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Princeton Evangelical Fellowship (PEF), now known as Princeton Christian Fellowship (PCF) is one of the oldest campus ministries of its type, and also one of the largest student ministries at Princeton University, a non-denominational student ministry founded in 1931 by Princeton alum (1913) Dr. Donald Fullerton. It was founded after the dissolution of a long-standing evangelical student ministry founded in 1825 known as the Philadelphian Society, following a rough decade of institutional liberalizing away from its earlier theological commitments. Both the PS and the subsequent PEF staunchly supported "commitment to the authority of the inerrant scripture, an emphasis on personal conversion, and that salvation is found through the atoning work of Christ alone".
In the Fall of 1931, the mother of a Princeton student asked Dr. Fuller if he would start meeting with her son and others interested. Dr. Fullerton's discipleship and evangelistic efforts personally impacted manyearned an honorary doctorate at Grace Seminary that became serious in his commitment to Christ while serving with the 313th Field Artillery in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of World War One, including noted missiologist Arthur Glasserwhere he turned his life over to Christ. After the War, young earth creationist Jack Whitcomb, and also he spent time as a significant impact PB missionary on Judge Paul Presslerthe northwest frontier of what was then British India, a "leader in now the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan. He returned to the conservative resurgence U.S. due to illness, attempting to return in 1929 but was prevented due to a collision of the Southern Baptist Convention"ship with a train ferry, as well as John Frame, a respected Reformed theologianand within two years was electing to equip others to take his place via this newfound ministry at his alma mater.
In 19961947, Rev. Dr. Bill Boyce ('79) became the third same year that the PCF directorheld their first alumni reunion, who continues to serve the ministry with his wife Debbie (fellowship hosted a showing of ''The God of Creation''79), a film created by the [[Moody Bible Institute]]. The website history indicates that recent years has seen the advent One member of a graduate student ministry, GPCF, which has alumni serving on the faculty audience of other Ivy League schoolstwo hundred was Albert Einstein, including Harvardto whom was given a Gospel tract by a young Dr. Jack Whitcomb, Cornellwho was personally led to Christ by Dr. Fuller, Notre Dame, Wheaton, Baylor, etcand would become a noted young earth creationist. Other graduate alumni use the opportunity provided Others impacted personally by their Princeton degree to gain access to countries otherwise closed to the gospelDr. The ministry was renamed Princeton Christian Fellowship (Fuller and/or PCF) in 2017.include:
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Frame_(theologian) John Frame] (b. 1939) - respected Reformed theologian* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Glasser Arthur F. Glasser] (1914-2009) - noted missiologist who served with OMF from 1945-1951, and as its Home Director until 1970, also as Dean Emeritus of the School of Intercultural Studies at [[Fuller Theological Seminary]]. Glasser was led to Christ thru hearing Dr. Fullerton speak at a Keswick conference.* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_A._Hoffner Harry Angier Hoffner, Jr.] (1934-2015) - a professor of Hittitology.* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_T._Logan Samuel Talbot Logan, Jr.] (b. 1943) - Professor of Church History at Biblical Theological Seminary, and former president at Westminster Theological Seminary. In the 1970's, there was a notable diversifying of ethnicity, culture and gender, and the musical fare changed from organs and hymnals to contemporary Christian music with guitars. Dr. Fullerton continued in leadership with the PEF until 1975, replaced by Wayne Wever (class of '65), Donald continued to attend prayer meetings until 1980 at the age of 88. "One of the hallmarks of Dr. Fullerton's ministry was meeting with students one-on-one, a practice that became a central part of PCF's approach to discipleship." Donald was promoted to Glory at the age of 92 in 1985, and is buried in the Princeton cemetery. His tombstone quotes Philippians 3:10: "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." For the first forty years of the PCF, the numbers averaged under thirty students, but by 1978, that number had more than doubled to over 70, and by the late 1990's, it had similarly doubled again to over 150. In 1996, Rev. Dr. Bill Boyce ('79) became the third PCF director, who continues to serve the ministry with his wife Debbie ('79). The website history indicates that recent years has seen the advent of the Graduate Princeton Christian Fellowship (GPCF), which has alumni serving on the faculty of other Ivy League schools, including Harvard, Cornell, Notre Dame, Wheaton, Baylor, etc. Other graduate alumni use the opportunity provided by their Princeton degree to gain access to countries otherwise closed to the gospel. Its members have included several Princeton University valedictorians, salutatorians, and alumni trustees among its ranks. According to one source, its alumni includes "prominent seminary professors, scientists, denominational leaders, influential authors, as well as missionaries in more than twenty-five countries. As an independent group from a single university, the PCF has contributed more leaders to the Christian world than probably any other Christian college group." The ministry was renamed Princeton Christian Fellowship (PCF) in 2017, due to the perception that the term "evangelical" had too much of a political connotation, rather than a theological one, with Dr. Boyce stating, "there might be certain assumptions that all evangelicals are Republicans". ==Sources= & Also See==* Stephen Meek
* [https://pcfprinceton.org/our-history PCF history]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princeton_Christian_Fellowship PCF wiki]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_B._Fullerton Fullerton's wiki]