SCM's History

In The Beginning…
The Student Christian Movement came into being in 1889 as a loose network of students dedicated to missionary work overseas. It rapidly broadened its aims and membership to become the largest student organisation in Britain. The values of openness, inclusiveness, radicalism and an open and challenging approach to the Christian faith were as important in the early days of the movement as they are now.

The National Union of Students (NUS) was formed in 1922, with the Movement's encouragement and help.

SCM was instrumental in bringing about the Edinburgh conference in 1910 which gave birth to the modern ecumenical movement. The Movement went on to play a vital role in the formation of the British and World Council of Churches, and continued to be a leading voice on ecumenism.

Disagreements about governance and doctrine led to the breakaway of 14 groups who went on to become what is now UCCF, the Christian Union Movement.

The Middle Ages

In the late fifties and sixties there was an unprecedented expansion in Higher education and with that came university chaplains who, to all intents and purposes, were doing the same work as SCM. The result was a Movement which instead threw itself into the social and political questions of the period with a zeal unparalleled in other religious quarters. Unfortunately it also moved further and further away from its original Christian standpoint and at the same time distanced itself from many of the very students it existed to serve.

In the seventies and eighties there was a radical restructuring and a renewed commitment to concentrate on the mainstream of student life. The result was a stronger organisation with many more groups, from a handful in 1975 to over 70 in the 1990s. The 1990s saw the move of the staff to Birmingham and a shift towards providing resources to students.

The 21st Century

At this time in its history SCM serves a very different kind of student population. Changes in higher education and tightening financial pressures mean more demands on students' time. This means attention is fixed on a local rather than national level. SCM provides resources to students where they are through a network made up of student led groups, chaplaincies, other societies and individual members. Students continue to value SCM’s distinctive approach to exploring Christianity.

Historical research

There's a comprehensive archive of papers and materials from the whole of SCM's history stored in the Orchard Learning Resource Centre at the University of Birmingham. Researchers and other interested individuals are welcome to access these materials. Just contact the SCM office for further information.