Student Christian Movement of Canada
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| Abbreviation | SCM Canada |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1895 |
| Purpose | youth-led Christian ecumenism |
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Region served
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Canada |
| Website | http://www.scmcanada.org/ |
The Student Christian Movement of Canada (SCM Canada) is a youth-led ecumenical network of student collectives based in spirituality, issues of social, economic, and environmental justice, and building autonomous local communities on campuses across the country. It is part of the World Student Christian Federation.
In 1895, leaders from North American and European countries established and united national SCMs within the first international student organization, the World Student Christian Federation
In 1921, SCM Canada was founded and incorporated into the WSCF.
Like its international counterpart, SCM Canada has had a complex history of membership, influence, and activity since its inception. It has been part of the ecumenical movement, the turbulence of the 1960s student movements, the mid-20th century shift in balance of power from liberal to evangelical Christian conservatism, the pressures of maintaining unity across the spectrum of Christianity and the tension between a theological study focus and a social activism focus.
Since its founding, SCM Canada has taken stands on pressing social issues of its time, including support for the ordination of women, opposing internment of Japanese-Canadians during World War II; anti-war activities since the 1960s; and facing controversy for its solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-identified Christians. Members were involved in the Canadian Social Gospel movement, which mobilized for a more just social order in Canada, including accessible health care, education, and social services.
Some projects the movement has undertaken include socialist work camps in the 1940s and 1950s in which students would work in unionizing factories during the summer and pool their resources in communal houses of prayer; summer solidarity projects between 2000 and 2002 exploring sustainable living in rural community; international solidarity exchanges with more militant SCMs in the Philippines and Nicaragua; and annual student educational trips they call pilgrimages.
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