The World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) met in Geneva, Switzerland as the Identity Diversity Dialogue task group on June 15-21, 2014. A group of 15 students, senior friends, and WSCF staff gathered to discuss human sexuality and gender identity with the mandate to develop recommendations about a way forward on this topic for the upcoming General Assembly this August in Bogota, Colombia.
The 2008 General Assembly and the Executive Committee has recognised our need for dialogue to effectively address the divisions that have caused a crisis of conscience within the Federation on the topic of sexuality and gender identity. To facilitate this dialogue, the Executive Committee formed a task group at the global level to explore identity, diversity, and dialogue in this specific context. The meeting included discussion in both small groups and in plenary, Bible studies, lectures from experts, and individual reflection. Through these methodologies, the task group explored such topics as the identity of the WSCF, the secular discourse around human rights and its application to our faithful search for justice, the concept of “the other,” our personal experiences and an exchange of our contexts, theological and Biblical analysis, and the individual and collective consideration of possible recommendations to present to the General Assembly this August. Within the next week, a report with recommendations from the task group to the General Assembly will be sent to the Executive Committee, Assembly delegates, and national SCMs (Student Christian Movements). This report will summarise the nature, process, findings, challenges, and recommendations that emerged from the meeting.
It was clear from our week-long meeting that the Federation struggles with its divisive opinion on this issue. But despite our various contexts and diverse understandings, both of sexual and gender identity and of the WSCF’s role in justice-making, we all care deeply for the Federation and the individuals and communities who make up the WSCF and about working for justice and transformation in the world. This topic is not an easy task for the WSCF, but as the group was reminded in the meeting, the WSCF and Christianity as a faith have a long history of encountering painful divisiveness and working through it.2
The task group identified that there are many areas where pain, great division, and confusion exist, but we are grateful that deeper understanding between us has already begun; we wish this for the entire Federation. The Task Group believes that we can successfully address and even celebrate our diversity without losing our unity in Christ. Hopefully this past week will be the beginning of intentional dialogue within the WSCF to learn from each other and continue on this journey to discovering our call in Christ.
We seek your collective prayers as we prepare to bring our outcome to the General Assembly.
The report with recommendations will be available as an Assembly document at www.wscfglobal.org.