Hundreds of people gathered at Clemson University’s North Green and amphitheater on April 7 and 8 to discuss Christianity with pastors Cliffe and Stuart Knechtle.
Cliffe Knechtle is the senior pastor of the Grace Community Church in New Canaan, Connecticut, alongside his son Stuart Knechtle. The pair are known for traveling around the country to hold open discussions and debates about Christianity on college campuses.
The Knechtles began their two-day event with a discussion where a crowd of students and non-students alike surrounded the two for over three hours, asking questions about Christianity and faith.
While the two were on campus, their goals were to “actively engage skeptics, empower truth-seekers, and offer meaningful responses to questions, doubts, and challenges concerning faith, reason, and the meaning of life,” according to their website.
Some individuals climbed trees or onto fences to get a better view of the pastors, causing officers from the Clemson University Police Department to step in and ask them to stop.
During the discussion, Cliffe discussed several major themes of Christianity, including disproving contradiction in the gospels, interpretations of Genesis, the acceptance of the Bible’s canon and the widespread apocalyptic theology found therein.
Meanwhile, Stuart took on questions about modern-day Christianity, including his thoughts regarding the words and actions of what he called “self-proclaimed Christians.”
Stuart mentioned examples of people he saw as “claiming to be Christians but acting in opposition to true faith,” including Lady Gaga and Caitlyn Jenner. He believes some college students tend to do the same.
“There are an unfortunate number of people, in the world and here in Clemson who will say ‘Yeah, I’m a Christian’ and then sleep with however many women or men, and do whatever they want every weekend, engaging in un-Christian activities,” Stuart said to the crowd.
“Then they go to church on Sunday and think they’re all good,” he continued.
Later in the day, the pair hosted a Q&A event at Clemson’s amphitheater, where individuals were invited to submit questions through an online form. The amphitheater was filled with people.
“I think it’s so awesome that we have this. I am a strong believer and I love seeing people out here to learn more and get answers to their questions as well as learn more about the love and truth of Jesus Christ,” Shea Ludwick, a freshman early childhood education major, told The Tiger in an interview.
“I think this has been very useful and resourceful. It’s a great thing to have on campus,” Caleb Milam, a freshman physics major, told The Tiger.
Cliffe and Stuart are also the creators and hosts of the online organization “Give Me an Answer,” named after the book Cliffe published in 1986.
The Knechtles’ mission is to “ignite a passion for truth, guide individuals to embrace their faith, and help them find purpose in a world hungry for answers,” their website states.
