What Is The Christian Purpose of the YMCA? "C" Our Constitution & Goals...
"The Y we regard as being in its essential genius a worldwide fellowship united by a common loyalty to Jesus Christ for the purpose of developing Christian personality & building a Christian society.”
Do you know what is the purpose of the YMCA?
“The Young Men’s Christian Association we regard as being in its essential genius a worldwide fellowship united by a common loyalty to Jesus Christ for the purpose of developing Christian personality and building a Christian society.”
Surprised?
Christians in the Y have debated issues of religious diversity and inclusion from Day One 1844, their genius compromise was the famous Paris Basis in 1855.
The American Y’s in 1869 adapted the Paris Basis, a document they struggled with in regard to its inclusive spirit, and established an Evangelical Christian Test for young men’s membership, it became known as the Portland Basis.
A crucial decision was made, due to lived experience of serving members from a diverse Christian heritage; in 1931 at the YMCA Cleveland Conference they abolished the Portland Basis and crafted this statement which is in our YUSA Constitution:
The Young Men’s Christian Association we regard as being in its essential genius a worldwide fellowship united by a common loyalty to Jesus Christ for the purpose of developing Christian personality and building a Christian society.
The Constitution goes on to include these statements:
PREAMBLE:
We, the Young Men’s Christian Associations of the United States of America, with the desire of conserving all the values of our past and likewise of unifying and strengthening our work to meet the challenge of our time, hereby establish the following goals for our members and their constituents, and adopt this revised Constitution of the National Council of Young Men’s Christian Associations of the United States of America.
the GOALS:
To develop self-confidence and self-respect and an appreciation of their own worth as individuals.
To develop a faith for daily living based upon the teachings of Jesus Christ, that they may thereby be helped in achieving their highest potential as children of God.
To grow as responsible members of their families and citizens of their communities.
To appreciate that health of mind and body is a sacred gift and that physical fitness and
mental well-being are conditions to be achieved and maintained.To recognize the worth of all persons and to work for interracial and intergroup understanding.
To develop a sense of world-mindedness and to work for worldwide understanding.
To develop their capacities for leadership and use them responsibly in their own groups and in community life.
To appreciate the beauty, diversity, and interdependence of all forms of life and all resources which God has provided in this world, and to develop an ethical basis for guiding the relationships of mankind with the rest of God’s natural community.
These are powerful statements crafted to embody our values: responsibility to and honesty about our past and present, caring respect for all who are currently members – in ways inspired and instructed by Jesus Christ - what we might identify as “Christian principles.”
A regular and purposeful review of our YMCA Constitution, it’s purpose and goals, will go a long way in nourishing our roots in our history of extending Christ’s kingdom for all humanity, participating in the struggle and striving to fulfill Jesus’ prayer, “that all may be one.”
Tim,
To me, the “C” stands not as a letter of exclusion, but as a call to radical inclusion through the person and teachings of Jesus Christ. It means carrying the cross not only as a symbol of faith, but as a burden of love, for the stranger, the neighbor, and even those considered enemies. The “C” reminds me daily that I am entrusted with a mission to uphold dignity, foster reconciliation, and nurture the image of God in every person who walks through our doors.
At the JIY, where Jewish, Muslim, and Christian children play and learn side by side, and where every initiative strives for peace through understanding, the “C” is not hidden, it is woven into the fabric of our service. Christ’s love compels us to transcend difference, to build bridges in a divided land, and to offer sanctuary to the soul.
The language of the Constitution you brought forward affirms the very foundation of my calling. I hold to that loyalty to Christ as the compass for my work, and I believe the Christian purpose of the YMCA is not diminished when practiced humbly and courageously among people of all faiths, but rather fulfilled.
Fadi Suidan, Adv.
CEO, Jerusalem International YMCA