About the WSCF-US Student Leadership Team
The World Student Christian Federation-US (WSCF-US) invites students to be part of an intentional community who will work together to help imagine and build a Student Christian Movement in the United States. As the US and world continue to confront the moral injustices of poverty, white supremacy, empire, and ecological devastation - all of which have been further exposed and exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic - how do we, as Christians, organize and build a movement toward the creation of a new world?
Our theme is taken from Revelation 21:1, Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. Indian philosopher Arundhati Roy has suggested that this time of intersecting global pandemics might be a portal, a gateway between one world and the next, if we are ready to fight for it.
The WSCF, a network of nearly 100 student movements around the world, is working to organize a movement of Christian students in the US who are committed to living out their faith in this pivotal moment, being radically inclusive, globally engaged, and grounded in prophetic Biblical and theological traditions.
Over the course of a year, the WSCF-US Student Leadership Team will:
Our theme is taken from Revelation 21:1, Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. Indian philosopher Arundhati Roy has suggested that this time of intersecting global pandemics might be a portal, a gateway between one world and the next, if we are ready to fight for it.
The WSCF, a network of nearly 100 student movements around the world, is working to organize a movement of Christian students in the US who are committed to living out their faith in this pivotal moment, being radically inclusive, globally engaged, and grounded in prophetic Biblical and theological traditions.
Over the course of a year, the WSCF-US Student Leadership Team will:
- Build a community with one another that reflects the core WSCF values
- Attend two leadership team retreats: 1) Oct 1 - 3, 2021 (virtual) and 2) April 1-3, 2022 in Chicago, IL
- Develop partnerships with Student Christian Movements in other countries
- Provide leadership for the “New Heaven and New Earth” national student conference, Sept 15-18, 2022
- Participate in regular virtual team meetings via Zoom (dates/times TBD based on availability) and other virtual programming such as our Monthly Global Prayer Gatherings and our Engaging a Prophetic Christianity conversation series
- Help spread the word about WSCF events on their own campus
Meet the team!
Emily Carle (she/they) is a first year Master of Divinity student at Louisville Seminary in Louisville, KY, but she calls Central CT and Western MA home. They are also a Member in Discernment with the United Church of Christ (UCC), Hampshire Association as well as the Youth Director at Center Church UCC in South Hadley, MA. As part of the WSCF-US Student Leadership Team, Emily is looking forward to doing collaborative work with other justice-driven Christians in the global context, as this is work she has not done before. For fun, they like to watch comedies on Netflix, find the best local spots for good food, and crochet scarves for friends and family.
My name is Grace Dearhamer (she/her). I am currently living in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and attend Eureka College in Eureka, Illinois. I am studying psychology/sociology with a minor in philosophy/religion. I am looking forward to meeting the other members of the WSCF leadership team and sharing what we are all passionate about. I love spending time with my family and our four pets! I am currently a Starbucks barista, youth ministry intern, and tutor for the college. In my free time I love to watch holiday movies and stand up comedy.
I'm the Rev. Jonathan Favors-Grimes and my pronouns are He/Him/His. I currently live in Atlanta, GA with my family, but during the summer months, you can find me in Chicago which is where I lived also. During the Spring I enrolled back in school where I attend Full Sail University, I am currently studying Media Communications & Creative Writing. As a part of the WSCF-US Student Leadership Team, I am looking forward to making Ecumenical connections with like-minded student peers. I'm also looking forward to creating genuine friendships & networking partnerships for building intentional communities. When I'm not preaching, teaching, or taking care of my family, you might find me watching a good movie or tv show "particularly a Comedy", working in my garden, sewing quilts, drawing or doing some kind of art, traveling, and trying to find something sweet... "I have a sweet tooth".
Immanuel Karunakaran is an ordained minister in the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church, Tamilnadu, India, and has served as the Communications Secretary and Coordinator of the Dalit and Adivasi Concerns Desk of the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India. With degrees in theology from Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India; and McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL, Immanuel is currently a Ph.D. student at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in the field of Ethics, Church and Society. An Activist Scholar and Pastor, local to Chicago, and married to Cynthiya Esther Varghese, Immanuel is blessed with two daughters, Sheryl & Meryl.
Hello! My name is Claire Kim (she/hers), and I am a part of Church of All Nations in Minneapolis, MN, where I grew up and now lead our young adults ministry. I am currently a Masters of Divinity student at our affiliate seminary Underground Seminary, where we are trying to decolonize our minds and bodies. I am excited to be a part of the WSCF-US Student Leadership Team to connect with and encourage other students passionate about their faith, discerning their vocation, and finding ways to advocate for the people and earth around them. My whole life is fun, but when I'm not eating, laughing, or singing with people, I like to write songs on my guitar and play Dungeons and Dragons!
Hi everyone! I’m Jon Ort, I use he/him/his pronouns, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of this team! I’ve just begun a Master of Divinity at Yale Divinity School, which sits on land occupied from the Mohegan, Mashantucket Pequot, and other peoples. I’m trying to discern what my faith calls of me. For that reason, I’m most excited to cultivate beloved community with all those whose paths the WSCF-US crosses, to join the Student Leadership Team in articulating our shared vision(s) of justice, and to put our theological convictions into practice. Among my interests are journalism (I was editor of my college’s student newspaper), backpacking, and photography. I grew up near Denver, Colorado — occupied Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho land — and previously studied history, especially anticolonial resistance in the Caribbean and across Africa.
Irene Preetha Prasannakumar is a theologian and her pronouns are she/her/hers. She is currently living in New York City and is pursuing her Master of Sacred Theology at Union Theological Seminary. Irene has her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Theology from United Theological College, Bangalore, India. She has also completed her Montessori training and has enjoyed working with little children. She has served the Student Christian Movement of India as a Program Secretary for Karnataka region. She has also volunteered to work with IJM, CMC- Vellore Chaplaincy, and Clergy assistance. She enjoys pastoral ministry. Irene is excited to be a part of the WSCF-US Student Leadership Team to join in envisioning and articulating a world that is more just and beautiful. She has a quest for justice, peace, love, beauty and art so much so that everyone will experience fullness of life, regardless.
Nathan Samayo (he/him/his) is located in Cambridge, MA. and is a Master of Divinity candidate at Harvard Divinity School while also seeking ordination in the United Church of Christ. He was born in Guam, and grew up in Tacoma, WA. Nathan studies how postcolonial and postmodern theologies influence contemporary pastoral care and counseling practices. He centers the narratives, memory, and modern experiences of Pacific Islanders under the legacy of US imperialism, militarism, and environmental catastrophe. He is excited to be on the WSCF-US Student Leadership Team because he values cross-cultural and intergenerational dialogue in order to work towards a more diverse, inclusive, and affirming world that reflects the bounty of God. He likes dancing, islander BBQ food, and brainless television shows.