What Exactly is RUF?
As a student at Howard University, you desire an authentic relationship with God and authentic relationships with your fellow students. God has created you this way. But don't we so often experience the opposite?
Don't believe me? We all know what it feels like to be surrounded by people, yet lack meaningful relationships that lead to growth. We all know what it feels like to know that God exists, yet feel so lost when it comes to relating to him. As a result, we are far away from God and each other, and often left feeling empty.
At the root of all our problems is sin – the anti-God programming of our hearts that leads us to rebel against God and mistreat one another. You were made by God to flourish in a community centered around Jesus, but everything around us displays our distance from God and from each other. We are in desperate need of help. This is the bad news.
This is where we step in. Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) is a campus ministry on over 170 campuses across the nation, one of them being Howard University. With all of this bad news, we are in desperate need of some good news. RUF at Howard deeply believes in the good news that Jesus has the power to restore our relationships with God and to restore our relationships with each other.
We are a family of students who have recognized this good news about Jesus. We are a group of imperfect students who are trusting in Jesus to transform us into people who enjoy God, love others, joyfully share this good news, and practice wisdom in all of life.
Would you join us? Come as we celebrate the good news about Jesus! Whether a skeptic, a seeker, or a Christian - you are welcome here!
REFORMED
We believe that the truth matters, and we want to have an open and honest engagement with the truth. The term "reformed" is a way to describe what we believe the Bible says is true about God, about ourselves, and about the world. These truths are captured in the historical document called the Westminster Confession of Faith. RUF wants to create an atmosphere where every student - regardless of background, personal history, or conviction - can explore these truth claims in a non-threatening atmosphere.
UNIVERSITY
RUF is not just a ministry on the university campus, we are also for the university campus. We love Howard University, and we love the uniqueness of the college campus. We sincerely seek to see Howard thrive and sincerely seek to see you thrive in this unique and monumental stage of life.
FELLOWSHIP
Jesus didn't come just to save isolated individuals. No, Jesus wants to create a family of people who worship him, who love each other, and who are inviting others to join! This family is called the church. RUF is the arm of the church reaching out to the college campus. We are a family seeking to worship God together and lovingly share our lives with one another.
FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM!
COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZTIONS
RUF seeks to connect our students to organizations that serve the DMV.
More information to come!
LATASHA ALLSTON
CAMPUS STAFF
Latasha Allston has been on the campus of JSU since the beginning of this ministry! She is from San Francisco, California, and she was a student at JSU from 2008-2012! While at Jackson State, she was an active participant of RUF, Dance Ensemble, as well as the Track & Field Team. She graduated in 2012 and started working as a ministry intern with RUF. Shortly after coming on staff with RUF, she began working towards completing a Master of Arts in Marriage & Family Therapy at Reformed Theological Seminary. After graduating from RTS in 2017, she joined RUF as full-time staff. In 2021, Tasha became a licensed professional counselor (LPC), and in the summer of 2022, Tasha joined the staff of RUF at Howard. Tasha's focus area is outreach, ladies discipleship, and fostering community among our students. When she is not spending time with our RUF ladies, you can find her dancing, working out, and sitting in the sun!
LATASHA.ALLSTON@RUF.ORG
CYRIL CHAVIS
CAMPUS MINISTER
Rev. Cyril Chavis, Jr. is from Virginia Beach, VA. During his first year at the University of Virginia, Cyril recognized that he was a sinner who was rebelling against a God who has a glorious design for his life. Cyril recognized his desperate need and gave his life to Jesus Christ, experiencing the life transforming grace of God. Soon afterwards, he sensed an inward call to ministry and immediately pursued the training necessary to sharpen his ministerial gifting. After being licensed to preach in Mt. Gilead Missionary Baptist Church by Rev. Dr. Shelton Murphy, becoming a church planting resident at Portico Church, and graduating from UVA with a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies, Cyril began his formal training, pursuing a Master of Divinity at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson. During his seminary training, he became a ministry intern under Rev. Elbert McGowan. After graduating seminary in 2017, getting ordained, and leading RUF at Jackson State for four years, Cyril and his wife, Jenell, moved to DC to start an RUF at Howard University. When Cyril is not at work in ministry, you can find him hanging out with Jenell, goofing off with his kids (Aria, Elise, and Kyrie), or laughing way too hard with friends and family!
cyril.chavis@ruf.org
JASON FRANCOEUR
INTERN
Jason Francoeur was born in Kenscoff, Haiti and moved to the Naples, FL when he was six years old. He graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with a BA in Communications. Jason is an intern for RUF at Howard University. Among several things, he is also studying to go to seminary and get ordained to become a Pastor. When Jason is not studying or doing ministry, you can find him exercising, hanging out with friends, or doing videography professionally.
JASON.FRANCOEUR@RUF.ORG
CHRIS REED
CAMPUS MINISTRY ASSISTANT
Chris grew up in the “Windy-City”, Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from high school, he attended Lewis University where he received his bachelor's degree in Organizational Communications. It was amid leading a student-athlete ministry on campus that Chris felt God calling him to pastoral ministry. After Chris graduated, he traveled a few miles north to Deerfield, IL to study at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in pursuit of his MDiv.
He recently graduated from Trinity, and looks to pursue ordination in the Potomac Presbytery this fall. Chris is excited to join in what God is doing through RUF at Howard!
CHRIS.REED@RUF.ORG
