Protestant youth ministry at the University of Sydney in the 1930s

This paper will examine youth ministry focusing on the foundation and character of the Evangelical Union at the University of Sydney. It will be argued that a new model of ministry to youth was created in the 1930s with four key characteristics: theologically conservative, student led, a focus on peer ministry and co-educational. This model was to influence the other youth ministries formed in the 30s and flourish and bear fruit in the 1950s. The paper concludes that those who minister to youth today may learn from the example of the EU in nurturing a strong religious identity in young people and by encouraging self-sacrificial leadership.