engaged in evangelism and recruitment on college campuses. Founded in the 1970s as a Churches of Christ offshoot, the ICC emphasizes high-commitment faith and close-knit spiritual mentorship. While it operates under various names, its core beliefs and practices remain consistent across its affiliated student groups.
Alumna Camille Williams (Medill ‘22), a former student member of the International Churches of Christ, said she joined in hopes of becoming a better Christian. What felt like casual hangouts and large Bible study groups at Willard Hall, Williams later realized, were part of a gradual and intentional recruitment by two women who weren’t Northwestern students, but members of the ICC.
“I could tell when I [was] in that room, they were all focused on trying to get me into their group,” Williams said. “I felt like I came to a hangout, and I [was] gradually learning that all these people had an agenda that I’ve known nothing about.”
Williams said members exploited her insecurities and used phrases like “vulnerability breeds vulnerability” to manipulate her into trusting them. After several months with the organization, she left in August 2020 and stopped attending church for a while. She said her Christian friends supported her and helped rebuild her confidence after leaving.
Weinberg second-year Kaia Woolfe was approached during Wildcat Welcome last year and again shortly after at Henry Crown Sports Pavilion. She said it’s frustrating when groups pressure people to join.
“If you have interest in the cause, you’ll go up yourself,” Woolfe said. “The groups don’t need to be so pressuring.”
Scott Paeth, a professor of religious studies at DePaul University, said conservative evangelical groups often engage in an aggressive preaching strategy rooted in the belief that spreading the gospel requires boldness. This strategy stems from an obligation to “save” those outside their faith, often in ways that can feel intrusive.
“From their perspective, all the people they aren’t able to save are going to hell,” Paeth said. “It’s like, how aggressive do you need to be if you’re rescuing someone from a burning building and that person doesn’t want to leave? Can you insist?”
Caceres, a former Mormon, said the experience made her “really uncomfortable” as a queer person with religious trauma. Having grown up in the church in Texas, she was excommunicated after kissing a girl at camp. After attempting to rejoin the church and spending a year concealing her sexual orientation, she eventually came out again, but officially left in summer 2024.
“I just felt uncomfortable going to church because I knew that everyone knew,” Caceres said. “That’s why I’m not in church. So in that way, it’s just frustrating.”
Mark Wilson, a trustee at Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Evanston, said the ICC’s stern approach to recruiting members raises theological red flags for him. He said groups that pressure individuals through strict tactics to get involved are cause for concern.
“ It shouldn’t be you come in and tell me, ‘You need to do this,’ ‘You need to do that’ or ‘You’re going to come and do this,’” Wilson said.
Wilson said the ICC’s approach at Northwestern — engaging students near Norris, the Lakefill, the library, Sheridan Road and Downtown Evanston — reminded him of a similar religious organization while attending school in Arizona. He said the organization spread its message by handing out pamphlets and promoting a movie in the town square. Shortly after the infamous mass murder-suicide of Jim Jones’ Peoples Temple, word spread that the group in town was a cult.
According to The Oxford English Dictionary, a cult refers to “a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious, often characterized by a group of adherents who share specific beliefs and practices.” The ICC’s recruiting methods have led some students to question its practices, with a few referring to it as “cult-like.” Paeth advises against it, explaining that “cult” is an imprecise term people often use to label disliked religions and isn’t a useful term, even when certain groups show concerning traits.
Private universities like Northwestern have the authority to set their own rules on religious solicitation, often limiting when, where and how it occurs to protect academic life and student safety. Woolfe believes the university should raise awareness about outside groups recruiting students and encourage some organizations to “tone it down.” Paeth, however, said softening the approach could downplay the uncomfortable aspects of evangelism strategies.
Northwestern’s Safe Involvement page warns about unregistered groups approaching students on campus. The university urges students to be wary of anyone requesting personal information, such as phone numbers or addresses. Students should report the interaction to a staff member if someone cannot verify their affiliation with Northwestern, according to the website.
Paeth said students can distinguish a typical Christian organization from a potentially harmful one by looking for red flags. He said efforts to isolate individuals, undermine their independence and discourage involvement in the broader campus community are warning signs.
“ An organization that actually cares about promoting your spiritual health is going to meet you where you are,” Paeth said. “When an organization says there’s only one way and you’re either all in or all out, your best option is usually to be all out.”
