Will McKinney, a senior, passionately and tenaciously accepted the request to be the first student chapter president to lead the inception of the Ratio Christi chapter at the University of Texas at Austin. Will’s desire was to make RC known around campus and its immediate periphery of influence before he graduated. He has diligently and patiently pressed on through a semester of training in apologetics and the vision of RC while we awaited the go ahead to launch full time on campus. What Will accomplished on top of his Plan II Honors program in Italian Studies in just a semester’s breadth since our full time launch has been exemplary. Over the year, Will led topics on biblical inerrancy and the reliability of Scripture as well as on evangelism. Will has a heart for evangelism, leading his church small group on a number of evangelistic missions in Austin, engaging in mission trips overseas, pursuit of his own further evangelistic training, and hosting creative missional events from his apartment for both believers and nonbelievers. Along with this, he arranged an apologetics night for him, me, and our assistants to host apologetic breakouts resulting in further apologetics conversations of attendees with their nonbeliever friends as well as planting seeds in the hearts of nonbelievers present. In addition, Will has been key in keeping our meetings posted on social media, coordinating attendance of meetings and leadership meetings, keeping up to date with campus responsibilities for maintaining a student org and leading well as a servant leader. – Amy Hardy (RC Director at University of Texas at Austin) 

Will’s Testimony: 

I grew up in a family of believers, and surrendered my life to Jesus during middle school, a season in which I remember my desire for the truth, for personal obedience, and for stability in salvation becoming more obvious. While such a testimony is often viewed as “ordinary,” it is no less miraculous. That generations and generations would know Him is among the clearest displays of His covenantal character. Although I always had the notion that God existed tucked inside my brain, my heart was resistant in many ways, still seeking the approval of others and elusive security of academic accomplishments to define my worth. When I chose to follow Jesus’s Word and believed His love toward me, most clearly displayed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, I genuinely experienced the freedom and peace the Holy Spirit promises to God’s children. 

I learned about the existence of apologetics in my junior year at UT and was connected to Amy Hardy through a friend from church. The Ratio Christi chapter at UT had yet to be realized, and I desired to help establish it at UT through my connections with local ministries. I spent the summer before my senior year studying the works of Craig and Koukl and Turek. It blew my mind how extensive apologetics was, and I quickly realized the relevancy and impression such an organization might have on UT campus. Starting from the ground up, the Lord provided for our chapter every step of the way. We met weekly in a Victorian-styled green room with a piano at the end of a long hallway. While we consistently hosted 10-15 people, our events throughout this semester drew larger crowds. All of the students who attend these weekly meetings were incredibly intelligent; yet, more importantly, their hearts for the lost in Austin showcased their want to be better equipped to give a defense for their faith. Being this chapter’s first semester, much of the leadership looked like figuring out the UT system, investigating local needs, and networking. As president, I’ve loved getting to introduce all our speakers and to know a few of them deeper through post-meeting dinners. They inspired and encouraged and challenged me this year to look more like Jesus. As Jesus lived in unceasing awareness of the Lord’s beauty and sovereignty in every little thing in creation, apologetics similarly illuminates the undeniable realities of dignity, purpose, and truth to the curious student. 

This award is significant to me because it validates the hard work, attention, and prayer I’ve dedicated to seeing Ratio Christi be established at UT. While the Holy Spirit provides all the growth and wisdom to this group, the unique testimonies and gifts that myself and the other student leaders bring are things to be recognized and celebrated for His glory. I am proud of the events we hosted this semester, which included seminars, a mediated dialogue, conference attendances, and evangelism opportunities. 

I would encourage the Christian interested in joining Ratio Christi that reason is a reflection of the Lord’s character. Jesus Christ is a God of order, and it is fortifying to one’s faith that we live beneath his sovereignty. When we can recognize the intentional design in things as large as cosmological phenomena and as small as synaptic plasticity, there is subsequently nothing too miniscule in which to glorify Him and nothing too “secular” through which to delight in Him, for all things are “of him and through him and to him.” To the skeptic and seeker, I would encourage participation because this Ratio Christi chapter seeks to investigate questions of Christianity with patience and safety. While questions around the existence of God have historically been perceived as disruptive or heretical, Ratio Christi invites each member, regardless of spiritual background, to seek truth within an inclusive environment. 

I am passionate about sharing my faith and want all my family and friends to know the power of God. I would like to continue learning how I can communicate the gospel contextualized to worldviews distinct from my own. My short-term plans are to live in Austin and save money before attending graduate school. I ultimately would like to be a teacher. If the opportunity presents itself, I would love to continue partnering with Ratio Christi ministries to make Austin look more like Heaven.