Mar 13, 2013 08:45 AM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

Rollins College has shut down an informal Bible study group at one of its residence hall common area hosted by a leader with the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship.

Last week, a hall assistant spotted four students gathered together at Ward Hall to read and study the Bible. He asked the group leader to shut down the session.

"He was told they were no longer allowed inside the dorm - even with the express consent of the students to do Bible studies," InterVarsity's national field director, Greg Jao, told Christian News. "They said it was because InterVarsity was no longer a registered student group on campus."

The college 'de-recognized' the group, last month, for violating its non-discrimination policy as it requires that its leaders be Christians.

In defence, the college officials state that no group is allowed to meet in the commons area. They did not specifically target InterVarsity as they had banned other groups as well.

But Jao said that students should be able to study the Bible together informally as it was not an official InterVarsity event.

For Bible study, students can use the chapel on campus, but InterVarsity feels that because they have been de-recognized, they are not sure whether they will be permitted to meet there.

A Rollins College student told the newspaper that if a group is being removed off campus that means they are not valued by the college as their voices are not being heard.

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