Called to witness to the gospel today

1982

Introduction

As we have met, as we have shared in worship, as we have meditated upon the concluding words of the Lord's prayer, "Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory", we have experienced afresh God's presence in Jesus Christ. He is our hope because in him, in his cross and resurrection, God has made it clear that his love is stronger than all kingdoms, powers and glories of this world. We praise God for this love.

As we have met, we have been given a new awareness of the manifold ways in which the Spirit is at work in our midst.

In God's good purpose, the gospel has spread into almost all parts of the world. In many countries the Spirit is opening new doors for the proclamation of the gospel; the churches in Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan and in many parts of Africa have grown and are still growing.

Facing the challenges and crises of their societies, many churches have discovered in new ways the challenge and relevance of the gospel.

Above all, we have been strengthened by the steadfast witness of churches and many individual Christians in situations of injustice, repression and persecution; many are prepared to pay the price of suffering, of prison, and even of death.

For all this we give thanks. At the same time, we have realized how immense are the tasks which lie before the Reformed churches. What is the witness we have to bear today? As we ask this question we are faced with challenges and unresolved questions which call for fresh answers.

The Reformed churches have always placed primary emphasis on contemporary witness to the gospel. They are indebted to the Reformers for the renewal of the church in their time. They continue to live in the movement initiated by them. They meditate upon the heritage they have received and seek to learn from the insights of earlier generations, especially as these are expressed in the ancient creeds and the confessions of the Reformation. But they have always been aware that new situations may require fresh expressions of the faith of the church. New issues may arise which demand a new response on the basis of scripture and in the light of experience. The Reformed tradition cannot be simply defined by reference to the Reformed Confessions of the 16th and 17th centuries; we are only faithful to its spirit as we obey the call of the gospel in the contemporary world.

We face here three major challenges:

1. The supreme challenge is the gospel of Jesus Christ himself. We believe and affirm that in him, God through the power of the Spirit has revealed himself. We believe and affirm that in him salvation has been brought to us. We believe and affirm that, as we live in him, no power is capable of separating us from God's love. At the same time we have to reckon with the mystery of God's revelation, which surpasses our understanding. Life with Christ means to discover him constantly anew. Life with Christ means both for the church and each individual growth in experience and knowledge. We know and do not yet know the "breadth, the length, the height and the depth" of God's love. Like Paul we need to pray that God may grant us to speak of the mystery of Christ as we ought to speak (Col. 4.4).

2. The second challenge comes from both the promising and threatening developments of the contemporary world. At the close of the second millennium how do we respond to the human condition and the world scene?

To scientific discoveries and the increase of knowledge with their promise of new perspectives and experiences?

To the new possibilities of living with people of all nations and religions, with their promise of a widened horizon?

To the increasing capacity of the human race to shape the physical world with its threats of environmental collapse, biological catastrophe and genetic manipulation?

To increasing and already excessive concentrations of power with their threats of exploitation and poverty?

To the seemingly uncontrollable growth of armaments with its threats of war and nuclear destruction?

To the manifold forms of assault on human dignity - contempt for life, discrimination, imprisonment for reasons of conscience, torture and extra-judicial executions?

To the pressures and forces everywhere which threaten to fragment the human community and deprive human beings of the sense of belonging, creating a sense of meaningless and absurdity in human life?

3. The third challenge comes from the encounter with other churches in the ecumenical movement. The new relationships which have become possible among the churches provide an opportunity of witnessing in a new way to the deepest intentions of the Reformation. The Reformers did not seek to establish a new church. They aimed at the renewal of the whole church. Divisions occurred because of failure to carry through necessary reforms of doctrine and practice in the unity of Spirit. As a consequence divisions hardened with all their sinful consequences - self-centredness, competition, hostility, even persecution. Today the situation is changing. Dialogue and collaboration have become possible. The issues raised by the Reformers and by subsequent generations can be taken up again. In unexpected ways the movement of the Reformation finds today its continuation in the ecumenical movement. But are the Reformed churches really prepared for this new situation? If they are to make a significant contribution to restoring the unity of the church, they need to reflect on their own renewal. Unity can be achieved only through a process of renewal.

The response to these challenges requires a common effort of the Reformed churches. No central authority can decide and speak on their behalf. Clarity can be reached only by a process which involves the churches and their membership to the largest possible extent. The General Council therefore suggests that such a concerted process be initiated. In the following study document a number of issues are identified which in its judgement require special attention. It is hoped that they will be taken up by the churches in the appropriate way.

As we issue this invitation for common reflection we have in mind not only theological discussions. This is an invitation to a common adventure. It is addressed to whomever wishes to take part in it. We hope that the process of reflection will lead to concrete steps for renewal of life. We hope that the process will provide the Reformed churches with the opportunity to grow together; to form a communion bound together by common witness and intercession, sustained solidarity and mutual support. We hope that visits from church to church will play a vital role in this adventure and will contribute to each church becoming more aware of the concerns of others in order to deepen and strengthen our common witness.

I. The central affirmation: Jesus Christ - lord and saviour

The message of Jesus Christ is the Good News of God's love. God sets us free. Despite our disobedience he does not abandon us to destruction and death. He has given his son Jesus Christ who died and rose again so that we may have life. As we trust him in faith and live in communion with him we discover that we have been forgiven and can live a life in thankfulness and praise. There is no other purpose for our life than to "glorify God and to enjoy him forever."

How do we express this message today?

Because at the Reformation this message touched the hearts of people it brought movement and renewal into the church. Because it brought new meaning into the life of every single member it opened new perspectives for the church as a whole.

How does this message move the church today?

God's love is primarily concerned with the life and salvation of human beings, created in the divine image. People matter. God seeks them in their fear and despair. Heaven rejoices when one sinner is saved and renewed to life. Every other consideration is secondary and subordinate to God's redemptive work.

How do we give expression to this priority today?

The discovery of the gospel moves hearts; it leads to singing a new song. The praise of Christ grows out of the language of love and thankfulness:

What is the language of love and thankfulness which we are compelled to speak today?

II. Rethinking the Reformed heritage

We bear witness to the gospel as churches belonging to the Reformed tradition. We are thankful for the heritage which we have received through that tradition. We regard its insights and emphases as essential for the proclamation of the gospel. At the same time, as we face the challenges mentioned in the introduction, we realize that we need to give fresh thought to certain characteristics of the Reformed tradition. In this section we draw attention to a number of aspects of Reformed teaching and life which, in our view, call for new responses.

1. Confessing and confessions of faith

To be the church of Jesus Christ means to celebrate and share with others what Jesus Christ means both for us and for the world. God's love is present in him. Through the power of the Spirit it has been poured into our hearts. As we speak of the witness of the Reformed churches, the main question must be how God's liberating love can be manifested in the world of today.

Many Reformed churches have been led in recent years to restate their faith and commitment in contemporary confessions.¹ Written confessions serve the witness of the church. They are meant to assist the church in the fulfilment of its calling.

These new confessions vary in purpose and in form. Some seek to summarize the faith; others to provide a song of praise; some have been written for catechetical purpose; some are responses to crises which call into question the integrity of the church's witness; some are the results of union negotiations in which Reformed churches have been involved.

These contemporary statements invite common reflection. They do not speak with one voice. They are rooted in particular contexts and express the responses of the churches to the challenge to witness in these contexts. On the one hand, the diversity of these texts reflect the richness of the Reformed family; it is reason for praise. On the other hand, this diversity raises the question how the churches can form one confessing communion. A dynamic approach is needed. There is no need for uniformity in confessing the faith. But if the churches are to form one confessing communion, we need to seek the common ground of faith they articulate. The Reformed family must be prepared joyfully to accept new emphases and insights which arise from specific contexts in the contemporary world. We must let the Spirit guide us into deeper experience in understanding the gospel.

The following questions arise:

1. What are the experiences, verbal or otherwise, which the witness of your church has made to the gospel in your situation? To what extent did you take into account the voice of other Reformed churches?
2. A significant number of Reformed churches united with churches of other confessional traditions. What does this new situation mean for the whole Reformed family? Are these churches to be regarded as "anomalous exceptions?" Or does their witness point the way for all Reformed churches?
3. In certain situations a church may need to draw a clear line between truth and error. In faithful allegiance to Jesus Christ it may have to take a stand against Christians who wilfully persist in the distortion of their faith. Where this happens, how should other Reformed churches show their solidarity? The whole family may need to exercise discipline where a member church justifies error, injustice or oppression.

Berne Synod 1532

But if something is forthcoming from our pastors or from any other quarter which leads us closer to Christ and which, in the light of God's Word, is more conducive to general concord and Christian love than the opinion here set down, we will gladly accept it and not obstruct the movement of the Holy Spirit, who drives us not backwards but always forwards towards the likeness of Christ Jesus our Lord. May He keep us all ever in His grace.

2. The lordship of Jesus Christ

The Reformers pointed forcefully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In the words of Calvin, "Everything which concerns our salvation is comprehended in him" (Institutes II, 16, 19). Through his sacrifice on the cross and his victory over death he has brought salvation to the human race caught by the power of sin. He is the saving Word of God to be heard and proclaimed by the church. Through the power of the Spirit this Word of God becomes alive in human hearts. The church in its witness and its life totally depends on Jesus Christ. He is its head and its judge. He gives the church its life and its vitality.

The Lordship of Christ over the church and the world is of central importance for the witness of Reformed churches today. Jesus Christ as the source of salvation protects against false promises and the illusions of self-liberation. Concentration on Jesus Christ as the only head of the church makes clear that the church does not live out of its own vitality; it provides the basis for self-criticism. Concentration on Jesus Christ as the centre of true communion helps the separate churches in their search for unity; it makes possible a sound balance between unity and diversity.

But this concentration also raises questions. Three may be mentioned here:

a) What importance do the Reformed churches give to the Trinitarian understanding of God? How do they give expression to the Trinitarian understanding of God in relation to Jesus Christ as the centre of their faith? The Reformers affirmed the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the context of the Trinitarian theology of the ancient church. How do we follow them today? How do we develop together a fuller understanding of the relation between Father, Son and Holy Spirit? In particular, how do we respond to the increasing emphasis on the Holy Spirit both in the doctrine and in the life of the church?

b) Closely connected with this first question is the issue of the status of the ecumenical creeds in the Reformed tradition. Their authority was clearly recognized in the 16th century and in all classical Reformed confessions. Is there not need for more clarity as to the degree and kind of authority which they possess in the church and concerning their place in worship and instruction? Such clarification is obviously required for dialogue with other churches, especially for the proposed dialogue with the Eastern Orthodox. This latter conversation is likely to concentrate on the theme of the Trinity.

c) Finally, our concentration on the uniqueness of Jesus Christ requires us to ask how God's love is at work outside the realm of the church which confesses Jesus Christ as Lord. Emphasis on "Christ alone" can easily lead to a narrow concept of salvation. How do we affirm Jesus Christ as the source and fulfilment of salvation and at the same time affirm God's saving presence in the whole of human history?

3. Scripture alone

The affirmation that the living Word of God speaks to us through the witness of both the Old and New Testaments together is one of the central insights of the Reformation. Scripture is the source to which we have to turn in order to hear God's voice. It is in allegiance to the Word of God as witnessed to in scripture that the proclamation, worship and government of the Reformed churches have taken their characteristic form. This affirmation is as relevant today as it ever was. The churches need constantly to turn anew to the witness of scripture. They need to give scripture the prominent place it deserves in all aspects of their life: prayer, worship, instruction, administration, evangelism, social witness and personal life.

The emphasis on "scripture alone" raises, however, three questions. First, we need to clarify the relationship between the word of God and the written word of the Bible. In what way can it be said that the scripture is God's word? There are among us diverse views on the nature of this relationship, often resulting in controversy or estrangement. Secondly, we need to clarify the relationship between the authority of scripture and the authority of tradition. Thirdly, there is a question of the relations between scripture and lived experience in diverse social, cultural and historical situations. The principle "scripture alone" was developed in the Reformation to secure the obedience of the church to the liberating Word of God and to set God's word above all human traditions. The point remains important. The original witness to the gospel must inspire and control the witness of all generations. We ask, however, whether the Reformed churches sufficiently respect the relative authority of tradition. The Spirit has guided the church through the centuries. The church of our generation must make appropriate use of the insights and the experience it has accumulated.

The Reformed churches must face these issues both as they seek to give witness today and as they enter into inter-church dialogue. It is imperative that they reach a common mind concerning the meaning and the formulation of the "scripture alone" principle.

Two questions arise:

1. What importance do we attribute to the findings of historical and literary research on the origin, context, and history of the biblical documents? Because of their strong emphasis on the authority of scripture, the Reformed churches are especially prone to fundamentalism, ignoring the historical context in which the biblical writings emerged. Holding the Bible as an inspired book has often been equated with exempting it from historical criticism. How are we to restate the Reformers' views of scripture consistently with what we know of the Bible's complex historical development?
2. What is the relationship between scripture and the church? scripture originated in the church of the earliest times. It is a witness of the church to the tradition initiated by Jesus Christ himself: a tradition which continues through the proclamation of the gospel down to today. Because it is the original witness, it is above the church. But it requires the context of communion in Christ to be rightly understood. The spirit which inspired the authors of scripture is at work in the church today. How is this interrelation best expressed?

4. Worship, preaching and the Lord's Supper

Reformed churches understand worship as the congregation assembling in prayer and adoration in God's presence through Jesus Christ. Encounter with God in Jesus Christ takes place both by preaching on the basis of scripture and the celebration of the Lord's Supper.

In practice, preaching tends to dominate the worship of the Reformed churches. The elements of praise, meditation, silence and celebration, though not absent, tend to remain underdeveloped. The worship of the Reformed churches is often experienced as exposition of biblical passages or of general Christian insights; it can become primarily intellectual and does not sufficiently involve the whole human person.

The following questions arise:

a) How can the Reformed churches, without minimizing the important place of preaching, celebrate a form of worship which includes more effectively these neglected dimensions? In dialogue with other churches, particularly in union negotiations, the Lord's Supper has played a central role. How can Reformed churches give more prominence to the regular celebration of the Eucharist in their worship?

b) Ecumenical discussion has led to common perspectives on Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry. The Faith & Order Commission of the World Council of Churches has recently sent to all churches three agreed texts on these subjects and has asked them to examine their own doctrine and practice in the light of these findings. Should the Reformed churches not use this opportunity to reflect together on their understanding and to share their responses with one another? How can an understanding and a practice be developed which in faithfulness to the biblical witness contributes to closer communion with other churches? With regard to the Eucharist, special attention should be paid to the role of the Spirit in celebration, the role of the ministry in the administration and the Eucharist as the expression of authentic communion of the church.

c) The Reformed tradition has always placed strong emphasis on the second commandment. God's presence must not be represented by any human images. God is present in the ways he has chosen - in Jesus Christ, in the Word and the Sacraments, in the community of believers. No human images should detract attention from these ways. As valid as this argument is, the question arises whether this emphasis has not led to the depreciation of visible and bodily expression in the worship of the church. What is the rightful place of the arts in the church?

The burning bush

The burning bush it burns
it burns in fiercest flame,
Yet it is not devoured,
but firmly stands the same,
The fire does not depart
Yet still new shoots outsurge
The kindling flames will start
and blossoms fair emerge

E'en in the fiery flame

Christ's church can prosper still
Holy Spirit burnish
Those who seek His will
With courage then we strive
To be Christ's servants true,
And as our pain fills up
So faith is deepened too

In persecution's urns
Christ's own their courage keep
The burning bush still burns
and we are still His sheep
The burning bush it burns,
it burns in fiercest flame,
Yet it is not devoured
but firmly stands the same.

The above hymn was sung during the worship at the General Council of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, Ottawa, August, 1982. It is the metric version of a poem written in prison by the Rev. Dr C.M. Kao, the General Secretary of the Presbsyterian Church in Taiwan.

5. Freedom for discipleship

We affirm that the gospel summons us to a life of freedom and discipleship under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Incorporated into the church of God by holy baptism, the individual Christian is at once set within the communion of the whole people of God. The tension between the call to freedom and the responsibility for the corporate life of the whole church is a fact of church history. That issue can only be resolved by a deeper understanding of the nature of discipleship, as lived out in the obedience of faith. To that end the church must exercise a pastoral discipline which in all aspects reflects the fullness of the gospel.

The challenge remains with us. Our search for the dynamic relationship between freedom, communion and church discipline has clear biblical warrant. Paul's language of justification by faith alone arises from his reflection about these matters in connection with the Galatian church. Should Gentile Christians be required to keep the Jewish law? In what sense are Jewish Christians free of the law? On what principles can the integrity of the new Christian community be maintained? From the doctrinal point of view justification and sanctification in an ordered common life clearly go together.

How well have we respected the right relationships between freedom, communion and discipline today? In some parts of the world the call to freedom has been understood as an invitation to individualism. In these places the Reformed churches have often had some part in providing motifs for an individualistic culture, and now tend to reinforce and legitimate such culture. Under these conditions the church is in danger of becoming little more than a gathering of loosely associated individuals. The importance of eucharistic communion and the acceptance of discipline are minimized. In pluralistic situations and cultures with high mobility, individuals at odds with their church can easily join another denomination. Inevitably such behaviour perpetuates the scandal and sin of a divided church.

There is of course the danger of legalism, so often evidenced when the church insists on its membership following a particular line of conduct. However, to correct a false legalism the pastoral claim of the gospel must be met, testifying to the reconciling power of God in Jesus Christ. No matter how we may interpret the Christian life, that life can only be lived by the power of the Holy Spirit "in Christ." The call to freedom and discipleship through the gift of the gospel requires that the church, the people of God, individually and corporately, should live out the obligations of the covenant of grace. It is by the grace of God we are free to live that life here and now with Christ.

Mindful of those problem areas sketched in the previous paragraphs, the crucial question is, the nature and meaning of discipleship as proclaimed and nurtured by the church. Discipleship and discipline have a common root. Therefore, we must ask:

How should the church attend to a rightful "disciple-ing" of the people of God at every level of Christian life?

To that end, what is the distinctive role of worship, preaching, and the sacramental life in the nurture of the people of God?

Is the application of church law/discipline adequately controlled by our understanding of the gospel of grace?

6. Church order and the ordained ministry

Churches of the Reformed tradition hold that Christ alone is head of the church and that the church must be so ordered that He himself may rule it through his word. There is no single concept or pattern of church governance among them. Warc includes churches of the Presbyterian and the Congregational type. Nevertheless all Reformed churches share certain basic convictions with regard to the ordering of the church. They give a prominent place to the Ministry of Word and Sacraments in the life of the church: they emphasize the role of the congregation and affirm the priesthood of all believers; they underline the importance of representative synods; they insist on the parity of ordained persons and stress therefore the collegial character of church governance; they uphold the principle of constitutionality.

The difference which exists among Reformed churches is due to different emphases in understanding Christ's living presence through the word in the church. Some place primary emphasis on the ministers called, trained and ordained to proclaim the word of God; they regard the ministers as the successors of the church's apostolic governing body. Others stress the role of the gathered congregation in discerning Christ's presence; ministers are primarily understood as servants of the gathered congregation; their leadership arises out of the life of the congregation and functions on its behalf.

The Reformed churches believe that their basic convictions on the order of the church reflect the spirit of the New Testament. For the most part, they do no longer claim that the New Testament leaves room for only one polity and that other forms are therefore not valid. They know that concepts and patterns of church governance have evolved at the time of the NT and in the course of history, and that they need to be adapted to the conditions in which we live today.

In this connection the following issues arise:

a) To what extent are the basic Reformed convictions really embodied in the actual practice of the churches? How can the churches avoid the danger of their polity becoming window-dressing rather than lived reality? For instance, there has been in many churches, in response to the increasing complexity of the modern world, a rapid growth of administrative and bureaucratic structures. More and more decisions are taken by boards and committees through processes whose style has been borrowed from modern management. In this new situation, how can both "Christ's ruling through the Word" and the real participation of the congregation be effectively maintained?

b) What is the relationship between the Ministry of Word and Sacraments and the role of the congregation in discerning the meaning of God's Word? How can the complementarity between the Presbyterian and Congregational emphases in the Reformed family of churches be more clearly shown?

c) While giving prominence to the Ministry of Word and Sacraments the Reformed tradition has always emphasized the need for diverse ministries in the church. In fact, at the time of the Reformation the Reformed churches restored at the level of the local congregation the "threefold ministry" which was characteristic of the ancient church: the bishop (pastor) surrounded by a group of presbyters (elders) and assisted by deacons. How does the threefold ministry need to be adapted today to respond to the variety of tasks which each congregation has to fulfil?

d) Reformed churches have always emphasized the role of corporate governing bodies in the exercise of episcopé or oversight. At the level of the local congregation the minister of Word and Sacraments fulfils this task together with the group of elders and deacons. At the level of an area or region oversight is exercised by presbyteries or synods. The question arises whether at this latter level Reformed churches attach sufficient importance to the personal dimension of pastoral oversight. Do they not tend to consider personal offices beyond the congregation as administrative rather than pastoral? What can we learn from other traditions in this respect?

Notes

III. Communion in Christ - a sign of Christ's presence in the world

The church bears witness to God not only by proclaiming the gospel but by its very being and life. In the Holy Spirit a quality of communion emerges which can reflect the vision of new humanity which God will create. It is a communion which lives in thanksgiving and praise, in mutual love and support in solidarity with those who are exploited and suffer. We know that our churches are far from reflecting this vision. The gift of communion in Christ is constantly denied and distorted. God may of course act even through our shortcomings. The power of the gospel does not ultimately depend on the quality of the witnesses. But as we seek to be faithful stewards of God's calling we need to turn our attention to the ways in which the life of our churches witnesses to God's gift of communion.

1. The Catholicity of the Church

Proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ implies a vision of and a commitment to the catholicity of the church. The church is catholic because Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the whole world, is present in its midst. It is catholic by witnessing to his work of salvation. It is catholic by embodying in its life the message addressed to all people: be reconciled with God. It is catholic by being a sign of the communion to which all people are called. To this catholicity the church is committed. Its vision embraces the promise of God in Christ for the whole world. It may not be narrowly concerned with itself. It must be open to all people in their aspirations and in their sufferings. The church is a wandering people who look forward to the fulfilment of history in the kingdom of God.

What are the consequences of this vision?

a) Most obviously, the vision of the catholicity of that church requires commitment to the visible unity of the church. To this end the Reformed churches need to ask first how they can more effectively express unity among themselves. What are the reasons for the multiple splits which have occurred in Reformed churches and how can this tendency be overcome? Can we gain insights from other traditions, perhaps in the area of sacramental theology, which will help us?

b) But the vision of catholicity requires at the same time commitment to the ecumenical movement. The Reformed churches need to give fresh thought to the next steps to be taken in the search of the visible unity of all churches. What might they contribute to the clarification of ecumenical goals for the years immediately ahead? The ecumenical movement has experienced both impressive achievements and disappointing setbacks in recent years. But that movement, once a vision and a hope, is now a living reality. What appears to some as loss of momentum or even impasse we interpret as an opportunity for reappraisal and new commitment. Today we need a new, shared setting of ecumenical goals in which the Reformed churches should play a vigorous part.

What is the understanding of unity by which the Reformed churches should be guided in the ecumenical movement? Can you agree that on the one hand the unity we seek does not require one single ecclesiastical organization, but that on the other hand it does presuppose, at the minimum -

1. Some articulation of our unity in the one faith;
2. Some form of mutual recognition of Baptism, Eucharist and Ministries;
3. Some agreement on standards of ethical witness for Christians in the world; and
4. Some appropriate common discipline for decision-making.

c) The vision of catholicity goes still further, it requires a commitment to a communion capable of sending a message of reconciliation to all humanity. Barriers which separate people from one another, especially barriers which lead to domination, oppression and exploitation need to be overcome. The church which will be a sign of the kingdom needs to be governed by the words "there is no Jew nor Greek, no slave nor free, no male nor female, you are all one in Jesus Christ." Commitment to catholicity means a constant growth to maturity in this respect. It means overcoming inherited patterns of domination in the church, as our ways are judged in the light of the coming kingdom.

The thought grows among us that we may be helped in both respects by Isaiah's vision of Israel as "...a covenant to the people, a light to the nations ..." (42.6). May we not think in terms of a world-wide covenant people of God whose life together could bring the deepest hopes and fears of humankind out of tribalism into transforming relationship with God's kingdom, power, and glory? Such a covenant people, made possible in the midst of the graceless powers by the grace of God in Jesus Christ, would be a reality more comprehensive than any existing church traditions. The churches as we know them should be its instruments, its earthen vessels, not its masters. To what creative initiatives are we called by God in this moment of history? Read Leviticus 25 in conjunction with Luke 4. Does it provide any guidance?

d) Reformed churches have always attributed special importance to the relation with the Jewish people. What is the role of the Jews who, while not acknowledging Jesus as the Christ, yet claim to be the true Israel? Many Reformed churches place special emphasis on this mystery; at the same time there is sharp controversy on the issue. What place does this mystery have in your view? What is the appropriate relationship to the Jewish people - required by the vision of the catholicity of the church?

Racism and apartheid

The General Council of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches meeting in Ottawa, August 17-27, 1982, took several official actions on the issue of racism and apartheid, including the following:

"The General Council expresses its profound disappointment that despite earlier appeals by Warc General Councils, and despite continued dialogue between several Reformed churches and the white Dutch Reformed churches over twenty years, the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk (in the Republic of South Africa) and the Nederduitse Hervormde Kerk van Afrika have still not found the courage to realize that apartheid ("separate development') contradicts the very nature of the church and obscures the gospel from before the world; the Council therefore pleads afresh with these churches to respond to the promises and demands of the gospel...

Therefore, the General Council, reluctantly and painfully, is compelled to suspend the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk (in the Republic of South Africa) and the Nederduitse Hervormde Kerk van Afrika from the privileges of membership in Warc, i.e. sending delegates to General Councils and holding membership in departmental committees and commissions, until such time as the Warc Executive Committee has determined that these two churches in their utterances and practice have given evidence of a change of heart. They will be warmly restored to the full privileges of membership when the following changes have taken place:

• Black Christians are no longer excluded from church services, especially from Holy Communion;
• Concrete support in word and deed is given to those who suffer under the system of apartheid ("separate development').
• Unequivocal synod resolutions are made which reject apartheid and commit the church to dismantling this system in both church and politics.

The General Council pays respect to those within the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk (in the Republic of South Africa) and the Nederduitse Hervormde Kerk van Afrika who have raised their voices and are fighting against apartheid; the General Council further urges member churches to pray that these efforts bearing witness to Christ, who frees and unites, may prevail within their churches.

The General Council asks the Executive Committee of Warc to keep this whole issue regularly under review."

2. Racism and South Africa

(This part of the present document was officially voted by the General Council of Warc, in August, 1982).

God in Jesus Christ has affirmed human dignity. Through his life, death and resurrection he has reconciled people to God and to themselves. He has broken down the wall of partition and enmity and has become our peace. He is the Lord of his church who has brought us together in the one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God who is the father of us all (Eph 4.5,6).

The gospel of Jesus Christ demands, therefore, a community of believers which transcends all barriers of race - a community in which the love for Christ and for one another has overcome the divisions of race and colour.

The gospel confronts racism, which is in its very essence a form of idolatry. Racism fosters a false sense of supremacy, it denies the common humanity of believers, and it denies Christ's reconciling, humanizing work. It systematizes oppression, domination and injustice. As such the struggle against racism, wherever it is found, in overt and covert forms, is a responsibility laid upon the church by the gospel of Jesus Christ in every country and society.

At the present time, without denying the universality of racist sin, we must call special attention to South Africa. Apartheid (or "separate development') is therefore a pseudo-religious ideology as well as a political policy. It depends to a large extent on this moral and theological justification. The division of Reformed churches in South Africa on the basis of race and colour, is being defended as a faithful interpretation of the will of God and of the Reformed understanding of the church in the world. This leads to the division of Christians at the table of the Lord as a matter of practice and policy, which has been continually affirmed save for exceptional circumstances under special permission by the white Afrikaans Reformed churches. This situation brings a particular challenge to Warc.

This is not the first time that the Alliance has dealt with this issue. In 1964 the General Council, meeting in Frankfurt, declared that racism is nothing less than a betrayal of the gospel: "The unity in Christ of members, not only of different confessions and denominations, but of different nations and races, points to the fullness of the unity of all God's coming kingdom. Therefore the exclusion of any person on grounds of race, colour or nationality, from any congregation and part of the life of the church contradicts the very nature of the church. In such a case, the gospel is actually obscured from the world and the witness of the churches made ineffective." In 1970, the General Council held in Nairobi confirmed this stance: "The church must recognize racism for the idolatry it is... The church that by doctrine and/or practice affirms segregation of peoples (e.g. racial segregation) as a law for its life cannot be regarded as an authentic member of the body of Christ."

This strong language by Warc was not heeded by the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk and the Nederduitse Hervormde Kerk who were mentioned by name, and it was not given any follow-up by Warc itself.

The General Council of Warc meeting in Ottawa 1982, declares: The promises of God for his world and for his church are in direct contradiction to apartheid ideals and practices. These promises, clearly proclaimed by the prophets and fulfilled in Christ, are peace, justice and liberation. They contain good news for the poor and deliverance for the oppressed, but also God's judgement on the denial of rights and the destruction of humanity and community.

We feel duty-bound by the gospel to raise our voice and stand by the oppressed. "None of the brethren can be injured, despised, rejected, abused or in any way offended by us, without at the same time injuring, despising, and abusing Christ by the wrongs we do...We cannot love Christ without loving him in the brethren' (Calvin).

In certain situations the confession of a church needs to draw a clear line between truth and error. In faithful allegiance to Jesus Christ it may have to reject the claims of an unjust or oppressive government and denounce Christians who aid and abet the oppressor. We believe that this is the situation in South Africa today.

The churches which have accepted Reformed confessions of faith have therefore committed themselves to live as the people of God and to show in their daily life and service what this means. This commitment requires concrete manifestation of community among races, of common witness to justice and equality in society, and of unity at the table of the Lord.

The Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk and the Nederduitse Hervormde Kerk, in not only accepting, but actively justifying the apartheid system by misusing the gospel and the Reformed confession, contradict in doctrine and in action the promise which they profess to believe.

Therefore, the General Council declares that this situation constitutes a status confessionis for our churches, which means that we regard this as an issue on which it is not possible to differ without seriously jeopardizing the integrity of our common confession as Reformed churches.

We declare with Black Reformed Christians of South Africa that apartheid ("separate development') is a sin, and that the moral and theological justification of it is a travesty of the gospel, and in its persistent disobedience to the Word of God, a theological heresy.

Even as we say this, we confess that we are not without guilt in regard to racism. Racism is a reality everywhere and its existence calls for repentance and concerted action.

Out of this certain questions emerge for our churches:

• How do we combat racism in our societies and our own churches?
• How do we come to understand our complicity in the racist structures of South Africa through the economic involvement of especially Western European and North American countries and churches?
• How do we remain sensitive to the insidious way in which racism and social injustice are so often excused in the name of economic interest and national security?
• How can we give concrete manifestation to our concern for and solidarity with the victims of racism in South Africa and elsewhere in their struggle for justice, peace, reconciliation and human liberation?
• How can the churches best develop relationships with black Reformed churches in South Africa and with churches and Christians (black and white) who are engaged in this struggle?

In expressing solidarity with those who struggle for justice in this situation, how do we witness to the reconciling grace of God for those whom we see as oppressive and in error?

3. The community of women and men

We rejoice in the growing realization in our churches of the biblical promise that in Christ there is "neither male nor female", but all are one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3.27-28). Women are finding increasing opportunity for participation in service as elders and as pastors, as well as in more traditional women's roles. They are finding the confidence to express, out of their special experience, aspects of the gospel which have been voiced less clearly at other times.

There remain, however, many concerns for women and men about our life together in the church.

1) Some of our member churches still officially restrict the participation of women by refusing them the right to be ordained as elders or as pastors. Some churches unofficially limit women's participation as well by ignoring the potential contributions of the laity. We call upon such churches to acknowledge full privileges of membership for all the baptized, so that their communities can more clearly demonstrate to the world the renewal of human community in the body of Christ. When our churches fail to do this, we deny the personhood of women and reinforce the discriminatory attitudes and practices of society at large.

2) Even where official restrictions on women's participation in the church have been removed, both women and men are uncomfortably aware of the need for new styles of collaboration between women and men in the life of the church. Women are particularly concerned that styles of leadership in our churches are too often hierarchical and oppressive, not conducive to the sharing of the gifts and wisdom of all. The work of the Holy Spirit in the church is never completed. Thus, we challenge all people in our churches to take the risk of joining together, in an atmosphere of openness and mutual respect, in a search for new styles of collaboration which will permit the churches to be enriched by the gifts of all the faithful. Such a venture would help to revitalize our Reformed heritage of shared ministry and service.

3) We welcome the fact that in recent times biblical studies and theological reflection have led to a fuller vision of the Trinitarian understanding of God; placing the images of Father and Son in a proper perspective. We must also emphasize biblical imagery for God which points to God's love, compassion, nurture (qualities which some cultures have identified as feminine), in order to balance the emphasis too often found on images of God's lordship, dominion, kingship (qualities which some cultures have identified as masculine). Over-emphasis on the latter sort of imagery has, in our generation and previous ones, reinforced authoritarian repressive styles of leadership in church and society, and oppressive male dominance over women and has distorted our understanding of God's nature.

4) We are encouraged by increasing attention in many churches to language which includes both women and men. We must not grow slack in our efforts to discover and employ non-sexist language. Nor should we imagine that the task is accomplished when the vocabulary of public statement and documents is inclusive, while private conversations and attitudes remain exclusive and sexist. We challenge our churches and their members (both women and men) to strengthen their efforts to speak in ways which include and affirm persons of both sexes, as well as persons of all races and nations, and of all ages and abilities.

5) As the church becomes ever more inclusive of persons previously marginalized by many societies (members of racial/ethnic minorities, the young and elderly, woman, the handicapped), there is danger that these groups may be perceived as competing for power in a way which weakens the participation of others. Inclusion of all persons in full participation in the body of Christ is not a power struggle which one group wins and another loses. Thus, the challenge for us all is to work for a transformed church open to the ministries of all the baptized, in such a way that all our ministries may be empowered and that the mission and witness of the church as a whole may be strengthened.

4. The family and marriage

The family, with marriage as its foundation, plays a central role in the Christian tradition. In the Reformed family of churches the emphasis has been on the covenantal character of relations between men and women, children and parents. The ultimate basis of the family and marriage is the patient committed covenant love of God in Jesus Christ for His church (Ephesians 5). Seen in this light the family is the place of a creative, shared life in freedom and responsibility where human beings are able to be nurtured and grow in maturity, in mutual love and support.

Throughout the centuries, the witness of Christians and the churches to Christ's gospel in and through the family and marriage has been borne in a constantly changing society. Their understanding and practice has been challenged and influenced by these changes.

As they seek to bear witness to the gospel in this important area of human life, they face many direct and indirect challenges. Different cultures with differing patterns of family life and marriage exist side by side in pluralist societies; there are economic and industrial forces which threaten the stability of family life and marriage; there are growing popular forms of permissiveness in various cultures which challenge the Christian view of freedom and discipline; there is the increasing frequency of inter-confessional "mixed" marriages.

How do our churches witness to the gospel today in their teaching and practice in this area?

Some of the questions are:

• How are the biblical insights on which the Christian and Reformed view of the family and marriage rest reflected in the contemporary teaching and practice of our churches?
• How far does the teaching and practice of our Western churches in this field simply reflect the "diluted" Christian attitudes of a post-Christian society? Are the churches alert to the need to ensure sufficient independence from secular norms to allow for Christian pastoral concern?
• For many churches in the countries of the Third World the question of the Old Testament practice of concubinage and polygamy is one which calls for clarification in the context of a Christian doctrine and praxis of family and marriage. Has your church any light to throw on this question?
• Has the Reformed tradition over-stressed the vocation to marriage to the detriment of vocations to celibacy and the disciplined life of religious communities? What is the place of such religious communities in the life of the Reformed churches?
• How do churches respond to the new forms of relationships between man and woman, parents and children, which are practised by many young people today and who see no need for civil or religious rites or sanctions?

IV. Witness in a threatened and divided world

We turn in this section to certain subjects which have a distinctive bearing on the witness of the church today.

As the church witnesses to the gospel, it needs to mirror faithfully the totality of God's mission. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not to be abbreviated by a one-sided emphasis on any one aspect of God's saving purpose. In Jesus hrist, the healing love of God reaches out bringing wholeness for the whole of humanity, both individually and corporately. The gospel is at once addressed both to humanity, called to live in community and to the individual called to live as a child of the Father. On the one hand there is the biblical truth that God as Lord of history is intensely involved in the upheavals of history and therefore the evangelism of the church must engage with every level of the social, political and economic life of humanity. On the other hand, there is the witness of the gospel to that redeeming power of God which embraces without exception every living person, for in the sight of God, every single person counts. Not one is forgotten. No matter how we may describe the nature of God's gift of salvation, overcoming sin and death and creating newness of life, we must never minimize the vast sweep of his redemptive purpose for the whole of creation. The gospel of God in Jesus Christ is cosmic.

An urgent task of the Reformed churches is to rethink their witness to the totality of God's mission in a world endangered by ideological, political and racial divisions, threatened with nuclear destruction, and corrupted by economic injustice. Furthermore, despite the unprecedented mobility of people across national and geographical boundaries, thanks to rapid means of travelling and swift communications' systems and devices, Christians have barely begun to grapple with the reality of cultural and religious pluralism of our world and to wrestle with the relations between such pluralism and God's mission of redeeming, restoring, and recreating this threatened world and divided humanity. A deepened and broadened understanding of evangelism is bound to emerge out of such grappling and wrestling.

1. Amid diversity of cultures

The Reformed churches in the West have responded to the call of God to make the gospel known to all people. Necessarily their witness was shaped by conditions and events of the 16th and subsequent centuries in Europe and North America. That same witness has helped to form western civilization down to this day.

The missionary calling has, however, led these churches beyond the limitations of the western world so that today by far the larger part of the Reformed family of churches is found in regions of the world with quite other cultures, religions and histories.

We praise God for this spreading of the Word. We also recognize its problems. The missionary message accompanied the spread of European-North American culture and power to all parts of the earth. Too often it was assumed that the cultural forms in which the message came were essential to the gospel itself. Too seldom was the sustaining grace and providence of God discerned in the history of other peoples with their cultural and religious forms. Too often the line was drawn between the "Christian culture" of Europe and North America and the "non-Christian cultures" of Africa and Asia, instead of between the judging and reconciling work of Christ and all cultures. As a result the Christian message has not yet become the dynamic force it should be, testifying God's presence among all peoples. We need therefore to re-examine the relations between the Christian faith and cultures shaped by other faiths as they are changing in the modern world, in order to discern more deeply God's work in human history. Human culture is rooted in God's creation and calling. By entrusting the created world to human care and management, God has given human beings the ability to be culturally creative. Diversity of culture is a divine blessing.

Human culture is also an expression of a desire to raise common life to the level of permanent value, to secure it against danger from other people, and to glorify the power and institutions of society. In this effort, culture can become self-contained, excluding God and the neighbour.

All culture, including that influenced by Christian faith, moves between these poles, and in this movement God is at work. Culture bears the marks of divine-human encounter in tension, conflict, and in reconciliation whether or not the gospel has been heard in it. The meaning of culture must be fathomed theologically, not anthropologically alone. The Bible itself can be our guide in doing this. The history of the people of Israel is one of constant reformation of culture, by an ever renewed experience of God in the midst of the nations. The New Testament message led the apostles out of Israel into the Gentile world, with the promise of the risen Christ for its cultures and its future. We are to go the same way into the cultures of our world. The church with its gospel needs to penetrate into the soul of a culture where people celebrate life in all its joy and agony and experience hope and despair. Witness to Christ is the extension of his ministry here at the very heart of human experience, bearing the suffering of the people through the cross and leading them to hope in his risen presence.

How can we more faithfully fulfil this mission? We suggest the following:

We need a more intense dialogue among the Reformed churches about the theological understanding of human culture in which Euro-American as well as African and Asian theological ideas and Christian practices will be subjected to creative examination in the light of the gospel.

We need more profound participation in the world's secular and religious cultures by Christians, in order that in each place the work of God and the presence of Christ may become more clear.

We need clearer vision about how all our cultures are being changed by world powers and events, and the relation of God's saving power to this change.

2. Peace

The commitment to peace has a central place in the biblical message. God wants the people he has created in his own image to live together in peace. He opposes the forces of hatred and destruction which threaten human community.

The commitment to peace requires a renewed approach in every generation. The forces of violence, war and destruction take new forms in every century. Since Hiroshima we are aware that we are living under the threat of nuclear weapons. The means of destruction have changed; they are such that the possible good to be obtained by a nuclear war will not outweigh the horror of destruction which will be its consequence. But no warnings have been able to stop the nuclear armament of the nations. In recent decades an ever more impressive arsenal of nuclear weapons has been built up. The threat of the nuclear holocaust gives an added meaning to the phrase in the letter of James "let us not say we shall do this or that", rather let us say "if we shall be alive we shall do this or that."

Reformed churches have persistently raised their voice against the nuclear arms race. The General Council has restated its conviction that Christians are under the obligation to work for peace:

"Warc calls upon its member churches and the individual members thereof to regard the question of peace as not merely a political question but as one that immediately concerns our commitment to the God of peace; to support in their respective societies by all means available to them all measures towards nuclear disarmament; to support the concerted action of the international community for disarmament; and in particular to urge the nations to take unilateral initiatives toward this end."

Obviously commitment to peace does not only mean opposition to the use of nuclear arms. The responsibility is much wider. Commitment to peace means struggle for more justice in society. Peace cannot be defined negatively as absence of the use of arms. Peace means a community living in mutual respect, solidarity and justice. Peace without regard for the poor, for oppressed and suffering people is no authentic peace.

The countries of the developed world tend to regard the nuclear threat as the primary threat to peace. Representatives from Asia, Africa and Latin America have reminded the General Council not to concentrate on the nuclear threat at the expense of solidarity with the poorer nations.

The scandal of hunger must not be minimized. "While you rise in the morning", a representative from Africa said, "and ask, "What and when are we going to eat?' many of us have the anxious question "Will we eat?' While your primary concern is nuclear destruction our primary concern is the minimum which makes life possible."

How does your church understand the commitment to peace? What does it in fact undertake to give expression to its commitment? In particular, how does it express its resolute opposition to the use of nuclear arms? How does it make clear that it is concerned with all aspects of peace?

The General Council has clearly stated its conviction with regard to nuclear armament. What implication does this have for the Christian witness in your country?

In the course of the past decade many Reformed churches have spoken on the issue of peace. The Reformed churches in Eastern Europe, in particular the Reformed Church of Hungary, have repeatedly called for a resolute commitment to the cause of peace. More recently the Hervormde Kerk in Holland and the Moderamen of the Reformed Federation in the Federal Republic of Germany have issued statements on peace. The latter declared: "...Now, as the possibility of atomic war is more than ever before becoming a probability, we come to this recognition: The issue of peace is one which concerns the faith of the church. For us the status confessionis is given with it because the attitude taken to means of mass destruction has to do with the affirmation or denial of the gospel itself..."

Such a statement presents a challenge to all Reformed churches. Do you agree with it or do you have a different view of the Christian commitment to peace?

3. Human wealth and power

The problem we face is familiar to us all. There has been an extraordinary expansion of human wealth and power, of technological control over nature, and of human productivity in the past two centuries. Yet we face the prospect, by the very existence of this power, that we may become victims of our own systems and may destroy the earth which is our home. Power is becoming more and more centralized. We feed it with our own short-term interests, our greed and our fears. We need a new understanding of God's judgement and promise for our stewardship of the earth, our ways of securing the common good, and our hopes for the future. We must therefore face the challenge of a) poverty in the midst of wealth, and b) abuse of power in human community.

a) Poverty in the midst of wealth

In our world today medical science has eradicated malaria, achieved transplantation of human organs, and ventures into the dangerous experiment of genetic engineering. Science and technology have turned the dreams of space voyage into reality, put transistor radios even in the hands of people living in isolated villages and remote mountains, and has succeeded in mass-producing everything from automobiles to vacuum cleaners through computerization and automation. But at the same time we are constantly made to realize that poverty plagues large sections of human society. We live in a world divided into the rich North and the poor South.

It is estimated that in the Third World the number of destitute was 700 million in the early 1970s and 800 million today. This tells us that almost 40 per cent of the people in the South are surviving - but only barely surviving (cf. North-South, a Programme for Survival, Report of the Independent Commission on International Development Issues, 1980, p. 50).

This raises a particular dilemma for Christians. It has been alleged that the economic system which created the rich North West has been inspired by the Protestant work ethic and fostered by the aggressive attitudes of Christians of Reformed tradition towards the affairs of this world. Even in the poor South East, Christians tend to be successful socially and economically. This suggests that Christianity is partly responsible for the North-South division in the present world and for the unjust economic order and practice prevailing in human community today.

b) Abuse of power in human community

In our world we are confronted with power used and abused to undermine human dignity and integrity, to limit severely freedom and to hamper the development of the God-given gifts to human beings. Such use and abuse of power takes many and varied forms. There is the economic power that imposes poverty on millions of people on the one hand, and on the other hand allows the monopoly of rich resources of the earth by a few as mentioned above. Abuse of power also expresses itself in authoritarian governments in many countries, depriving people of their social and political rights, even their right to live, and keeping the entire society in a state of siege. Countless numbers of people have fallen victim to this blatant form of abuse of power by political authorities. Another frightening development manifests itself in the endless arms race, putting the destiny of humankind at the mercy of military powers of rival nations.

In situations such as these, there are increasing numbers of people who refuse to accept with resignation the exploitation of the human person and destruction of human community by those who hold economic, military and political power. They resist such powers by peaceful demonstration, by active engagement in reform efforts, or by violent revolution. In short, resistance, in whatever form, to the powers that abuse human persons and endanger the future of humanity and the world, has become a world-wide movement. The resistance movement to oppressive powers has come to shape and define the spirit of our age.

Christians too are caught in the struggle between the powers that dehumanize and oppress and the counter-powers that seek liberation from human bondage. An increasing number of Christians consider it their Christian duty to resist oppressive powers by peaceful means. There are also Christians who, after peaceful means and reform efforts have failed, join in the use of physical force.

It is particularly the use of physical force that raises for Christians searching questions. In a sense, resistance is an element in all Christian witness which points toward the coming judgement of God at the end of time. When this is translated into participation in a struggle to replace an unjust power with one relatively more just, especially when this struggle is violent, special opportunities and temptations are involved. Acts of violence, even in a just cause, have their own dangerous consequences. At the same time, it may be that only by taking part in such a struggle can the Christian give expression to solidarity with the oppressed. And we have come to realize more and more that such solidarity is part and parcel of Christian witness to the God of love and justice, redeeming and reconciling the world in Jesus Christ.

In view of what has been said, we ask the following questions:

We need to discern and proclaim a new vision of the promise of God for human society which will replace the goal of ever-expanding, unfairly distributed, wealth and power. What does the Bible tell us about such a new vision? What are the shape and content of the new vision when translated into our particular situations?

We face the power structures of the world that express themselves in political-authoritarian government, exploitive and profit-centred business concerns, prejudiced and self-centred races and nations, or ideological-self-righteous movements which tolerate no critique in pursuing their goals. We need to understand more deeply how such powers are at work in the world at large and in our respective societies and nations. What then does commitment to the faith in Jesus Christ require of us vis-à-vis these powers? What is the missionary task of the church?

The prevailing poverty in the world does put into question the success-oriented view of life encouraged by a Protestant work-ethic. Millions of the poor are witnesses against the exploitative economy which grew out of the West under the influence of Christianity. How do we then reformulate our view of life in the world on the basis of Jesus' teachings on the Kingdom of God?

Against torture

The General Council of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches meeting in Ottawa, 17-27 August, 1982, took the following action on the issue of torture:

The General Council of Warc meeting in Ottawa in 1982 condemns the use of torture as a serious violation of human rights, and it explicitly calls on its member churches:

• To break the silence surrounding the use of torture and to denounce it publicly;
• To make Christians aware that it is the duty of the churches to be in the forefront of the struggle against torture, and by using all possible means to enlist them in this struggle which is to be waged by prayer and action;
• To urge their governments to support the establishment of an effective International Convention Against Torture whereby countries would at all times permit visits to places of detention by delegates of an impartial commission."

Human Rights: Theological Basis and Political Consequences²

The theological foundation of human rights in the tradition of the Reformation is the essential dignity of the human being, created in the image of God, called and claimed by God in his covenant, reconciled to God in Jesus Christ and partaking of the hope of the coming Kingdom when the Triune God will glorify human beings and they will take part in his eternal life and his unending joy. Human rights are therefore not attributes of individuals in themselves; they are functions and descriptions of relations between human beings which reflect the covenant, grace and promise of God. The dignity of human beings in this relationship implies also responsible community with God and their neighbours, and to realize in themselves and in the community God's promise for them, is the gift of God in Jesus Christ. It is also the command of God to realize human rights in society.

The struggle for human dignity and rights takes place in a sinful world where selfish powers will dominate and suppress others when they can. In such a world God's judgement and grace take form in two kinds of "rights":

Rights of persons to freedom from coercion by others, to liberty of speech, press, assembly, dissent, and self-expression. The suspicion of unchecked social power and the demand for its constitutional limitation is a heritage of Reformed theology.

Rights of persons to life, to basic food, clothing, and shelter, to peace and a fair share in the commonwealth. These are rights which government must secure, by its social action, to the people.

Both kinds, personal freedoms and social welfare, are essential to human dignity. The heart of the one is respect for the humanity of other persons; the heart of the other is justice in sharing the resources and power of the world. Both are secular foundations of the responsible community God intends among his people. Both involve struggle with the powers of this world. Both require not only the compromise and adjudication of rights which conflict with one another, but also the witness of the church to the reconciling grace of God which leads people beyond insistence on their rights to self-giving for the neighbour in community.

The struggle for human rights involves therefore a concrete understanding of the forces in each society that threaten or deny them. Different combinations of rights are most important in different situations in a divided world. Given this, we recommend:

that the church in each place discern the human rights that need special attention in the society where it lives, bear its witness there and draw on the support of the whole church in doing so.

That the church be the conscience of the government, industry and other social powers, discerning subtle as well as brutal violations of humanity, and pointing the way to sacrificial action which will realize a higher level of community.

That the church continually seek in society a balance between individual liberties and public responsibility, between freedoms of speech, press, religion, enterprise and rights to food, housing, clothing, medical care, education and a healthy environment.

That the churches consult and inform each other on these matters so that a common mind and mutual support may be strengthened across the world.

That the churches set forth together a basic core of human rights that may not be violated without protest and action by the ecumenical agencies of the church as a whole. The right to life against starvation or mass murder, the right to dissent against total control of mind and speech, and the right to personal integrity against torture would belong to this core.

2. From 1970 to 1976 the World Alliance of Reformed Churches sponsored a major study on the Theological Basis of Human Rights. The report was published in February 1976 and can be obtained from Warc, 150 rte de Ferney, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland.

Conclusion

God calls us to witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ today.

But we live today in a world where the signs are not promising. Over our world hangs the possibility of annihilation by seemingly incorrigible human greed, folly and violence. Some rate the chances of evading catastrophe as very slim. In apocalyptic mood, some even consider disaster inescapable. But God calls us to bear witness today not on the basis of optimistic, pessimistic, apocalyptic or even realistic analyses of our times. He calls us to witness to the good news of faith, hope and love in Jesus Christ. Our witness is not at the mercy of human diagnoses but derives its confidence and responsible realism from the very calling of God to us to witness to His care for the earth and all its inhabitants, knowing that He who calls us is faithful and can make use of our witness in the preparation of His kingdom.

God calls us to witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ today.

He sustains and leads His church from one generation to another. The church may pass through deep waters and take wrong turnings. It nevertheless has God's promise that it will continue to be preserved in truth. In decay and reformation, death and resurrection, God gives His church a deeper and surer continuity than can be secured by external forms however significant they may be. Despite all the confusions arising in its train, the Reformation witnessed to this continuity in God's fidelity to His gracious promise and our response to that promise in faith, hope and love. The way of the church through the centuries is no triumphal march. It lives, as Calvin testified, by "many resurrections."

God calls us to witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ today.

In the world as it is today, witness to the gospel calls us to accept the ministry of suffering. For the church throughout the world today, the horizon of trial and suffering is the normal situation. Christians in many parts of our world testify to us by their sufferings that Christian believing, hoping and loving can never be without a cost, sometimes a very heavy one. Yet the promise of resurrection remains. As we pray to be delivered from evil and from the time of testing, we know that God may call upon us, too, to suffer for our Christian faith. Yet we affirm that God's love is stronger than death, for to Him belong the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever. Amen

Questions for group discussion

How do you give expression to the central affirmation?
- Jesus Christ, the Saviour - what does this mean for you?
- What "Songs of love" do you or does your congregation have to offer?
- God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit: what does it mean for you to describe God in this way?

Where, in your eyes, is the Holy Spirit at work today? Where do you see signs of renewed life
- In your own life?
- In your congregation?
- In the church at large?

Confessing the gospel may mean drawing a line between truth and error. Where do you think that today the truth of the gospel is being obscured or even denied by error?

We believe in Christ as members of the church. What does it mean for you to be a member of the church?
- To what extent is faith a "personal affair"?
- Do you see a connection between discipleship and discipline?
- What do you do to serve the unity of your congregation?

What do you think of worship as it is celebrated in your congregation?
- Are there aspects which require renewal?
- Are you in favour of a more regular celebration of the Lord's Supper?

How do you understand the relationship between "Reformed" and "Ecumenical"? The movement of the Reformation finds its continuation in the ecumenical movement. Is this true?

Try to enumerate the insights and perspectives the Reformed tradition may have to contribute to the ecumenical movement. Try to enumerate the points on which Reformed churches may need to learn from other churches.

How would you describe the relationship of your church to the culture of your country?

What does it mean for you to be in communion with churches of other countries? Where does this communion find expression in the life of your congregation?

What understanding of marriage and family do we transmit to the coming generation?

What proposals do you have for responsible stewardship?
- With regard to wealth and money?
- With regard to power?

The World Alliance of Reformed Churches has declared that Racism is sin and the Apartheid ("separate development') in South Africa is not compatible with the gospel. What does this statement mean for you and for your church?
Seek to identify the reality of Racism in your own context.
In what ways are you prepared to combat it?

.Discuss the issue of Human Rights. What relation do you see between the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the commitment to the protection of Human Rights? In what ways will you join the struggle for Human Rights? In particular, the struggle against the use of torture?

For Peace and Justice - How do you see the relationship between the no to nuclear arms and the struggle against the hunger of the poor nations?