Belmont RUF Celebrates 30 Years of Teaching, Worship and Formation

Ministry looks back on three decades of Gospel-centered community

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) at Belmont. A weekend of special programming will be held to celebrate the milestone March 20-21. 

RUF was started by Mark Lowrey at the University of Southern Mississippi in 1973 and has since grown into a global ministry with a mission to “connect the big truths of the Bible with the big questions college students face.” This emphasis on the empathetic shepherding of young people in a transitional stage leads the staff to regard their students with patience, curiosity and a sense of genuine care. Students are regularly told that “RUF is a group that takes people, their questions and the scripture seriously.”

What Makes RUF at Belmont Special

Kevin Twit has led Belmont RUF since its arrival in 1995. While campus ministry roles are often short-term, Twit has always seen the appointment as his calling. His commitment has shaped a ministry known for deep relationships and continuity, supported by a staff that includes his wife Wendy. Together, they cultivate substantive relationships with students and alumni that last long after graduation. 

The relational landscape of the University has always been a point of focus for the ministry. "Over the last 30 years I’ve seen the rise of anxiety and more intense loneliness among students,” Twit reflected. “Students once came primarily for the things they wanted to study, but now many come seeking a caring community and the experience they hope to have.”  

Twit sees his role as one of “helping students see the world and love the world.” For him, the work of ministry and education are most complete when they lead students to engage meaningfully with others, moving beyond knowledge for its own sake and toward lives shaped by purpose, joy and grace.  

One of Belmont RUF’s chief ways of steeping students in a Gospel of grace is through worship. In 2000, the chapter formed Indelible Grace Music, a project to restore the historic practice of setting old hymn texts tonew music. These student- written, -performed, -produced albums are now sung by RUF chapters around the world and constitute the foundation of worship for Belmont RUF.  

For many students, such as alumna SueAnn Shiah (’14, BBA in Music Business), this is the pinnacle of the Belmont RUF experience.  

“My best memories of that time are the many hours we spent singing hymns together,” she said. “I felt so safe, free and alive.” Now completing seminary at Princeton Theological Seminary and pursuing ordination, Shiah credits her time in RUF as foundational to her calling.

As Belmont RUF enters its fourth decade, their mission remains unchanged. “So much of the Gospel is caught, not just taught, through the songs we sing and the prayers we pray that shape our identity as Christians,” said Twit.  

The upcoming 30th anniversary celebration will be a time to reflect on a legacy of identity formation and look forward to a future shaped by the same grace that has defined the last thirty years. 

Register for the 30th Anniversary celebration here.