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'The Bible Serves as Our Anchor': Evangelical University Reinstates Student Code of Conduct About Relationships

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The Azusa Pacific University (APU) Board of Trustees has decided not to change the wording of the undergraduate code of conduct about LGBTQ relationships on campus, saying the action was never approved by the board. 

In a statement released Friday, the board of the first Christian university on the West Coast said:  "Last week, reports circulated about a change to the undergraduate student standards of conduct. That action concerning romanticized relationships was never approved by the board and the original wording has been reinstated."

As CBN News reported, APU's admininstration had changed its policy on banning public LGBTQ relationships on campus after caving in to pressure from activists.

In Friday's statement, the APU board reaffirms the university's Christ-centered commitment to each member of the APU community through five points:

  • We remain unequivocally biblical and orthodox in our evangelical Christian identity. The Bible serves as our anchor.
  • We stand firm in our convictions, never willing to capitulate to outside pressures, be they legal, political, or social.
  • We affirm God's perfect will and design for humankind with the biblical understanding of the marriage covenant as between one man and one woman. Outside of marriage, He calls His people to abstinence.
  • We advocate for holy living within the university in support of our Christian values.
  • We declare that our clear mission to equip disciples and scholars to advance the work of God in the world is more necessary today than ever before.

"We see every student as a gift from God, infinitely valuable and worthy in the eyes of our Creator and as members of our campus community. We believe our university is the best place for earnest and guided conversation to unfold with all students about every facet of life, including faith and sexuality. We embrace all students who seek a rigorous Christian higher education and voluntarily join us in mission," the statement read. 

"We pledge to boldly uphold biblical values and not waiver in our Christ-centered mission. We will examine how we live up to these high ideals and enact measures that prevent us from swaying from that sure footing," the statement continued. 

Founded in 1899, APU is a community of individuals representing diverse Christian backgrounds, but whose core identity is built on the Wesleyan Holiness tradition. Azusa's main campus is located in the San Gabriel Valley in Azusa, Calif. 

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About The Author

Steve Warren is a senior multimedia producer for CBN News. Warren has worked in the news departments of television stations and cable networks across the country. In addition, he also worked as a producer-director in television production and on-air promotion. A Civil War historian, he authored the book The Second Battle of Cabin Creek: Brilliant Victory. It was the companion book to the television documentary titled Last Raid at Cabin Creek currently streaming on Amazon Prime. He holds an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma and a B.A. in Communication from the University of