World Student Christian Federation - History

History

WSCF was formed at a meeting of student leaders from ten North American and European countries in 1895 at Vadstena Castle, Sweden. The founders included John R. Mott (U.S.), J.Rutter Williamson (U.K.), Martin Eckhoff (Norway), Luther D. Wishard (U.S.), Johannes Siemsen (Germany) and Karl Fries (Sweden).

WSCF was the first international student organisation. Together with YMCA and YWCA, it is among the oldest extant youth movements. WSCF is known in French as FUACE—Fédération Universelle des Associations Chrétiennes d'Étudiants—and in Spanish as FUMEC—Federacion Universal de Movimientos Estudiantiles Cristianos.

Forces affecting WSCF have been:

• the rise of the ecumenical movement,
• the turbulence of the 1960s student movements,
• the mid-twentieth century shift in balance of power from liberal to evangelical Christianity,
• the shift in balance of influence within Christianity between the developed and the developing world,
• the pressures of maintaining unity across the spectrum of Christianity

Leaders of the WSCF have included:

• John R. Mott
• Karl Fries
• Ruth Rouse
• Nathan Söderblom
• Sarah Chakko
• Willem Visser 't Hooft
• D.T.Niles
• Suzanne de Diétrich
• Risto Lehtonen
• Philip Potter
• Tissington Tatlow
• Alan Brash
• Mercy Oduyoye
• Feliciano Carino
• Paulouse Mar Paulouse

The WSCF newsletter Federation News started in 1921 and is published twice a year. The WSCF journal Student World was begun in 1908. In 2004 it was re-started after a hiatus of several years; both these publications can be found on the WSCF website www.wscfglobal.org