World Student Christian Federation

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Template:Short description

Template:Infobox organization The World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) is a federation of autonomous national Christian student organizations forming the youth and student arm of the global ecumenical movement.

In 2025, it has 117 affiliated student groups in 94 countries and 2 million members. Its headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

The Federation was founded was formed at a meeting of student leaders from ten North American and European countries in 1895 at Vadstena Castle in Sweden.<ref> Judith Becker, Dana L Robert, Nationalism and Internationalism in the Young Ecumenical Movement, 1895-1920s, BRILL, Leiden, 2025, p. 114, 167</ref> Its first president was the American leader of the Young Men's Christian Association John R. Mott.

In 1910, the Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union split from the Student Christian Movement of Great Britain, due to disagreement with the SCM's move towards ecumenism and endorsement of new methods of biblical exegesis.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In 1928, the latter founded the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship.

The WSCF newsletter Federation News started in 1921 and is published twice a year.<ref>Federation News, World Student Christian Federation</ref> The WSCF journal Student World was begun in 1908 but has had a broken history of publication.<ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref>

In 1968, the Federation formed six regional committees which became largely autonomous in 1972: Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Near East, North America.<ref> Erwin Fahlbusch, Geoffrey William Bromiley, The Encyclopedia of Christianity, Volume 5, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, USA, 2008, p. 806</ref>

The WSCF records for the early 20th century are held at Yale Divinity School Library.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Beliefs

It holds Progressive Christian beliefs and studies various social justice issues, including trade justice, gender equality, globalization, racism, violence, war, HIV/AIDS, poverty, human rights, and ecology.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Some national member organizations, such as the Student Christian Movement of Canada, Student Christian Movement of Great Britain, Student Christian Movement of the Philippines, and Australian Student Christian Movement support the inclusion of LGBTQ people.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Structure and activities

WSCF globally

World Student Christian Federation 37th General Assembly held at Zwinglikirche, Berlin, Germany.

The General Assembly (GA) is the highest decision making body of the Federation. WSCF's GA is held approximately every four years.

The GA is made up of representatives from all affiliated and associated movements. The GA reviews the previous four years, plans for the next four years and elects the Executive Committee, Chairperson, Vice-Chairpersons, Treasurer and General Secretary.

The Executive Committee and staff (General Secretary and Regional Secretaries) co-ordinate the Federation's activities between General Assemblies. The Executive Committee has met in Zambia, Indonesia and Sicily.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The General Secretary is based in the Inter-Regional Office (IRO) in Geneva, Switzerland. The IRO is in the Ecumenical Centre which also houses the World Council of Churches, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, the Conference of European Churches, Ecumenical News International, Action by Churches Together International, and many other organisations.

The IRO organises the General Assembly and Executive Committee, the IRO staff is the secretariat for WSCF's endowment The Centennial Fund. The IRO administers WSCF's income, salaries and fundraising and co-ordinates global WSCF programmes, the IRO administers the Ecumenical Assistance Programme, the Universal Day of Prayer for Students, produces Federation News and Student World maintains contact with national movements and Senior Friends and organises WSCF representation at meetings of the United Nations, UNESCO, World Council of Churches and other organisations.Template:Citation needed

General Secretaries of WSCF

  • John R. Mott (USA) 1895-1920
  • Willem Visser t' Hooft (Netherlands) 1932-1938
  • Robert C. Mackie (Scotland) 1938-1948
  • Risto Lehtonen (Finland) 1968–1973
  • Feliciano Cariño (Philippines)
  • Emidio Campi (Italy)
  • Christine Ledger (Australia) and Manuel Quintero (Cuba)
  • Clarissa Balan (Philippines) and Jean-Claude Deteil (France)
  • Clarissa Balan (Philippines) and & Kwanga Mabuluki (Zambia)
  • Beate Fagerli (Norway) and Lawrence Nana Brew (Ghana)2000-2004
  • Michael Wallace (Aotearoa New Zealand) 2004-2010
  • Christine Housel (USA) 2011-2015
  • Necta Rocas Montes (Philippines) 2015-2020
  • Marcelo Leites (Uruguay) 2020-today <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

WSCF Regions

Until the 1960s, the WSCF was centralized in Geneva. This shifted in 1972, when the Federation divided into six regional offices with Geneva remaining as an inter-regional office. Each region has a regional secretary, officers and a committee made up of representatives from the national movements in the region. Each region has its own programmes and publications. The regions nominate students to participate in global WSCF programmes and other activities. Each region has two representatives on WSCF's global Executive Committee. The six regions are Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, Middle East, and North America. The regional offices are in Nairobi, Hong Kong, Trento, Buenos Aires, Beirut and New York.<ref name="WSCFHistory">Template:Cite web</ref>

National Student Christian Movements

WSCF's ecumenical work operates at a national level through the Student Christian Movement (SCM). Each national SCM has ties to the ecumenical bodies such as the World Council of Churches, and other national ecumenical organizations such as the National Council of Churches in Australia and the Christian Conference of Asia.<ref name="WSCFHistory"/>

National SCMs include the Student Christian Movement of Great Britain, Student Christian Movement of the Philippines, Student Christian Movement of Canada, and Indonesian Christian Student Movement.

Notable members

References

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