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Christian student group seeks North American link

6/19/2001 News media contact: Linda Bloom · (646) 369-3759 · New York

NEW YORK (UMNS) - Working through denominational partners and another ecumenical group, the World Student Christian Federation is trying to bring North American students officially back into the fold.

Nana Brew, a 35-year-old Anglican from Ghana, explained that the federation's North American region had disbanded in 1986 in a dispute over procedure. Because of that action, "we didn't have any formal connection except for our traditional historical links," he said, during a June 18 interview at the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries' offices.

Brew, who serves as co-secretary of the Geneva-based organization with Beate Fagerli of Norway, said the effort to reconnect began several years ago through discussions with the Student Christian Movement of Canada and the Council for Ecumenical Student Christian Ministry. The first step has been the formation of a program committee, which includes United Methodist representation.

Founded in 1895, the World Student Christian Federation is one of the world's oldest youth movements. An ecumenical pioneer, the organization was a major contributor to the formation of the World Council of Churches in 1948. Through its current regions - the Middle East, Latin America-Caribbean, Africa, Europe and Asia-Pacific - the federation represents more than 300,000 members in more than 80 countries.

The group's highest policy-making body, the General Assembly, meets every four years, and its executive committee makes decisions between those gatherings. Each region has its own assembly, an elected regional committee and a regional office. The offices are in Nairobi, Kenya; Hong Kong; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Caracas, Venezuela; and Beirut, Lebanon.

The federation's goals include helping members of the academic community grow in the Christian life and act as God's servants and messengers; providing fellowship in mutual support and service; striving for peace and justice in and among nations; and working toward church unity.

Although the federation's staff and executive committee currently have U.S. and Canadian representation, Brew said the two countries have had "different perspectives" about the organization. The idea, he said, is to create programming that both would agree to and then work out a formal regional structure for North America.

The Board of Global Ministries "is our biggest partner in North America," he said. The mission agency provides support for women's programs and regional offices, as well as training and projects in the various regions, he explained.

Former federation members from the United States, who remain as "senior friends," also raise funds and support the organization's programs, according to Brew.

For more information about U.S. involvement in the World Student Christian Federation, contact Tamara Walker at the Board of Global Ministries at twalker@gbgm-umc.org or (212) 870-3690.

Brew can be reached by e-mail at wscf@worldcom.ch, at the federation's central office.

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