Student Christian Movement of Canada: celebrating 80 years of faith and social justice

Catholic New Times
September 23, 2001

BASIS & AIM:

In the beginning, there was a sense of frustration and longing; student Christian associations were criticized for being too dogmatic, for having inconsistent memberships and for not recognizing the principle of co-education. Students became increasingly annoyed with the fact that their own work was being supervised by organizations outside of universities. They harboured a strong desire for complete freedom in running their own program and controlling its activity and destiny. This fiery spirit prevailed among many young Christians of the early 20th century; it seemed inevitable that students would some day yearn for an autonomous organization. And so, it happened. In the winter of 1921, during the first Canadian National Student Conference in Guelph, Ont., the Student Christian Movement (SCM) of Canada was formed. And they were pleased with what they saw; well, for the most part, that is.

In the early days (’20s and ’30s) there was great suspicion and antagonism between the churches and the SCM. The churches claimed the SCM was “needling the establishment” by accepting participants in the movement who were merely “willing to test the truth of the conviction upon which the movement was founded.” This undoubtedly caused some problems for the movement during the initial stages of its development. In certain ways, the SCM had deliberately severed itself from the churches and intentionally stepped out of the identified Christian community to promote true freedom of expression. Ironically, this may well be the very reason for its longevity and success.

In his study of student movements during the Great Depression, York University professor and author Paul Axelrod identifies the SCM as “the most important and enduring element of the Canadian student movement”: typically, a whopping 10 per cent of all Canadian students took part in the SCM’s famed study groups. Vince Goring, a recently retired prominent SCMer, remembers his SCM experience as if it were yesterday.

“It’s impossible to look at my life after I came to Canada without looking at my contact with the SCM,” recalls the 79-year-old SCM veteran. “The SCM played a tremendous part in the formation of my thinking, my life, my political life, my religious thinking.” ….