45° Fort Worth
All TCU. All the time.

TCU 360

TCU 360

All TCU. All the time.

TCU 360

Students discuss religious topics in a small group. (Photo courtesy of tcuwesley.org)
Wednesday nights at TCU’s Methodist campus ministry provide religious exploration and fellowship
By Boots Giblin, Staff Writer
Published Mar 27, 2024
Students at the Wesley said they found community on Wednesday nights.

Christian speaker, local band to perform on campus

The ministry series AFTERdark, which will feature a dramatic interpretation of scripture and a performance by the band Green River Ordinance, will visit Ed Landreth Hall on Monday, said a student representative of the series.Cameron Sparks, the on-campus student representative, said when speaker Joe White, who performs the interpretation, came in the spring of 2003, Ed Landreth was filled to capacity with about 1,000 people.

Sparks, a senior communication studies major, said he thinks the event will be popular because students have recently expressed an interest in having the series return.

“No matter what they think when they walk in the door, it’s hard to find one in a thousand that hasn’t enjoyed it when they leave,” said Don Ford, director of AFTERdark.

Sparks described White’s performance as “unique and dynamic.”

“It’s not really in your face, but it will make you think,” Sparks said.

Ford said they decided to have local band Green River Ordinance perform at the event rather than one of the national bands they usually use because they felt it would bring in a bigger crowd on campus.

The band has been on tour, but came back into town for a performance at The Aardvark and was glad to perform for the event, Sparks said.

Ford said he and White created the series in 2000 in order to spread the Christian gospel to college students in a unique way.

“We hope that they understand the love and forgiveness of God that is found through a relationship with Jesus,” Ford said.

Sparks said the performance consists of White bringing two trees on stage and nailing them together into a cross while he is talking about the gospel.

Ford said the series is free because it is funded by organizations and private donors.

AFTERdark has been performed 92 times at 65 schools, with an average of about 1,500 people at each event, Ford said.

Asher Fogle, a senior English major who helped advertise for AFTERdark, said word-of-mouth has been important in spreading the news of this event.

“I’m coming with just as many questions and just as much excitement as anyone else,” Fogle said.

More to Discover