37th GA 2020

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May 2, 2019

To: WSCF member movements
Re: WSCF 37th General Assembly (GA) preparations
From: WSCF Chairperson and General Secretary

Dear WSCF Affiliated and Associated member movements,

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

It is with great joy and excitement that we announce the preparations for our forthcoming General Assembly has started and we are now able to share with you some initial information below so that you can prepare and be part of this historical event in the life of our Federation.

Article IV Section 4 of our revised WSCF Constitution states, “the General Assembly shall as a rule meet every four years or within a period of six years in case of extraordinary circumstances. The Executive Committee shall determine the exact time and place of meetings. Extraordinary meetings may be held with the approval of two-thirds of the Affiliated Movements.”

On March 31, 2019 the WSCF Executive Committee, during its online meeting finally approved the exact time, place and theme of our next General Assembly.

Time of the General Assembly

We are pleased to share with you that our forthcoming GA will be from June 4 to 11, 2020. Arrival of delegates and guests is June 4 and expected departure in June 11, 2020.

Place of the General Assembly

The WSCF Assembly will convene at the Zwinglikirche in Berlin Germany. The accommodation of the delegates and guests will be at the Berlin OstKreuz Youth Hostel, located 1.7 km from the Zwinglikerk.

Theme of the General Assembly

Main Theme: “Rejoice in Hope” (Romans 12:12)

The theme speaks strongly of WSCF identity as one ecumenical movement composed of diverse traditions, background and contexts. Romans 12:12 reminds us that unity in Christ Jesus is our hope in times of challenges and difficulties. We are called to be one in our spirit, mind and action in the building of the Kingdom. We are called to prophesize and proclaim hope in the coming of the Kingdom. We are to be THE hope in today’s world. As young people, WSCF offers the message of hope in the context of the suffering of the world today. It is our reason for being.

Confronted with trials and tribulations, we turn to God, our source of hope, liberation and peace. Today, we long to hear the message of hope for the future. Hope that is built on foundation in today’s work for justice, equality and peace, hallmarks of God’s reign here on Earth. A hope that is not void of our understanding of the root-causes of poverty, fragmentation, disunity, violence and war. A hope that is truly based on actions resisting Empire, speaking truth to power and making them accountable, working for justice, equality and peace in the world.

Fundraising to Support the Cost of GA Delegates

Holding a General Assembly is a costly endeavour, with an estimated budget of US $ 350,000.00 for this forthcoming GA. At our Online Assembly in April 2017, majority of our affiliated members affirmed the importance of holding an In-face General Assembly and voted to continue convening the GA every four years as opposed to the proposed amendment of six years minimum interval. We ALL have to take responsibility for this decision by supporting the financial needs of continuing to hold the GA every four years.

Today, we write to you more than a year in advance to request that we begin raising funds to support our delegates to the Assembly. The local accommodation and food cost of each delegate participating in the Assembly is estimated at US$550.00 per person, excluding airfare cost. With an average airfare cost of US$1,100.00 per person plus local cost, each GA delegate needs a total estimated cost US$1,650.00 to participate.

This amount is substantial for student delegates to attend the Assembly, hence we appeal to each movement to begin raising funds from senior friends, members, churches and other partners to support their official delegates and consider supporting delegates from other movements. Each movement is requested to raise a minimum of 30% of the total cost of their delegate, excluding the GA Registration Fee.

As a Federation, we have endeavoured to create a GA Solidarity Fund to help ensure that everyone is given equal opportunity to take part in the GA.  We will send you further details and the mechanics of the GA Solidarity Fund.

In the coming months, we will send you a much detailed program, guidelines and information as we prepare together towards the successful convening of our 37th General Assembly.

On behalf of the WSCF Executive Committee, we trust that you will join us in praying and working towards making this GA a truly memorable and historical event in the life of the Federation.

In Christ,

Georgine Kengne Djeutane, Chairperson (sgd.)
Necta Montes, General Secretary (sgd.)

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