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118-679: Together with the YMCA and the YWCA , WSCF has as a foundational document, the Paris Basis . WSCF's aims include "to call members of the academic community to faith in God, to discipleship within the life and mission of the Church and to help them strive for peace and justice in and among nations." At one point "the evangelisation of the world in this generation" was seen as the main aim. Throughout its history

236-406: A 99-year lease on the site, and it was only when it expired that the college moved to East Lansing, Michigan . Youngstown State University traces its roots to the establishment of a law school by the local YMCA in 1908. The Nashville School of Law was YMCA Night Law School until November 1986, having offered law classes since 1911 and the degree of Juris Doctor since January 1927. YMCA pioneered

354-454: A Chicago-area YMCA administrator, worked at YMCA while also becoming the BSA's first director. In 1916, K. T. Paul became the first Indian national general secretary of India. Paul had started rural development programs for self-reliance of marginal farmers, through co-operatives and credit societies. These programmes became very popular. He also coined the term "rural reconstruction", and many of

472-535: A billion members of the major Christian traditions. This, with the Catholic Church's 1.25 billion Christians, indicates that 349 churches/denominations already account for nearly 80% of the world's Christian population. One problem with the larger numbers is that single denominations can be counted multiple times. For example, the Catholic Church is a single church, or communion, comprising 24 distinct self-governing particular churches in full communion with

590-899: A curriculum to begin teaching cave diving . In 1973, the Sixth World Council in Kampala , Uganda, became the first World Council in Africa, hosted by Uganda YMCA . It reaffirmed the Paris Basis and adopted a declaration of principles, known as the Kampala Principles. It include the principles of justice, creativity and honesty. It stated what had become obvious: that a global viewpoint was more necessary. It also recognized that YMCA and its national member organizations would have to take political stands, particularly in international challenges and crises. In 1976, YMCA of

708-471: A deeper understanding and a clearer presentation of the unfathomable riches of Christ. The unity willed by God can be attained only by the adherence of all to the content of revealed faith in its entirety. In matters of faith, compromise is in contradiction with God who is Truth. In the Body of Christ, "the way, and the truth, and the life" (Jn 14:6), who could consider legitimate a reconciliation brought about at

826-542: A delegation who hold a number of votes, which are dependent on the financial turnover of that National Council. The World Council is "responsible for setting the policies and direction of the World YMCA, electing its Officers and Executive Committee, evaluating the work of the last four years, and deliberating on priorities for the next quadrennium". The most recent World Council took place in 2022 in Aarhus , Denmark, and

944-481: A distinct family of churches, though they may otherwise fit into any one of the previous categories. Some of these families are in themselves a single communion, such as the Catholic Church. Other families are a very general movement with no universal governing authority. Protestantism, for example, includes such diverse groups as Adventists , Anabaptists , Baptists, Congregationalists , Evangelicals , Hussites , Lutherans , Messianic Jews , Methodists (inclusive of

1062-542: A handful of people. Other denominations may be very small remnants of once larger churches. The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing ( Shakers ) have only two full members, for example, yet are a distinct denomination. Most current divisions are the result of historical schisms —a break in the full communion between previously united Churches, bishops, or communities. Some historical schisms proved temporary and were eventually healed, others have hardened into

1180-595: A letter "addressed 'To all the Churches of Christ, wherever they may be', urging closer co-operation among separated Christians, and suggesting a 'League of Churches', parallel to the newly founded League of Nations ". In 1937, Christian leaders from mainstream Christian churches resolved to establish the World Council of Churches , to work for the cause of Christian unity; it today includes churches from most major traditions of Christianity as full members, including

1298-408: A liar, and his word is not in us". So we humbly beg pardon of God and of our separated brethren, just as we forgive them that trespass against us. Christians cannot underestimate the burden of long-standing misgivings inherited from the past, and of mutual misunderstandings and prejudices. Complacency, indifference and insufficient knowledge of one another often make this situation worse. Consequently,

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1416-818: A national level through the Student Christian Movement (SCM). Each national SCM has ties to the ecumenical bodies such as the World Council of Churches , and other national ecumenical organizations such as the National Council of Churches in Australia and the Christian Conference of Asia . Whilst national SCMs may vary considerably, they have tended to foster liberal and progressive religious and social views amongst university students. This resulted in conflicts with evangelical student groups, such as those affiliated to

1534-733: A result of the Albigensian Crusade . In northern Italy and southeastern France, Peter Waldo founded the Waldensians in the 12th century, which remains the largest non-Catholic church in Italy and is in full communion with the Italian Methodist Church. In Bohemia , a movement in the early 15th century by Jan Hus called the Hussites called for reform of Catholic teaching and still exists to this day, known as

1652-631: A revival within Anglicanism, especially in England and the American colonies , under the leadership of the brothers John Wesley and Charles Wesley , both priests in the Church of England. This movement also produced the Holiness movement churches. The Old Catholic Church split from the Catholic Church in the 1870s because of the promulgation of the dogma of Papal Infallibility as promoted by

1770-578: A role that similar to that of a CEO. At each stage of the affiliation process, there are usually membership fees paid by local YMCAs to the central organization. Ever since the first World Conference in August 1855, in Paris , the World YMCA has convened a World Conference, later renamed the World Council, every three to four years and is YMCA's highest decision making forum. Every National Council sends

1888-572: A variety of different expectations of what that Christian unity looks like, how it is brought about, what ecumenical methods ought to be engaged, and what both short- and long-term objectives of the ecumenical movement should be. Baptism according to the Trinitarian formula , which is done in most mainstream Christian denominations, is seen as being the grounds for Christian ecumenism, the concept of unity amongst Christians. With respect to ecumenism, A. W. Tozer maintained that "Unity in Christ

2006-450: A variety of recreational, cultural, leadership, academic, and social skills for development. Multiple colleges and universities have historically had connections to YMCA. Springfield College , of Springfield, Massachusetts, was founded in 1885 as an international training school for YMCA Professionals, while one of the two schools that eventually became Concordia University — Sir George Williams College —started from night courses offered at

2124-547: A wide variety of youth activities, including providing athletic facilities, holding classes for a wide variety of skills, promoting Christianity, and humanitarian work. YMCA is a non-governmental federation , with each independent local YMCA affiliated with its national organization. The national organizations, in turn, are part of both a geographically regional area alliance and the World Alliance of YMCA. YMCA programs vary between nations and regions, but are all based on

2242-458: Is " Ut Omnes Unum Sint "—" that they all may be one " ( John 17:21 ). 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

2360-903: Is based in the Inter-Regional Office (IRO) in Geneva, Switzerland. The IRO is in the Ecumenical Centre which also houses the World Council of Churches , the World Alliance of Reformed Churches , the Lutheran World Federation , the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, the Conference of European Churches, Ecumenical News International, Action by Churches Together International, and many other organisations. The IRO organises

2478-479: Is beginning to make considerable progress". Some elements of the Catholic perspective on ecumenism are illustrated in the following quotations from the council's decree on ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio of 21 November 1964, and Pope John Paul II 's encyclical, Ut Unum Sint of 25 May 1995. Every renewal of the Church is essentially grounded in an increase of fidelity to her own calling. Undoubtedly this

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2596-462: Is broad agreement upon this goal, approaches to ecumenism vary. Generally, Protestants see fulfillment of the goal of ecumenism as consisting in general agreements on teachings about central issues of faith, with mutual pastoral accountability between the diverse churches regarding the teachings of salvation. For Catholics and Orthodox on the other hand, the true unity of Christendom is treated in accordance with their more sacramental understanding of

2714-472: Is derived from programme fees, membership dues, community chests, foundation grants, charitable contributions, sustaining memberships, corporate sponsors and other funding models used in the charitable sector. YMCA globally operates on a federation model with each independent local YMCA affiliated with its national organization, known as a National Council. The national organizations, in turn, are affiliated to both an Area Alliance, including Europe, Asia Pacific,

2832-914: Is known as the Great Schism . The canonical separation was sealed by the Latin sacking of Constantinople (1204) during the Fourth Crusade and through the poor reception of the Council of Florence (1449) among the Orthodox Eastern Churches. The political and theological reasons for the schism are complex. Aside from the natural rivalry between the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire and the Franco-Latin Holy Roman Empire , one major controversy

2950-678: Is not something to be achieved; it is something to be recognized." Ecumenists cite John 17:20–23 as the Biblical basis of striving for church unity, in which Jesus prays that Christians "may all be one" in order "that the world may know" and believe the Gospel message . As such, ecumenism has a strong implication for the Church's mission of evangelism , which is referenced in John 13:35 : "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another". Additionally, Jesus emphasized that

3068-433: Is now commonly used refers to interdenominational cooperation between different Christian churches . These initiatives can range from local churches of different denominations operating a soup kitchen for the poor, hosting an ecumenical Bible study with participants from different Christian traditions, inviting all baptized Christians to partake in a Lovefeast when churches celebrate them, to holding an ecumenical Stations of

3186-507: Is published twice a year. The WSCF journal Student World was begun in 1908 but has had a broken history of publication. The mission and vision statement of the WSCF is: WSCF's founder, the Methodist layman and YMCA worker John R. Mott (1865-1955), promoted Protestant unity in 1895 as an organization joining youth from all Protestant churches to dedicate themselves to the 'evangelization of

3304-570: Is responding to his admonition (John 17; Philippians 2) to be one in him and love one another as a witness to the world. The result of mutual recognition would be a discernible worldwide fellowship, organized in a historically new way. For a significant part of the Christian world, one of the highest goals to be sought is the reconciliation of the various denominations by overcoming the historical divisions within Christianity. Even where there

3422-456: Is rooted in the medieval Augustinian appropriation of Plotinian Neoplatonism . (See Augustine of Hippo, De Trinitate .) Both West and East agreed that the patriarch of Rome was owed a "primacy of honour" by the other patriarchs (those of Alexandria , Antioch , Constantinople and Jerusalem ), but the West also contended that this primacy extended to jurisdiction, a position rejected by

3540-472: Is that people focus primarily on Christ , not on separate church organizations. In Schlink's book Ökumenische Dogmatik (1983), he says Christians who see the risen Christ at work in the lives of various Christians or in diverse churches realize that the unity of Christ's church has never been lost, but has instead been distorted and obscured by different historical experiences and by spiritual myopia. Both are overcome in renewed faith in Christ. Included in that

3658-630: Is the basis of the movement toward unity … There can be no ecumenism worthy of the name without a change of heart. For it is from renewal of the inner life of our minds, from self-denial and an unstinted love that desires of unity take their rise and develop in a mature way. We should therefore pray to the Holy Spirit for the grace to be genuinely self-denying, humble. gentle in the service of others, and to have an attitude of brotherly generosity towards them. … The words of St. John hold good about sins against unity: "If we say we have not sinned, we make him

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3776-545: Is thus applied to any non-denominational or inter-denominational initiative which encourages greater cooperation and union among Christian denominations and churches . Ecumenical dialogue is a central feature of contemporary ecumenism. The fact that all Christians belonging to mainstream Christian denominations profess faith in Jesus , believe that the Bible is inspired by God ( John 1:1 ), and receive baptism according to

3894-1208: The Assyrian Church of the East , the Old Catholic Church , the Oriental Orthodox Churches , the Lutheran World Federation , the Anglican Communion , the Baptist World Alliance , the Mennonite churches , the World Methodist Council , the Moravian Church , the Pentecostal churches and the World Communion of Reformed Churches , as well as almost all jurisdictions of the Eastern Orthodox Church ;

4012-719: The Azusa Street Revival in 1906 are held as the beginnings of the Pentecostal movement. These started just a few hours after Pope Leo XIII led a prayer Veni Spiritus Sanctus during an Urbi et Orbi message, consecrating the 20th century to the Holy Spirit and through this prayer to the reunion of Christianity. For some Protestants , spiritual unity, and often unity on the church's teachings on central issues, suffices. According to Lutheran theologian Edmund Schlink , most important in Christian ecumenism

4130-508: The Body of Christ ; this ecclesiastical matter for them is closely linked to key theological issues (e.g. regarding the Eucharist and the historical Episcopate ), and requires full dogmatic assent to the pastoral authority of the Church for full communion to be considered viable and valid. Thus, there are different answers even to the question of the church , which finally is the goal of

4248-602: The First Vatican Council of 1869–1870. The term "Old Catholic" was first used in 1853 to describe the members of the See of Utrecht who were not under Papal authority. The Old Catholic movement grew in America but has not maintained ties with Utrecht, although talks are under way between some independent Old Catholic bishops and Utrecht. The Evangelical movement takes form as the result of spiritual renewal efforts in

4366-514: The Holiness movement ), Moravians, Pentecostals , Presbyterians , Reformed , and Waldensians. Many of these have, as a result of ecumenical dialogue, established full or partial communion agreements. The oldest lasting schism in Christianity resulted from fifth-century disagreements on Christology , heightened by philosophical , linguistic , cultural , and political differences. The first significant, lasting split in historic Christianity,

4484-635: The International Committee of the Red Cross and win the first Nobel Peace Prize . Dunant successfully convinced YMCA Paris to organise the first YMCA World Conference. The Conference took place in August 1855, bringing together 99 young delegates from nine countries, held before the Exposition Universelle (1855) . They discussed joining in a federation to enhance cooperation amongst individual YMCA societies. This marked

4602-727: The Montreal YMCA. Northeastern University began out of a YMCA in Boston , and Franklin University began as YMCA School of Commerce. San Francisco's Golden Gate University traces its roots to the founding of YMCA Night School on 1 November 1881. Detroit College of Law , now the Michigan State University College of Law , was founded with a strong connection to the Detroit , Michigan YMCA. It had

4720-550: The Roman Catholic Church participates as an observer, sending delegates to official gatherings. Many regional councils affiliated with the World Council of Churches, such as the Middle East Council of Churches , National Council of Churches in Australia and Christian Churches Together , work for the cause of Christian unity on the domestic level, with member denominations including churches from

4838-551: The Trinitarian formula is seen as being a basis for ecumenism and its goal of Christian unity. Ecumenists cite John 17:20–23 as the biblical grounds of striving for church unity, in which Jesus prays " may all be one " in order "that the world may know" and believe the Gospel message . In 1920, the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church , Germanus V of Constantinople , wrote

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4956-758: The bishop of Rome (the largest being the Latin Church , commonly called "Roman Catholic"). Further, the Catholic Church's presence in each country is counted as a different denomination—though this is in no way an ecclesiologically accurate definition. This can result in the one Catholic Church being counted as 242 distinct denominations, as in the World Christian Encyclopedia . Additionally, single nondenominational congregations or megachurches without denominational affiliation are effectively counted each as its own denomination, resulting in cases where entire "denominations" may account for only

5074-751: The parachurch International Fellowship of Evangelical Students . National SCMs include the Student Christian Movement of Great Britain , Student Christian Movement of the Philippines , Student Christian Movement of Canada , and Indonesian Christian Student Movement . YMCA YMCA , sometimes regionally called the Y , is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva , Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches worldwide. It

5192-460: The "West" or "East", respectively. (There exist both Eastern Rite Roman Catholicism and Western Rite Orthodoxy, for example.) There is an ongoing and fruitful Catholic-Orthodox dialogue . In Western Christianity, there were a handful of geographically isolated movements that preceded in the spirit of the Protestant Reformation . The Cathars were a very strong movement in medieval southwestern France, but did not survive into modern times, largely as

5310-494: The 1978 Village People song " Y.M.C.A. "). In 1940, there were about 100,000 rooms at YMCAs, more than any hotel chain. By 2006, YMCAs with residences had become relatively rare in the US, but many still remain. YMCAs offer classes in the visual arts , including ceramics, drawing, painting, and photography, the performing arts , including music, dance, and poetry, and literature , including reading, storytelling, and public readings. These programs are not offered at each YMCA but

5428-402: The 1980s, resulting in agreement on the very issue that split them asunder, in the 1994 Common Christological Declaration , which identifies the origin of the schism as largely linguistic, due to problems of translating very delicate and precise terminology from Latin to Aramaic and vice versa. As part of the then-ongoing Christological controversy, following the Council of Chalcedon in 451,

5546-458: The 20th century, YMCA had "become interdenominational and more concerned with promoting morality and good citizenship than a distinctive interpretation of Christianity." Prior to the beginning of the American Civil War , YMCA provided nursing, shelter, and other support during wartime in the United States. In 1878, the World YMCA offices were established in Geneva , Switzerland by Dunant. Later, in 1900, North American YMCAs, in collaboration with

5664-422: The 21st World Council is scheduled for July 2026 in Toronto . YMCAs around the world offer various types of accommodation. In some places, this takes the form of budget accommodation available to the public such as youth hostels, or hotels, which, in turn, generate income for other charitable activities. In England and Wales , YMCAs offer supported accommodation for vulnerable and homeless young people. Until

5782-583: The Anabaptists, people such as Menno Simons and Jakob Ammann , whose movements resulted in today's communities of Mennonites , Amish , Hutterites , and Brethren churches, and to some extent, the Bruderhof Communities . Further reform movements within Anglicanism during the 16th through 18th centuries, with influence from the Radical Reformation, produced the Puritans and Separatists , creating today's Baptists, Congregationalists , Quakers , and eventually Unitarian Universalism . The Methodist churches, which uphold Wesleyan-Arminian theology , grew out of

5900-405: The Cross service on Fridays during the Christian liturgical season of Lent with the service being held at a different local church each Friday (e.g. Catholic, Lutheran, Moravian, Anglican, Reformed and Methodist). The ultimate goal of ecumenism is the recognition of sacramental validity, eucharistic sharing, and the reaching of full communion between different Christian denominations. There are

6018-447: The Eastern Orthodox Church. Although the Christian world as a whole did not experience any major church divisions for centuries afterward, the Eastern , predominantly Greek-speaking and Western , predominantly Latin-speaking, cultural divisions drifted toward isolation, culminating in the mutual excommunication of Patriarch of Constantinople Michael I Cerularius and the legate of then-deceased Pope of Rome Leo IX in 1054, in what

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6136-519: The Eastern patriarchs. Various attempts at dialogue between the two groups would occur, but it was only in the 1960s, under Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras , that significant steps began to be made to mend the relationship between the two. In 1965, the excommunications were "committed to oblivion". The resulting division remains, however, providing the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, both of which are globally distributed bodies and no longer restricted geographically or culturally to

6254-406: The Federation has brought students together across theological and cultural boundaries and provided training and opportunities. For over a century WSCF has supplied leaders to the Church , the ecumenical movement and the Christian left , governments and social movements. Together the WSCF and SCM provide a context for young Christians from all churches and nations to meet. The motto of the WSCF

6372-402: The Filioque implies that the essential divinity of the Holy Spirit is derived not from the Father alone as arche (singular head and source), but from the perichoretic union between the Father and the Son. That the hypostasis or persona of the Spirit either is or is produced by the mutual, pre-eternal love between God and His Word is an explanation which Eastern Christian detractors have alleged

6490-481: The General Assembly and Executive Committee, the IRO staff is the secretariat for WSCF's endowment The Centennial Fund . The IRO administers WSCF's income, salaries and fundraising and co-ordinates global WSCF programmes, the IRO administers the Ecumenical Assistance Programme, the Universal Day of Prayer for Students, produces Federation News and Student World maintains contact with national movements and Senior Friends and organises WSCF representation at meetings of

6608-414: The Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Mexico, the United States, and Canada, and the World YMCA. The World YMCA is the highest affiliation body. Each local, national and regional YMCA is independent of each other, but local, regional and international cooperation, partnerships and collaborations are part of the organizations work. Each National Council is led by a National General Secretary,

6726-561: The Moravian Church. Though generally counted among Protestant churches, groups such as the Waldensians and Moravians pre-exist Protestantism proper. The Protestant Reformation began, symbolically, with the posting of Martin Luther 's " Ninety-Five Theses " in Saxony on October 31, 1517, written as a set of grievances to reform the Western Church. Luther's writings , combined with the work of Swiss theologian Huldrych Zwingli and French theologian and politician John Calvin , sought to reform existing problems in doctrine and practice. Due to

6844-481: The Oriental Orthodox, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Methodist, Anglican, and Reformed traditions, among others. Each year, many ecumenical Christians observe the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity for the goal of ecumenism, which is coordinated by the World Council of Churches and adopted by many of its member churches. The terms ecumenism and ecumenical come from the Greek οἰκουμένη ( oikoumene ), which means "the whole inhabited world", and

6962-460: The Puritans". Historian Mark Noll adds to this list High Church Anglicanism, which contributed to Evangelicalism a legacy of "rigorous spirituality and innovative organization". Pentecostalism is likewise born out of this context, and traditionally traces its origins to what it describes as an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on 1 January 1901 in Topeka, Kansas , at the Bethel Bible College . Subsequent charismatic revivals in Wales in 1904 and

7080-416: The Roman Empire, with a total of seven ecumenical councils accepted to have been held by both the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches before the Great Schism dividing the two churches; the first four ecumenical councils are recognized by the Lutheran Churches, Anglican Communion and Reformed churches though they are "considered subordinate to Scripture". The Assyrian Church of the East acknowledges

7198-489: The State Capitol for a day." Ecumenism Ecumenism ( / ɪ ˈ k juː m ə ˌ n ɪ z əm / ih- KYOO -mə-niz-əm ; alternatively spelled oecumenism ) – also called interdenominationalism , or ecumenicalism  – is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjective ecumenical

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7316-402: The USA appointed Violet King Henry to executive director to its Organizational Development Group, making her the first woman named to a senior management position with the American national YMCA. In 1985, the World Council of YMCAs passed a resolution against apartheid , and anti-apartheid campaigns were formed under the leadership of Lee Soo-Min ( Korea ), the first Asian secretary general of

7434-451: The USA rebranded its name to the popular nickname "The Y" and revised the iconic red and black logo to create five colored versions. Today, YMCAs are open to all, regardless of ability, age, culture, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation and socioeconomic background. During the 19th World Council meeting in 2018 in Chiang Mai, Carlos Sanvee from Togo became the first African and current Secretary General of World YMCA. During

7552-476: The United Kingdom in part thanks to the Great Exhibition of 1851, the first in a series of World's Fairs which was held in Hyde Park, London . Later that year there were YMCAs in Australia , Belgium , Canada , France , Germany , Hong Kong , the Netherlands , Switzerland , and the United States . The idea of creating a truly global movement with an international headquarters was led by Henry Dunant , Secretary of YMCA Geneva, who would later go on to found

7670-534: The United Kingdom's largest non-theatrical distribution companies. In 1947 the World YMCA gained special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council . In 1955 the first black President of the World YMCA, Charles Dunbar Sherman from Liberia, was elected. At 37 years, he was also the youngest president in World YMCA history. In 1959 YMCA of the USA developed the first nationally organized scuba diving course and certified their first skin and scuba diving instructors . By 1974, YMCA had set up

7788-854: The United Nations, UNESCO, World Council of Churches and other organisations. Until the 1960s, the WSCF was centralized in Geneva. This shifted in 1972, when the Federation divided into six regional offices with Geneva remaining as an inter-regional office. Each region has a regional secretary, officers and a committee made up of representatives from the national movements in the region. Each region has its own programmes and publications. The regions nominate students to participate in global WSCF programmes and other activities. Each region has two representatives on WSCF's global Executive Committee. The six regions are Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, Middle East, and North America. The regional offices are in Nairobi, Hong Kong, Trento, Buenos Aires, Beirut and New York. WSCF's ecumenical work operates at

7906-606: The World YMCA, set up centres to work with emigrants in European ports, as millions of people were leaving for the US. In 1880, in Norway, YMCA became the first national organization to adopt a strict policy of equal gender representation in committees and national boards. In 1885, Camp Baldhead (later known as Camp Dudley), the first residential camp in the United States and North America, was established by George A. Sanford and Sumner F. Dudley, both of whom worked for YMCA. The camp, originally located near Orange Lake in New Jersey , moved to Lake Wawayanda in Sussex County, New Jersey ,

8024-443: The World YMCA. In 1998, the 14th World Council of YMCAs in Germany adopted "Challenge 21", intended to place more focus on global challenges, such as gender equality , sustainable development , war and peace, fair distribution, and the challenges of globalization , racism, and HIV/AIDS. In 2002, the World Council in Oaxtepec , Morelos , in Mexico, called for a peaceful solution to the Middle East crisis. On 12 July 2010, YMCA of

8142-402: The YMCA created and led the Committee of Nîmes, also known as the Camps Committee, a group that gathered leaders from over twenty humanitarian organizations to coordinate advocacy for people in the internment camps, including helping children leave these camps to live in children's colonies or eventually escape to freedom. YMCA Motion Picture Bureau, renamed Association Films in 1946, was one of

8260-444: The anglophone world in the 18th century. According to religion scholar, social activist, and politician Randall Balmer , Evangelicalism resulted "from the confluence of Pietism, Presbyterianism, and the vestiges of Puritanism. Evangelicalism picked up the peculiar characteristics from each strain—warmhearted spirituality from the Pietists (for instance), doctrinal precisionism from the Presbyterians, and individualistic introspection from

8378-450: The beginning of the World Alliance of YMCAs. The conference adopted the Paris Basis , a common mission for all present and future national YMCAs. Its motto was taken from the Bible, " That they all may be one " ( John 17 :21). Other ecumenical bodies, such as the World YWCA , the World Council of Churches , and the World Student Christian Federation have reflected elements of the Paris Basis in their founding mission statements. In 1865,

8496-414: The beginning. We believe that this unity subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose, and we hope that it will continue to increase until the end of time. While some Eastern Orthodox churches commonly rebaptize converts from the Catholic Church, thereby refusing to recognize the baptism that the converts have previously received, the Catholic Church has always accepted the validity of all

8614-687: The camps to attend Springfield College and providing youth activities in the camps. In addition, YMCA was one of seven organizations that helped to found the USO . In Europe , YMCA helped refugees, particularly displaced Jews. Sometimes YMCA participated in escape operations. Mostly, however, its role was limited to providing relief packages to refugees. It was also involved in war work with displaced persons and refugees. It set up War Prisoners Aid to support prisoners of war by providing sports equipment, musical instruments, art materials, radios, gramophones , eating utensils, and other items. Donald A. Lowrie of

8732-567: The commitment to ecumenism must be based upon the conversion of hearts and upon prayer, which will also lead to the necessary purification of past memories. With the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Lord's disciples, inspired by love, by the power of the truth and by a sincere desire for mutual forgiveness and reconciliation, are called to re-examine together their painful past and the hurt which that past regrettably continues to provoke even today. In ecumenical dialogue, Catholic theologians standing fast by

8850-588: The concept of night school , providing educational opportunities for people with full-time employment. Many YMCAs offer ESL programs, alternative high school , day care , and summer camp programs. In India , YMCA University of Science and Technology of Faridabad was founded in 1969. It offers various programs related to science and engineering. During the 1880s, the Cleveland YMCA began to offer day and evening courses to students who did not otherwise have access to higher education. The YMCA program

8968-459: The council's aim was to seek renewal of the church itself, which would serve, for those separated from the See of Rome , as a "gentle invitation to seek and find that unity for which Jesus Christ prayed so ardently to his heavenly Father". Pope Paul VI, in his 1964 encyclical letter Ecclesiam Suam observed that "ecumenical dialogue, as it is called, is already in being, and there are places where it

9086-473: The denominations of today. However individual denominations are counted, it is generally acknowledged that they fall into the following major "families" of churches (though certain parts of some Christian denominations, such as Quakerism , may fall into the mainline category though the majority are evangelical Quakers): In the United States , the historic racial/ethnic churches are sometimes counted as

9204-444: The ecumenist movement itself. However, the desire of unity is expressed by many denominations, generally that all who profess faith in Christ in sincerity, would be more fully cooperative and supportive of one another. For the Catholic and Orthodox churches, the process of approaching one another can be described as formally split in two successive stages: the "dialogue of love" and the "dialogue of truth". Examples of acts belonging to

9322-474: The establishment in 1889 of Big Cove YMCA Camp in Merigomish, Nova Scotia . YMCAs offer child care, including supervised space for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children to stay and play while parents enjoy a workout. YMCA staff members are trained to ensure the safety and well-being of the children in their care so that parents can confidently pursue their fitness goals or take part in

9440-458: The expense of the truth?...Even so, doctrine needs to be presented in a way that makes it understandable to those for whom God himself intends it. When the obstacles to perfect ecclesiastical communion have been gradually overcome, all Christians will at last, in a common celebration of the Eucharist, be gathered into the one and only Church in that unity which Christ bestowed on his Church from

9558-560: The first World Conference: the need to respect the local autonomy of YMCA societies, and the purpose of YMCA: to unite all young, male Christians for the extension and expansion of the Kingdom of God. The former idea is expressed in the preamble: The delegates of various Young Men's Christian Associations of Europe and America, assembled in Conference at Paris, the 22 August 1855 feeling that they are one in principle and in operation, recommend to their respective Societies to recognize with them

9676-433: The first meeting that led to the founding of YMCA with the purpose of "the improving of the spiritual condition of young men engaged in the drapery, embroidery , and other trades." Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury served as YMCA's first president from 1851 until his death in 1885. By 1845, YMCA started a popular series of lectures that from 1848 were held at Exeter Hall , London, and started being published

9794-851: The first two ecumenical councils, while Oriental Orthodox Churches accept the first three ecumenical councils. Christianity has not been a monolithic faith since the first century , also known as the "Apostolic Age", and in the present day, a number of widely varied Christian groups exist, both within and without mainstream Christianity. Despite the division between these groups, a number of commonalities exist throughout their traditions, understanding of theology , governing church systems , doctrine and language. As such, many of these groups are visibly divided into different communions or denominations , groupings of Christians and their churches in full communion with one another, but to some degree set apart from other Christians. The World Council of Churches counts 348 member churches, representing more than half

9912-607: The following year, and then to the shore of Lake Champlain near Westport, New York , in 1891. YMCA was an early influence on scouting that began in the United Kingdom in 1907. The year after its inception by Robert Baden-Powell , the first scout troops met in the Nottingham and Birkenhead YMCA buildings. The YMCA would also influence the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and German Scouting . Edgar M. Robinson ,

10030-475: The following year, with the series running until 1865. YMCA was associated with industrialisation and the movement of young people to cities to work. YMCA "combined preaching in the streets and the distribution of religious tracts with a social ministry. Philanthropists saw them as places for wholesome recreation that would preserve youth from the temptations of alcohol, gambling, and prostitution and that would promote good citizenship." The YMCA spread outside

10148-622: The former include the mutual revocation in 1965 of the anathemas of 1054, returning the relics of Sabbas the Sanctified (a common saint) to Mar Saba in the same year, and the first visit of a Pope to an Orthodox country in a millennium ( Pope John Paul II accepting the invitation of the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church , Teoctist , in 1999), among others. Christian ecumenism can be described in terms of

10266-538: The fourth World Conference of YMCAs, held in Germany, affirmed the importance of developing the whole individual in spirit, mind, and body. The concept of physical work through sports, a new concept for the time, was also recognized as part of this " muscular Christianity ". YMCA has cooperated with camping organizations, including Boy Scouts of America , Camp Fire , and Girl Scouts of the USA . Two themes resonated during

10384-472: The late 1950s, YMCAs in the United States were built with hotel-like rooms called residences or dormitories. These rooms were built with the young men in mind coming from rural America and many foreign-born young men arriving to the new cities. The rooms became a significant part of American culture , known as an inexpensive and safe place for a visitor to stay in an unfamiliar city (as, for example, in

10502-500: The meaning of pertaining to the totality of the larger Church (such as the Catholic Church or the Eastern Orthodox Church) rather than being restricted to one of its constituent local churches or dioceses . Used in this sense, the term carries no connotation of re-uniting the historically separated Christian denominations but presumes a unity of local congregations in a worldwide communion . The term ecumenism as it

10620-629: The military's morale and comfort operations worldwide. Irving Berlin wrote Yip Yip Yaphank , a revue that included a song entitled "I Can Always Find a Little Sunshine in the YMCA". Frances Gulick was a YMCA worker stationed in France during World War I who received a United States Army citation for valour and courage on the field. During World War II , YMCA was involved in supporting millions of POWs and in supporting Japanese Americans in internment camps . This help included helping young men leave

10738-940: The next large split came with the Syriac and Coptic churches dividing themselves. The churches dissented from Chalcedon, becoming today's Oriental Orthodox Churches. These also include the Armenian Apostolic Church , the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church , and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in India. In modern times, there have also been moves towards healing this division, with common Christological statements being made between Pope John Paul II and Syriac patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas , as well as between representatives of both Oriental Orthodoxy and

10856-665: The ones who have same to offer these programs give a benefit to their communities to give children a safe place to go to enjoy such activities. YMCA camping began in 1885 when Camp Baldhead (later known as Camp Dudley ) was established by G.A. Sanford and Sumner F. Dudley on Orange Lake in New Jersey as the first residential camp in North America . The camp later moved to Lake Champlain near Westport, New York . Camping also had early origins in YMCA movement in Canada with

10974-664: The pope. Thomas Cranmer as Archbishop of Canterbury introduced the English Reformation in a form compromising between the Calvinists and Lutherans. This schism created today's Anglican Communion. The Radical Reformation , also mid-sixteenth century, moved beyond the Magisterial Reformation , emphasizing the invisible, spiritual reality of the Church , apart from any visible ecclesial manifestation. A significant group of Radical reformers were

11092-760: The previous four years, plans for the next four years and elects the Executive Committee, Chairperson, Vice-Chairpersons, Treasurer and General Secretary. The 35th GA was held in Bogota, Colombia from February 27 to March 5, 2015. The Executive Committee and staff (General Secretary and Regional Secretaries) co-ordinate the Federation's activities between General Assemblies. The Executive Committee has met in Chiang Mai , Thailand , Porto Alegre , Brazil and Alexandria , Egypt . The General Secretary

11210-554: The principles espoused in the Paris Basis . The YMCA is a parachurch organization based on Protestant values. Similar organizations include the YWCA , and the Young Men's Hebrew Association (YMHA). In popular culture, the YMCA is the subject of the 1978 song " Y.M.C.A. " by the Village People . The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) was founded on 6 June 1844, by George Williams and eleven friends. Williams

11328-612: The principles he developed were later incorporated into the Indian's government nationwide community development programs. In 1923, Y. C. James Yen , of YMCA China, devised the "thousand character system", based on pilot projects in education. The method also became very popular, and in 1923, it led to the founding of the Chinese National Association of the Mass Education Movement. In 1878, YMCA

11446-779: The reactions of ecclesiastical office holders at the time of the reformers, the Catholic Church separated from them, instigating a rift in Western Christianity. This schism created the Mainline Protestant Churches, including especially the Lutheran and Reformed traditions. In England , Henry VIII of England declared himself to be supreme head of the Church of England with the Act of Supremacy in 1531, repressing both Lutheran reformers and those loyal to

11564-545: The sacraments administered by the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches. The Catholic Church likewise has very seldom applied the terms " heterodox " or " heretic " to the Eastern Orthodox churches or its members, although there are clear differences in doctrine, notably about the authority of the Pope, Purgatory, and the filioque clause. More often, the term "separated" or " schismatic " has been applied to

11682-472: The sacraments. The Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism , 102 states: "Christians may be encouraged to share in spiritual activities and resources, i.e., to share that spiritual heritage they have in common in a manner and to a degree appropriate to their present divided state." Pope John XXIII , who convoked the council that brought this change of emphasis about, said that

11800-511: The same World Council meeting, Patricia Pelton from Canada emerged as the first female President of World YMCA. YMCA's 175th anniversary in 2019 was celebrated with a global gathering of the organisation's young leaders at ExCeL London from 4 to 7 August, with 3,200 people from 100 countries. The event celebrated youth leadership, and elevated the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals . It

11918-526: The so-called Nestorian Schism , came from the Church of the East , consisting largely of Eastern Syriac churches outside the Roman Empire , who left full communion after 431 in response to misunderstandings and personality conflicts at the Council of Ephesus . After fifteen centuries of estrangement, the Assyrian Church of the East and the Catholic Church entered into an ecumenical dialogue in

12036-451: The state of the Eastern Orthodox churches. The Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox churches are two distinct bodies of local churches. The churches within each body share full communion , although there is not official communion between the two bodies. Both consider themselves to be the original church, from which the West was divided in the 5th and 11th centuries, respectively (after

12154-653: The teaching of sacred scripture and tradition. Before the Aggiornamento or "updating" of the Second Vatican Council , the main stress was laid on this second aspect, as exemplified in canon 1258 of the 1917 Code of Canon Law: The 1983 Code of Canon Law has no corresponding canon. It absolutely forbids Catholic priests to concelebrate the Eucharist with members of communities which are not in full communion (canon 908), but allows, in certain circumstances and under certain conditions, other sharing in

12272-448: The teaching of the Church and investigating the divine mysteries with the separated brethren must proceed with love for the truth, with charity, and with humility. When comparing doctrines with one another, they should remember that in Catholic doctrine there exists a "hierarchy" of truths, since they vary in their relation to the fundamental Christian faith. Thus the way will be opened by which through fraternal rivalry all will be stirred to

12390-435: The three largest divisions of Christianity: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant. While this underemphasizes the complexity of these divisions, it is a useful model. The Catholic Church has always considered it a duty of the highest rank to seek full unity with estranged communions of fellow Christians and, at the same time, to reject what it sees as a false union which would mean being unfaithful to or glossing over

12508-516: The ties of Christians to one another are much greater than those to blood relatives. Historically, the term "ecumenism" was originally used in the context of the larger ecumenical councils organised with the support of the Roman Emperor . The aim of these councils was to clarify matters of Christian theology and doctrine, leading to the meaning of unity behind the term "ecumenical". The ecumenical councils brought together bishops from across

12626-656: The unity existing among their Associations, and while preserving a complete independence as to their particular organization and modes of action, to form a Confederation of secession on the following fundamental principle, such principle to be regarded as the basis of admission of other Societies in future. YMCA was influential during the 1870s and the 1930s, during which times it most successfully promoted "evangelical Christianity in weekday and Sunday services, while promoting good sportsmanship in athletic contests in gyms (where basketball and volleyball were invented) and swimming pools." Later in this period, and continuing on through

12744-504: The various YMCA programs. Family programs include family nights, parent-child classes, and different events put on by the YMCA. YMCA's parent/child programs, conducted under YMCA's Y-Guides program, provides structured opportunities for fellowship, camping, and community-building activities, including craft-making and community service, for several generations of parents and children from kindergarten through eighth grade. YMCA after-school programs are geared towards providing students with

12862-456: The world in this generation.'" The General Assembly (GA) is the highest decision making body of the Federation. WSCF's GA is held approximately every four years. Recent assemblies have been held in Montreal , Canada, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Beirut , Lebanon , and Yamoussoukro , Côte d'Ivoire . The GA is made up of representatives from all affiliated and associated movements. The GA reviews

12980-493: Was a London draper who was typical of the young men drawn to the cities by the Industrial Revolution . They were concerned about the lack of healthy activities for young men in major cities; the options available were usually taverns and brothels . Williams' idea grew out of meetings he held for prayer and Bible-reading among his fellow workers in a business in the city of London , and on 6 June 1844, he held

13098-723: Was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1918), Oswald Chambers and Robert and Olave Baden-Powell . Within the first month the YMCA Women's Auxiliary was formed, and Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein would go on to become a notable member and chairman of its organising committee. During World War I, YMCA raised and spent over $ 155 million on welfare efforts for American soldiers. It deployed over 25,000 staff in military units and bases from Siberia to Egypt to France. They took over

13216-682: Was attended by guests including Jayathma Wickramanayake on behalf of Office of the Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth and María Fernanda Espinosa , the President of the United Nations General Assembly . A federated model of governance has created a diversity of YMCA programmes and services, with YMCAs in different countries and communities offering vastly different programming in response to local community needs. Financial support for local associations

13334-480: Was founded in London on 6 June 1844 by George Williams as the Young Men's Christian Association . The organization aims to put Christian values into practice by developing a healthy body, mind, and spirit. From its inception, YMCA grew rapidly, ultimately becoming a worldwide movement founded on the principles of muscular Christianity . Local YMCAs deliver projects and services focused on youth development through

13452-405: Was historically used with specific reference to the Roman Empire . The ecumenical vision comprises both the search for the visible unity of the Church (Ephesians 4:3) and the "whole inhabited earth" (Matthew 24:14) as the concern of all Christians. In Christianity, the qualification ecumenical was originally and still is used in terms such as " ecumenical council " and " Ecumenical Patriarch ", in

13570-951: Was organized near the Jaffa Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem and the current landmark building was dedicated by General Lord Allenby in 1933 during the British Mandate of Palestine. Within ten days of the declaration of World War I , YMCA had established 250 recreation centres, also known as huts, in the United Kingdom, and went to build temporary huts across Europe to support both soldiers and civilians alike, run by thousands of volunteers. Some of them, known as field secretaries, also went into war zones to support prisoners-of-war in Europe and Russia. Notable supporters and volunteers included Clementine Churchill (for which she

13688-545: Was reorganized in 1906 as the Association Institute, and this in turn was established as Fenn College in 1929. In 1964, Fenn College became a state college named Cleveland State University. American high school students have a chance to participate in YMCA Youth and Government , wherein clubs of children representing each YMCA community convene annually in their respective state legislatures to "take over

13806-572: 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: Notable leaders of the WSCF have included: The WSCF newsletter Federation News started in 1921 and

13924-598: Was the inclusion and acceptance in the West in general—and in the diocese of Rome in particular—of the Filioque clause ("and the Son") into the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed , which the East viewed as a violation of ecclesiastical procedure at best, an abuse of papal authority as only an Ecumenical Council could amend what had been defined by a previous council, and a heresy at worst, inasfar as

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