Coincidence or Providence?

The unplanned landing of a commercial plane in Jamaica for repairs in 1944 gave Mr. C. Stacey Woods, the General Secretary of the Canadian IVCF the opportunity to scout Kingston and realize and respond to a request from Christian educators and church leaders for a Christian union in schools.

This was envisaged as a tool to spread Christian faith and ethics.  A commitment was made, but concrete developments had to await the soon to be established University College of the West Indies in 1948.  A ministry among six high schools and six students of the medical faculty of the college formed the core of the work organization which was formally established in 1952.

The organization emerged as an evangelical organization in Jamaica in 1948 with a vision of reaching students and colleges with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  After the ending of the Second World War there was a growing sense of nationalism and a strong sense that institutions should be established to help create an independent state and help Jamaica Youth For Christ in 1947 and the Inter-School Christian Fellowship in 1948 among other institutions like the Jamaica Bible College and the Jamaica Christian Council with similar aims.  The birth of the tertiary arm was spurned by the coincidence of the rapid spread of the movement and the emergence of the University College of the West Indies (now University of the West Indies).

On the basis of the ISCF’s main appealing characteristic of being inclusive, students flocked the meetings and the movement grew quickly.  As Dr. Las Newman captures in the book, Like a Sea Set Free, “Students regardless of their academic interest, social background, racial or ethnic origin, religious or non-religious disposition, found this openness attractive because of the common ground of fellowship and mutuality they experienced… As the mission spread from urban to rural schools, from secondary to tertiary institutions, the appeal was the same”.  The programs and activities allowed students opportunity for self-discovery, personal growth and development.  The movement offered a broad range of training programs for students and teachers to develop through a variety of camps, seminars, conferences and retreats.  The reinforcement of systematic personal and small group Bible study, personal, corporate, group prayer and daily quiet time (DQT), which were programmed activities at each camp, sought to instill discipline and spiritual growth within each student.  Students were also trained as leaders, both by providing ‘on the job’ experience in planning and coordinating their on-campus activities and through specialized training.  These included sessions in public speaking, human relations group dynamics, planning and leading meetings, agenda setting, report and fund-raising.  This has resulted in numerous students emerging as head boys/ head girls and president of student councils.