Mission was prominent in the discussions of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches in its earlier days. Regular reports were given on the missionary work of its member churches. The attention of its General Councils was drawn to important developments in different parts of the world. Since the Second World War, however, the theme has practically disappeared from the agenda. The concern for mission, it was felt, could be pursued best within the ecumenical movement, under the aegis of the International Missionary Council (IMC) and the World Council of Churches (WCC). Our discussions at the Geneva consultation have forced us to the conclusion, however, that the theme "mission and unity" is of central importance for the Reformed churches today and should be restored to our agenda as a matter of urgency. It is essential, we believe, that the Alliance should reopen discussion on this theme, on the following grounds.

Many significant developments have taken place in recent decades and call for common reflection on the part of our churches. There has been a remarkable missionary expansion. Reformed churches have been established in many parts of the world. A rich and varied experience of mission has been accumulated. The insights and lessons learned in this process need to be shared by the churches.

Challenges and opportunities to fulfil our missionary calling abound today. God's call is one and the same for the whole church but the challenges and opportunities to obey that call vary from place to place and the gospel must be proclaimed in ways appropriate to each different context. To be faithful to God's calling, we need to share both our hopes and our perplexities. We need to encourage and challenge one another. We need to rediscover our unity as a world-wide fellowship.

At the ecumenical level, a deeper understanding of mission has been achieved. We are thinking here of two important statements in particular: Mission and Evangelism - An Ecumenical Affirmation (1982) and Guidelines for Sharing (1987). Both deserve the attention of the Reformed churches. The first of these two statements reflects a surprising convergence in the understanding of mission and sets many once controversial issues in a common perspective. The second statement, the work of a world consultation on sharing resources, held last year at El Escorial, is equally impressive, not least for its proposal of a discipline of sharing with the poor and dispossessed, both as a witness to the values of the Kingdom of God and as a closer bond between the churches in their common perspective. The second statement, the work of a world consultation on sharing resources, held last year at El Escorial, is equally impressive, not least for its proposal of a discipline of sharing with the poor and dispossessed, both as a witness to the values of the Kingdom of God and as a closer bond between the churches in their common mission and mutual accountability.

We believe that the time is ripe for the World Alliance to respond to this new approach. What are its implications for the Reformed churches? How can this new approach help them to become more obedient to God's call today? What can they, in turn, contribute to the ecumenical theory and practice of mission?

Mission and unity are indivisible. Mission should normally be a united enterprise; only in mission can the churches truly reflect the unity which God wills. We Reformed churches have special cause to reflect together on the indivisibility of mission and unity. We have to confess with shame that, although Reformed churches have also shown a lively concern for the unity of the church, they in particular have displayed a seemingly inveterate tendency to divisiveness. New initiatives are urgently required, therefore, to establish a stronger and deeper fellowship among the Reformed churches. How are they to achieve a more effective common witness?

The theme of "mission in unity" has become a vital growing concern for all who were privileged to participate in the Geneva consultation. Our hope is that the General Council in Seoul will give it serious and prayerful consideration and be able to establish new common perspectives conducive to effective action.

A variety of missionary situations

The diversity and complexity of the Reformed family today were vividly brought home to us in our discussion and exchanges at the consultation. There are Reformed churches in all continents and in almost all the countries of the world. Two-thirds of all Reformed Christians live in Asia, Africa and Central and South America. Each church has its own distinctive profile. In some countries, Reformed churches are strong, confident and growing. In others, they are tiny and sometimes timid minorities. In other countries, in the western world especially, they are in some cases declining and dispirited. Often they appear to be clinging wistfully to the vestiges of past splendours or else frustrated by their impotence in face of a prevalent secularism.

We can only understand the missionary task confronting us today if we realize this variety of situations. Abstract thinking will not help us to respond together to God's call and commission. Only as it is related concretely to the historical experience of the churches today will our thinking be relevant.

A fuller awareness of this diversity among Reformed Christians is also essential if the churches are to achieve a deeper level of solidarity in their common mission. It must be confessed that Reformed churches are generally ill-informed about the other members of their family. Reliable mutual information is an essential step towards a mutual and prayerful commitment. A much greater effort is needed in this direction.

At the consultation, we heard a number of reports on specific missionary situations. A selection of these is given here to illustrate the variety of situations in which Reformed Christians find themselves today. They are not meant to provide a complete analysis of each situation but are personal testimonies by participants who speak out of their own commitment to God's summons to both mission and unity.

A voice from Brazil

The first Presbyterian missionary arrived in Brazil over a century and a quarter ago, in 1859. Today there are eight Reformed churches; there is little cooperation between them and virtually no common witness. Some of these churches are ethnically defined. German, Swiss, Hungarian and Dutch immigrants brought their own churches with them. Others are the result of theological, social and political cleavages within the Presbyterian Church of Brazil. Most Brazilian Presbyterians are middle class, ignorant alike of their roots in the European Reformation as of the social realities of modern Brazilian society. Their stance is generally pietistic, puritanical, anti-Catholic and anti-ecumenical. Politically, large parts of Presbyterianism are allied with conservative and reactionary forces while at the same time proclaiming the complete separation of religion from politics. Culturally, few Presbyterians have come to terms with Brazilian culture; they represent instead an implantation of the Anglo-Saxon way of life. Within the Presbyterian churches, however, there are pockets of resistance and it is significant that ecumenical views and liberation theology have found notable Presbyterian advocates.

The latest division among Brazilian Presbyterians resulted in the United Presbyterian Church which has about 18,000 members and sees its calling as the renewal of Presbyterian witness in Brazil. It intends to be culturally Brazilian, theologically pluralistic, politically committed to the poor, and a forum for Presbyterian unity. It is exploring whether a Brazilian Presbyterianism is possible. To date it is convinced that a first step is to reject the imported pietistic individualism in favour of a more authentically Calvinistic ecclesiology. The next steps are not as yet in view.

A voice from Korea

In 1984, Protestant Christianity in Korea celebrated its first centenary. Despite periods of persecution, turmoil and much suffering, the Protestant churches have grown at a phenomenal rate so that today, in a population of forty million, there are about eight million Protestants. Most converts have come from a notably non-religious background. How are we to account for this rapid growth, particularly marked in the Presbyterian churches? At crucial moments in Korean history, the church has been able to respond positively to the needs and aspirations of the Korean people. The church became a source of energy and insight for the country's modernization. Christian values became the driving force for reform. The church defended the integrity of the nation against foreign invaders and resisted the attempt of the Japanese rulers to impose Shinto worship. In face of a determined onslaught from the Japanese, the church and Christian scholars did much to maintain Korean culture and language. The church stood for democracy.

Since the Second World War, however, Presbyterianism in Korea has suffered an astonishing number of schisms. Korean Christianity has become extremely individualistic and other worldly. The churches act as self-serving institutions. All this has served to weaken the witness of these numerically strong churches. They have failed to establish an effective solidarity with the poor and the oppressed or to struggle responsibly for justice and peace in Korea. Because of their own divisions, they have been unable to call convincingly for the reunification of the nation. The churches need to be united if they are to respond to today's challenges and opportunities - evangelization, democratization and the reunification of the nation.

A voice from Indonesia

The Christian community in Indonesia is only a small section of a total population now numbering about 170 million. In its attempt to be faithful to its missionary mandate, it faces a number of challenges. These include:

Evangelism: The work of evangelism in Indonesia must be seen against the background of the official government policy regarding religions. This policy is based on the recognition of four religious groups (Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians) and the prohibition of efforts by one group to convert members of another group. In view of this, it is astonishing - a sign of the Holy Spirit - that evangelism is flourishing, i.e. that the Christian churches are growing. Educational and medical institutions are important means of evangelism, though they are not explicitly seeking to bring about conversions. The growth of the church creates tension between Muslims and Christians, since Muslim communities are not growing at the same rate as the Christian communities.

The problem posed by evangelical groups: The evangelistic work of these groups is directed primarily at people who are already Christians. This creates confusion among the Muslims who do not understand why Christians should be converted twice. These evangelicals also attack the established churches. Despite attempts by the Council of Churches in Indonesia to engage in dialogue with these groups, no mutual understanding has as yet been achieved.

The problem of modernization: The Council of Churches in Indonesia is conducting a research programme on the changes brought abut by modernization. Its purpose is to help the churches to have an open attitude to modernization but also to be critical of it and to recognize the values available in Indonesia's cultural background. The question is how the churches define modernization. Do they have their own criteria?

Dialogue: We believe that dialogue with people of living faiths is essential. Dialogue should be conducted at all levels with honesty, openness, love and peace. In Indonesia dialogue is helping to bridge the gap between groups and to ease the tensions which arise in various areas of life.

A voice from South Africa

Reformed disunity in South Africa is a glaring fact of life. Among the Afrikaans-speaking white population alone, there are three separate Reformed churches of Dutch origin while there are at least nine other Reformed and Presbyterian churches, multi-racial and black. Various factors played their part in the genesis of these disunited churches: race, language, geography and the country of origin of the founding missionary agencies. Attempts are being made to unite some of these churches but race still remains the most stubborn divisive factor.

This Reformed disunity is all the more tragic in face of the tremendous missionary opportunities in South Africa today. The most important of these opportunities is the struggle for the true liberation of all people in South Africa. The Reformed churches and their theology played an important role in the birth, maintenance and justification of institutionalized racism in South Africa. This reason in particular makes it all the more tragic that their present disunity prevents the Reformed churches in South Africa from shouldering their part of the missionary challenge of liberation.

There are glimpses of a more hopeful future, however. It is precisely the appalling reality of daily oppression and the struggle of Christians against it which is beginning to draw together the black Reformed churches in particular. These Christians will be watching the Alliance's General Council in Seoul, hoping that from it will come a clear summons to mission in unity, a message which will help to strengthen them as they seek to practice their faith day by day in the challenging South African context.

A voice from the United States

Understood in the sense of proclaiming the gospel and serving human beings, mission has an important history among the Reformed churches of the United States. Many churches have come into being in different parts of the world with the aid of missionaries from the United States. Although significant numbers of Reformed Christians still serve outside the United States, the church's "mission" is a theme which often divides the churches as much as it unites them. Although the overall giving to the church has increased in recent years, the proportion allocated to the General Assemblies of the churches, and thus to international and national mission, has decreased.

For twenty years of more, several Reformed churches have jointed with other churches around the world in a commitment to "partnership in mission", sending persons in mission only as and when requested by the churches in various countries. A commitment has also been entered into to view the United States as a country which can and should receive missionaries from other churches and not be regarded only as a "sending" country. These new developments have not met with universal support. More and more people within the churches have turned to conservative and evangelical groups with a more specific commitment to world evangelization. Some congregations support non-church-sponsored missionaries and para-church groups and independent mission organizations. Indeed, Reformed Christians are often found in the leadership of these groups. Many individual members contribute to these organizations and to the ministries of various evangelists. Mission, both overseas and domestic, has a high profile in the organizational structure of the churches but it remains to be seen whether undertaking the mission of Christ will in future bring the churches closer together or, on the contrary, drive them further apart.

A voice from France

Half of the church-affiliated Protestants in France belong to the Reformed churches, totalling about half-a-million members. They are thus a religious minority in a country with a total population of fifty-five million, a country which culturally is both strongly Catholic and strongly secular. They are experiencing, moreover, a numerical decline which in some cases benefits the conservative evangelical churches.

From the beginning of the 19th century, emerging from a century of persecutions, the Reformed churches in France set about their reintegration into the national community. This reintegration is today an accomplished fact. From then on, the problem for Reformed Christians in France was to find ways and means by which to achieve a certain social visibility and partners with whom to work for this goal, and to bear witness to the gospel effectively in a context of advanced secularization.

A combined approach with other Protestant families (Lutherans, Baptists) is indispensable in many fields: mass communication (radio, TV), public chaplaincies and social services (prisons, hospitals, armed forces), international relationships (mission, development, etc.). For the French State, incurably centralizing, recognizes as its only partner in areas which concern civil society and therefore the State's field of competence, the Protestant Federation of France. It is the Federation which is able to represent Protestant views and actions with some chance of being heard and seen and to cast a critical eye on current problems of society, i.e. bio-genetics, immigration, de-colonzation of New Caledonia, arms trade, etc.

Also indispensable is an ecumenical initiative with the Catholic Church and possibly also with the other Abrahamic families (i.e. the Jewish community and Islam) with a twofold aim: firstly, to offer to the French people an open and pluralist conception of Christian faith and commitment and, secondly, wherever the situation requires it, to bear common witness to the demands of the gospel, in face, for example, of the rise of xenophobic and racist ideologies.

A voice from the German Democratic Republic (GDR)

Reformed Christians constitute a very small minority in the German Democratic Republic. The church originated in the 17th century when the ruler of Berlin-Brandenburg was converted to the Reformed faith. In subsequent centuries, refugees came to Germany from several countries and a number of Reformed congregations were founded, including some French-speaking ones. In the territory that was formerly Prussia, the Reformed have been united with the Lutherans since the early 19th century. The Reformed congregations in the rest of the GDR are united in a federal General Assembly.

Not just Reformed Christians but Christians generally are a minority in the GDR. Most children are no longer baptized, very few people are confirmed or have a church wedding, though 50% asked to be buried by the church. No religious instruction is provided in the schools. In our society, therefore, the most urgent task is for us to engage in dialogue with people about faith and Christ. To fulfil this task we get some support through radio and TV. A worship service is broadcast every Sunday at 7.00 a.m. and on special festivals there is a brief TV programme. The essential communication, however, is through personal contacts in people's homes, at work or at the bedside of the sick.

In recent years a growing interest in matters of faith and church has emerged among young people. They began to become interested in church music, then in special events such as the Kirchentag in the Peace Decade. Though not members of the church, many of them attend such events as these with their families. A number of them, however, have presented themselves for adult baptism.

Biblical and theological considerations

1. Biblical basis of mission

Becoming a disciple of Christ means becoming involved in Christ's mission whereby God's purpose both for individual human beings and the whole human community is accomplished. "As the Father sent me, even so I send you" (Jn 20.21). What does that mean? In descriptions of "mission", the emphasis is often placed exclusively on Christ's injunction to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. When we reread the biblical witness, however, we find a great variety of responses to God's call. Here are some examples:

Communicating the gospel by attraction

The first Christian community in Jerusalem saw itself as the people of the last times, living on Zion where all the nations of the world would finally assemble (Isa. 2). Its way of life attracted people's attention. They joined it to share its experience. "Day by day the Lord added to their number those whom he was saving" (Acts 2:47).

The community grew rapidly. Limited at first to Jewish people, it soon included Samaritans and Gentiles. This step beyond the boundaries of the Jewish people precipitated a crisis. The question was whether, to become a Christian, a Gentile had first to become a Jew. The issue was settled at a council in Jerusalem (Acts 15). In Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile. In the church, people of diverse origin constitute one community.

The church is to display this new quality of communion in its life. By its life it is to invite and draw men and women from all nations and from all social, cultural and racial backgrounds to become members of the single body of Christ. Each individual congregation is to reflect God's purpose of gathering all nations into the kingdom. The unity of the church signifies the unity of all peoples.

Communicating the gospel by challenging the existing order

Jesus announces the coming of the kingdom of God. With his coming, a new order emerges. The existing ways of life are called in question. A radical reorientation of life is required of those who follow Jesus. The call of Jesus, therefore, is a call to repentance. He emphasizes that "the first will be the last." For the disciples, following Jesus meant leaving their families and possessions behind. Poor themselves, they took to the poor and dispossessed the good news of salvation and to the rich a message of warning. They challenged the pride of the powerful. To follow Jesus meant suffering. Because of his preaching, Jesus though innocent, was persecuted. He dies as God's suffering servant. God's wisdom is perceived by the world as a threat and therefore rejected by the powerful.

Communicating the gospel by radiance

Reading the New Testament epistles, we hear exhortations to newly established congregations to be faithful to the gospel, to practice brotherly and sisterly love, and to be attentive to the poor and weak. The gospel is obviously to be communicated here by the quiet witness of individual Christians and communities. They are not urged to leave the places where they live. They are expected to hear their witness to the gospel within the framework of their ordinary daily life. They continue to follow their professions and to share their life with their neighbours. Following Jesus and bearing Christian witness in this way also has its risks. It can lead to marginalization and persecution.

Communicating the gospel by founding new congregations

Christian communities which accept Christ's discipline of sharing are the living cells of the coming kingdom. There can never be too many confessing communities of this kind, therefore. From this perspective, mission is an effort to multiply the number of congregations throughout the world . "Go forth and make all nations my disciples" (Mt 28.19).

Communicating the gospel by dialogue

When it moved beyond the Jewish milieu, Christian encountered other cultures. On the one hand, they were faced with new forms of idolatry, on the other hand, they recognized that God had not been without witnesses among these other peoples, and that these peoples had sought to respond to God's call through their own traditions. From this discovery certain Christian preachers drew the conclusion that the Gentiles, without explicit knowledge Jesus Christ, had in fact been waiting for his coming (Acts 17.27-28). Others even went a step further and developed their cosmic christology of the Jesus Christ present in the world as creator and sustainer from the very beginning (Col 1.17). The wisdom to be found in cultures and religions is ultimately derived from this presence. Where this view is held, the church is clearly called to communicate the gospel in the spirit of dialogue. It will affirm the presence of Jesus Christ in all realms of life and try to show in what ways the one who died on the cross and rose again the third day is at the heart of all cultures and religions.

2. A Trinitarian approach to mission

An adequate understanding of mission presupposes a Trinitarian approach. It would be a severe narrowing of the meaning of mission to see it simply as the church's response to Christ's command to take the gospel to all the nations. Mission has its ultimate roots in the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Engaged in mission, the church seeks to bear witness in this world to the love of the Father, the Creator of all things, and the grace of Jesus Christ, the source of salvation, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, the Lord and life-giver, who fills human beings and the whole creation with true life.

The church is bound to proclaim the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. What this proclamation means is indivisible from the threefold divine work of creation, redemption and fulfilment.

From eternity, God seeks communion with humanity and with all creatures. In creating human beings in His own image and likeness, He establishes the basis for partnership and communion.

In redemption, God in His infinite love re-establishes the communion which human sin and rebellion have broken. In Jesus Christ, the walls of separation, enmity and opposition between God and humanity have been torn down. The possibility of true communion once again exists. In Jesus Christ, human beings have their humanity restored to them and renewed in them. In Him as their Brother they can turn again to God as their Father and recognize their neighbours as their brothers and sisters. In Jesus Christ a movement of salvation has begun. Those accepting the gift of redemption are called to share God's love with their neighbours.

In His infinite love, God brings humanity and all creatures to fulfilment. God the Holy Spirit is present in and accompanies the life of the creation in space and time. God the Spirit upholds creation which, by the Spirit's sustaining presence, will also continue to survive even catastrophes, destruction and death, because, in the poet's words, "the Holy Ghost over the bent world broods with warm breast and with - ah! - bright wings." God the Spirit makes Christ's saving act a living reality in the life of communities and individuals. Through the power of the Spirit, the incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ are not just things of the past but are part of present and future history in all places. The Spirit fills the hearts of people with His gifts and turns individuals and communities into the messengers and ministers of the gospel.

3. Mission to the glory of God

Mission is to be understood as the praise of God's glory in the life of the church and the world. Engaged in mission, the church does not seek its own glory, its own aggrandizement and power. Mission is to the glory of God's holy name.

Wherever communion between God and humanity is real, there is God's glory. The glory of the eternal God is not that of a ruler sitting alone on a solitary throne in single complacency but that of the communion of love of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And His glory appears wherever His love is reflected and manifest in the world of creation.

God's glory does not exclude suffering, therefore. Our Creator, Redeemer and Reconciler not only accepts but anticipates all that His love implies for the creatures He has called into being. He suffers when human beings rebel and bring chaos back again, introducing disorder into the world. Our disorder is primarily His concern and its rectification primarily His cause. So Jesus the Son suffers when the Father's gift of reconciliation is spurned and rejected. He weeps over Jerusalem. So God the Holy Spirit suffers when the church ignores His prompting and persists in disobedience.

At the birth of Jesus, the angels sang: Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth for all on whom His favour rests! God's glory is manifest among the poor who accept His gift of new life.

Praising God for His glory means following God on the way of love and suffering.

Praising God for His glory means, first and foremost, recognizing our inability to overcome the consequences of sin by our own strength. It means praising God for His love.

Praising God for His glory means being committed to the struggle for justice and peace, for the rights of creatures threatened with destruction.

Praising God for His glory means living in the hope and confidence that the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is leading and will lead the whole human family and the whole of His creation, always in surprising ways, through time and space to fulfilment in His eternal Kingdom of love, truth, peace and joy.

Basic affirmations on mission

In seeking to fulfil its missionary mandate, the church needs to bear in mind certain guiding principles, including the following:

Mission is the church's response to its calling to serve and witness to God's loving and liberating purpose for the whole human family, for every individual member of that family, and for the whole of creation.

God Himself is love in communion. In and through the history of Israel, supremely and finally in Jesus Christ, and through the acts of the Holy Spirit in the church, God has and continues to demonstrate His eternal present and final purpose of love for His creation. He has acted and continues to work to bring every human being, the whole human race and the whole of creation into the joyful fellowship of His kingdom, reaching out towards us in many and diverse ways. The mission of the church is to serve and witness to God's loving purpose by inviting all God's children to respond to it by conducting their lives accordingly and in fellowship with God and their fellow human beings.

The church's engagement in mission is a sign and practical demonstration of its faith in the God whose will it is that all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Mission is therefore for the liberation of all humanity so that "all nations should seek Thy justice, O Lord, and all rulers Thy glory."

In mission, the church responds prayerfully and concretely to the initiative and call of the Holy Spirit, relying always and everywhere on the power and guidance of the same Holy Spirit.

Mission is primarily the activity of the living God in our world. The Holy Spirit is the real missionary and the initiative for the church's mission comes from God the Holy Spirit. The church's mission is not to be reduced to a programme or plan which is devised and executed by the church itself. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses" (Acts 1.8). That is the final promise of the Risen Lord. The movement of the Holy Spirit beckons us with all the power of a mighty torrent on which we are invited to embark. Its movement provides both the direction and the power. Launched by the Pentecostal Spirit, the church surrenders power and control to the same Spirit and so finds its true freedom. For where the Spirit is, there is freedom, freedom for all the inexhaustible resources of the Holy Spirit of God. Not in its own power, but in the power of the Holy Spirit, the church addresses itself to the needs and problems in each context of its witness.

The gospel which the church receives is proclaimed to all people and embraces all aspects of life.

The Good News of God's love is revealed in Jesus Christ for all. It is meant for all human beings irrespective of race, sex, social status or background. It does not discriminate between East and West, North and South, male and female, age and youth, black and white, yellow and brown, labour and management, rural and urban, lay and clerical, refugee and citizen...

The Good News of God's love also embraces and addresses all aspects, realms and aspirations of human life and claims totally and freely all who receive it. As God's address to us, the gospel liberates and judges, comforts and convicts, uplifts and disturbs, assures and condemns, thus purifying every corner of our existence. No part of human endeavour or relationships is beyond the reach of or exempted from its power. In fidelity to the integrity of the gospel, the church proffers the gospel in its wholeness to the totality of individuals and societies, churches and other structures. It disavows any separation between private and public, spiritual and social, political and economic, intellectual and cultural, national and international aspects of created existence.

The call to mission encompasses the whole of creation. The church also bears witness to Jesus Christ as the Lord of life by its commitment to caring for God's world and defending it against all threats to its integrity.

The Spirit of God who "came from heaven like a rushing mighty wind" upon the church at Pentecost is the same Spirit who was the moving force at creation (cf. Gen 1.2 and Acts 2.2). By divine power "God made the heavens and stretched them out; He fashioned the earth and all that lives there..." (Isa 42.5). God stretched out the northern sky and hung the earth in space. God fills the clouds with water and keeps them from bursting with their weight... It is God's breath (spirit) that made the sky clear... The earth, the mountains and the seas, the galaxies and the stars, moons and planets are God's. They are all sustained by God's mighty Spirit.

By the same Spirit, the whole of creation groans, waiting in eager expectation for God's children to be revealed. It waits in hope that creation itself will be liberated from bondage to decay and brought to freedom (cf. Rom. 8.19-22). The church testifies to the power of God's Spirit and to God's love for all God's creatures. God's purpose for the wholeness of creation is revealed in Jesus Christ: "The whole universe was created through him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together" (Col 1.16b,17).

The church, through which, by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the living Christ makes Himself known in and to the world, also serves the continuing work of the same Spirit in sustaining, renewing and caring for the created world. In face of ominous threats to the natural environment, in face of a technological and military misuse of space and an insane toleration of industrial and other activities which threaten to cause incalculable and irreparable damage to our biosphere and even its potential total annihilation, the churches and their members must, in obedience to the Lord of life, speak out with prophetic forthrightness, naming names and identifying the agents and causes of this destructiveness and working rather for the redemption of God's good creation.

The church is faithful to its mission when, in the power of the Holy Spirit and in imitation of its Lord, it identified itself with his outcast and marginalized brothers and sisters and serves him by its commitment to actively serving them.

Jesus came that all might have life and have it in all its fulness. In the inestimable richness of God's grace and in virtue of the boundless sufficiency of God's providing, all God's children, whatever their circumstances, are entitled to their share in the bounty of Christ's shalom. The promise of this vision avails to everyone. Those who believe the promise enjoy the peace, the serenity and the assurance which move them to venture sharing this good news, cost what it may.

Good news is especially good when it reaches those already thirsting for it: the poor, the oppressed, the hungry, the excluded, the disowned or the victimized, the outcasts denied their right to belong, their right to a say in things, their right to shape the course of things. In His Son Jesus Christ, it was and is to these that God comes in particular, casts in His lot with them, sharing their homelessness and anonymity, their powerlessness and their sufferings. He who was rich became poor that the poor might become rich; He emptied himself... in order that these, who know emptiness every day of their lives, might be filled with good things...and the rich he has sent empty away...

Faithfulness and authenticity require the church as the body of Christ to bear his marks (stigmata) and to pitch its tent with those who are outside the camp, bearing his reproach.

The church which, faithful to its mission, is committed to justice, peace and the integrity of creation, may find itself, in virtue of this fidelity and commitment, in conflict with the ruling powers of this world. It will then show its continuing fidelity by choosing obedience to its crucified, risen and ascended Lord to whom all power has been given in heaven and on earth.

In situations of structural violence, i.e. economic or military violence, good news for the oppressed can turn out to be bad news for the oppressors. The church then becomes directly involved in and identified with existing conflicts and struggles in society (as e.g. in South Africa and Central America). The ruling powers will then confront the church with a choice: either to repudiate its commitment to the oppressed or to become itself oppressed. In this case, the church must resist the attempt of worldly authorities to set aside Christ's sovereignty over his followers. The church may also be confronted with violent action on the part of the oppressed as these seek to change their desperate situation. The use of violence on the part of the oppressed will not be sufficient reason in itself for the church to set aside its identification with the oppressed. A given historical situation, however, will lead the local churches concerned to adopt different positions on the question of whether or not to support and participate fully in the counter-violence of the oppressed.

The task of mission is performed by a reconciled living community. Concern for the proclamation of the gospel is inseparable from the upbuilding of a single coherent community since mission is achieved in unity and unity is only authentic in mission.

The church is itself the community of God's forgiven people, reconciled and renewed in Christ. To it as such is entrusted the ministry of reconciliation. God's reconciling word calls us to unity and mission. If reconciliation with God is genuine, it is capable of uniting us to one another. Old barriers, often of our own making, are demolished, healing takes place, renewal is experienced. The community of God's people is deepened and nourished. Solidarity is affirmed and mutuality is a real experience. Visions are shared, gifts and resources are exchanged and shared, horizons of common service widen. Reconciled and united "we are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God was making his appeal through us: Be you reconciled to God." The gift of mission, wholeheartedly accepted, is single-mindedly carried out and maintained dynamically in the venture of a common calling.

The mission and service of the people of God in the world needs the active participation of all members of the body. Women and men, young and old, all must be fully included and involved in this task.

"Now the body is not made up of one part but of many ... If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ... The eye cannot say to the hand "I don't need you!'..." (1 Cor 12.14,17,21).

From the earliest days of the church, women have played an essential part in the sharing of the Good News - beginning with their role in announcing joyfully Christ's resurrection from the dead. But the church has never recognized the full significance of the role of women as partners in the gospel. Moreover, in many parts of Christendom (including our own Reformed churches), women have even been excluded from this partnership, so signally accorded in Christ, in most aspects of mission. They have been cast, instead, in the role of subsidiary servants and consequently of servitude. While women may derive a certain joy in serving, they can no longer, in faithfulness to the gospel, accept the posture of servitude.

Men and women are called together to full partnership in the tasks of common reflection, decision-making, mutual enablement and sharing in ministry.

The place of youth, too, must be insured and secured within the life, mission and leadership of the church.

In our Reformed tradition, we believe that the local congregation is the primary manifestation of the body of Christ. In this present time of unprecedented universal challenge and opportunity for mission, local congregations are called to unite with one another to assume full responsibility for effective common witness.

While the local church is the visible form in which the body of Christ is recognized and should therefore be the primary operational base for local mission, there has been a growing tendency towards a separate autonomy of local congregations within our Reformed family. Congregations consequently lose sight of the bond which holds the body together, the world-wide fellowship of the church. Their vision is restricted by the boundaries of their own location. They become inward-looking and the body disjointed. At the same time, we are living in a world which is becoming a "global village", in which global challenges are no longer so remote that they can be ignored. The awesome challenges confronting us all today - the world-wide drug traffic and drug-abuse, the destruction of the environment, genetic manipulation, global and space militarism, the threat of a nuclear holocaust - underline the call of Christ to us to seek out one another, to join together and pool our resources for the common witness in unity of the wider global church, for the sake of the world.

Rethinking the Reformed tradition

The strongly Trinitarian and eschatological view of mission and unity presented in the preceding pages is in many respects a challenge to the Reformed tradition. Certain historic teachings need to be reviewed and set in a new perspective. Such a reassessment has become essential for three main reasons. Firstly, the basic concern of the 16th and 17th century Reformers was the need to maintain order and stability in face of the revolutionary social and political impact of the Reformation, while our generation must deal with rapid change. Secondly, a question mark is being set increasingly against the view of the relation between the individual and the community as it was developed in the Reformed tradition under the impact of the Enlightenment. Thirdly, the Reformed churches in Asia, Africa and Central and South America live in cultural contexts quite different from the historic contexts of Europe and North America.

The history of the Reformed tradition provides evidence of a constant struggle with the need to reformulate the Reformed faith to meet new situations. The World Alliance of Reformed Churches has participated in this effort and continues to do so. We are nevertheless aware that some churches and individuals within the Reformed family follow a different course. A fairly large number of Reformed churches reject the need for reformulation and give priority to demonstrating how the documents of the 16th and 17th centuries still meet contemporary needs. Within our family, moreover, many wish to be known as "evangelicals". In their evangelistic concern, they stress the vicarious atonement, the need for the forgiveness of sin, and a conscious personal acceptance of Jesus Christ. We value very highly the serious concern for the gospel which is evident among them. We make the following suggestions in the hope that continuing dialogue and greater cooperation in mission may grow in the whole Reformed community of churches.

1. The search for order and stability and the imperative of justice in a changing world

Both the Reformers and the civil authorities in Europe were confronted with the need to maintain order and stability. Leadership in the Reform movement rested for the most part in educated and artisan circles. The doctrines of greatest importance in the conflict with Rome also served to preserve the social order against the poorer people who saw in the Reformation the hope of a new social order. The doctrine of providence taught the need for obedience, patience, trust in God and the civil authorities to bring about change (Heidelberg Catechism, 26-28, 104). The Anselmic doctrine of atonement (Heidelberg Catechism, 10-17) led almost automatically to the conclusion that law and order must have priority over social change. The righteousness of God must be satisfied before mercy can be shown.

There are similar implications in the doctrine of justification through grace by faith alone. Reformed confessional statements show how and why sinners who repent are justified by faith. They are less clear, however, about the scriptural teaching that the justice of God must be established in the community and the nation. Concern for justification by faith alone was too easily separated from justice. We have been less successful in responding to the needs of the "sinned against" - the poor, oppressed and marginalized people whose sufferings are due more to the sins of the powerful and the "righteous" than to their own shortcomings.

In general, the churches tended to perform works of benevolence and charity (gifts of food, clothing, medical attention) while avoiding facing up fairly and squarely to the structural and systematized injustices which made it practically impossible for the "sinned against" to escape their situation. As we engage in mission in solidarity with the poor, we need to reformulate our witness to God's justification so that it includes the establishment of God's justice as well as the satisfaction of His righteousness.

2. The individual in relation to the community of faith

In the age of the Reformation primacy was assigned to the community rather than to the individual. All citizens in a given place were expected to adhere to the same faith. Infants were baptized into the life of the church and then nurtured to a mature faith. With its boundaries identical with those of its town or region, the local church enjoyed the primacy because it was where the Word was preached and the sacraments administered.

Under the impact of the Enlightenment, however, the emphasis changed. The individual came increasingly to be viewed as the basic unit in society. Today, faced with the global challenges of our time, we begin to realize the inadequacies of this view. The search for true communion in solidarity has become predominant.

The Lord's Supper as symbol of unity in mission

This development can be illustrated by reference to the Lord's Supper. At the time of the Reformation, the Lord's Supper was celebrated as a sign of God's covenant with His people. Assembled around the Lord's Table, the whole congregation recognized Christ's lordship by the public confession of sin, by submission to the discipline exercised by the elders, and the practice of self-examination required of believers. The implications of the Supper for the mission of the church did not come to the forefront.

In the 19th century, the spirit of the age led to an emphasis on individual repentance and faith and to the custom of delaying the admission of converts to the Lord's Table. The character of the Lord's Supper as the meal of the covenant community was often inadequately expressed. Concentration on the discipline to prevent communing "unworthily", on the one hand, and on individualism on the other, has produced a situation in which we need now to reformulate our understanding and practice of the Lord's Supper to bring out its significance as Christ's meal for unity in mission.

We suggest that the Lord's Supper should be celebrated as the meal whereby the Holy Spirit empowers the church for mission in unity. As a covenant community, we celebrate not only for ourselves but also on behalf of the total community in which we live and work and in fundamental harmony with God's profound aspirations for justice and peace. We need to rediscover the Lord's Supper as the great banquet to which those in the highways and the byways are invited, as the feast of solidarity with those in desperate need of food and with the victims who cry for justice day and night.

How is conversion to be understood?

Under the heightened emphasis on the individual in the 19th century, the call for personal conversion became of paramount concern. We affirm the need for this call. In His infinite love, God seeks every individual human being. At the same time we wish to stress the need for a wider view of conversion. In our judgement, the statement Mission and Evangelism - An Ecumenical Affirmation offers an adequate account of the nature and meaning of conversion. "the church is sent into the world to call people and nations to repentance, to announce forgiveness of sin and a new beginning in relation with God and our neighbours through Jesus Christ" (Preface). "The call to conversion as a call to repentance and obedience should be addressed to persons, nations, groups and families" (1.2). "The call to conversion includes the call to personal repentance and faith, and also the call to change from war to peace, from injustice to justice, from racism to solidarity and from hatred to love. The call to conversion should begin with the repentance of those who do the calling, who issue the invitation" (13).

Church growth and numerical growth

The rapid numerical growth in Reformed churches in some parts of the world and the decline in membership in others have caused tension within the Reformed family over the importance to be attached to numerical growth. This problem hardly arose in the 16th century when the whole population was baptized but today the need for an adequate theology of church growth and numerical growth is more pressing than ever.

We rejoice with the angels in heaven over one sinner who repents and join with the author of Acts in giving thanks for the numerical growth of the church. We recognize, however, that the Spirit's work is not to be measured by numbers alone. True discipleship today can demand a courageous witness which leaves a Christian isolated as in the days of the prophets and martyrs. We urge continued reflection on the connection between the faithful preaching of the gospel and the numerical growth of the church.

The spiritual growth of the church must be promoted by careful attention to Christian training and pastoral care, Christian education and Bible study, encouragement to the practice of prayer, as well as to works of mercy and the pursuit of justice.

3. A fellowship in six continents

With the emergence of Reformed churches in Asia, Africa, Central and South America as well as in Europe, North America and Australasia, new factors have come into play which made a missiological and theological reformulation essential.

a) Church growth and numerical growth

The Reformed emphasis on the equal status and privilege of all churches has aided the development of autonomous churches in every country. These churches have exercised the freedom to adopt confessions, church orders and liturgical forms, as well as other customs proper to their own contexts and cultures. For the sake of mission in unity, we make three suggestions:

Whenever Reformed churches produce new confessional statements, church orders and liturgical forms, they should make these available for distribution to other churches for comment and criticism.
Living as they do in cultural contexts quite different from those of the West, churches in Asia and Africa must feel free to formulate their faith in their own cultural terms. The universal fellowship of churches needs to leave room for an even greater variety of expressions within the Reformed tradition than existed in the 16th century.
Autonomy should not degenerate into self-sufficiency. Emphasis on the independent responsibility of each church must not prevent a generous sharing of resources. Fidelity to God's covenant calls for mutual recognition, accountability and mission, across national boundaries. We urge more sustained relationships and renewed attention to the mutual sharing of resources among Reformed churches.

b) Dialogue with people of other faiths

In contrast to previous centuries, members of the Reformed churches often find themselves today living side by side with neighbours who profess a faith other than Christianity. Most Asian and many African churches live as minority groups in societies, dominated by people of other faiths. In their cultural situations, they are more closely akin to second century Christians than to those of the 16th century. Many of them, therefore, are looking for theological guidance on living in dialogue with these neighbours. It is impossible to enter into genuine dialogue without personal risk. Many within the Reformed family oppose full dialogue on the grounds that it is impossible without compromising the faith and undermining evangelism. Despite these fears, we believe it essential that exploration in dialogue with people of other faiths should continue.

As churches which hear God's call to love, peace, and justice in the human community, we encourage attempts to develop guidelines for dialogue with people of other faiths, as well as the participation of churches, groups and individuals in a continuing movement of formal and informal contacts and conversations. Particularly when it takes place on the basis of a shared commitment to the human community, such dialogue will help to deepen the personal faith of the participant and increase his or her understanding of the partner in dialogue.

We recognize that there are still a number of unresolved theological questions concerning the relation between proclamation and dialogue, as well as between, on the one hand, the call to repentance and conversion and, on the other hand, the quest for mutual understanding and trust. We would encourage further exploration of these issues

4. Millennial expectations and eschatology

The 19th century missionary movement was upborne by confidence in the providence of God who brings people to saving fifth. There was also the confidence that western culture was congruent with the gospel. In the Anglo-Saxon churches of the Reformed tradition, the doctrine of providence was revised in terms of the post-millennial eschatological faith that the Spirit of God was building the kingdom of God on earth and that Christ would finally and visibly appear as the millennial kingdom was established. In the 20th century, certain Reformed theologians led the way in theological reformulations replacing optimistic providential thinking with the eschatological emphasis on God's confrontation with the powers and principalities of this world. Whereas their approach came to focus on questions of justice, peace and true obedience, many in the "evangelical" community accepted a pre-millennialism which has little if any confidence in peace, justice and evolutionary change for the better in this life. They believe it is vital to concentrate on evangelism and the conversion of individuals in anticipation of the return of Jesus in judgement.

We eagerly await signs of eternal life and hope which the Spirit of God is planting in our midst day by day just as we await the final consummation of all things in Christ (1 Cor 5.24-28, Phil 2.9-11; Col 1.15-20). We believe it is vital to emphasize the call of the gospel both for this life and the life to come. We anticipate the present signs of the kingdom as we participate in God's mission to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Lk 4.8-19). We believe that the millennial expectations expressed in the Bible attest our hope in the final triumph of Christ in and beyond history. The message of the biblical apocalyptic writings serves to add greater urgency to the daily search for peace on earth, for justice for the poor and for a patient yet urgent and continuing concern for human needs.

The unity we seek

When Christians gather at the Lord's Table, they experience unity - a new depth of fellowship with the Lord and with one another - as a gift. They find assurance of reconciliation, forgiveness and healing. They also receive anew the mandate to be part of God's mission, to share the Good News, and to invite all, not least the poor, the weak, the hungry and the oppressed, to join in the banquet.

At the Lord's Table, the church knows itself to be Christ's body, called to present Christ to the world and to do the works of God. In the body of Christ, there is diversity in unity, variety which enriches fellowship, many gifts of the one Spirit (1 Cor. 12:11). Within the body of Christ, love becomes enfleshed in justice and sharing. Its members know themselves to be dependent on one another, that their joys and sorrows, their pains and pleasures, strengths and weaknesses, are meant to be shared. An African proverb says that the whole body bends down to remove a thorn from the foot. The apostle Paul declares: "If one member suffers, all suffer together. If one member is honoured, all rejoice together" (1 Cor 12.26).

The unity of the body is a visible unity, a manifestation of the kind of fellowship and sharing which is God's loving purpose for all (Eph 1.9-10). The sinews of this fellowship range from such apparently material acts as the collection organized by Paul among the Gentile churches for the poor saints in Jerusalem to the participation (koinonia) in the sufferings of Christ and of one's fellow Christians.

The life of the church must match its message. The body of Christ which proclaims the gospel must itself confirm the truth of the gospel. The fellowship which delivers the message of reconciliation must itself be a fellowship for reconciliation. We have become aware, painfully so, of the extent of the disunity and fragmentation within and among the churches which are the heirs to the Reformed tradition.

This calls for penitence. Our brokenness, of which we are often hardly conscious, is an obstacle to the mission in which we are called to participate. The unity of the body of Christ must find outward and visible expression. A form of unity is required which overcomes the visible unity which we exhibit today. A living communion is called for "that the world may believe that you have sent me" (Jn 17.21). Far from this implying uniformity, it demands indeed a rich diversity.

We do not yet know the precise form of the unity we seek but we believe that it must be such that all in each place must be seen to belong to one fellowship and that these local, regional or national churches must be in conciliar communion with one another.

As we grow together in unity and mission, we know we shall discover from one another more of the riches of God's purposes for His human family and especially for the poor, the marginalized and the outcasts. A new openness to one another, a new commitment to the needs of this world and a new zeal in mission - these are inseparable dimensions of God's call to His people today. We believe that the Reformed churches can, should and will be glad to respond to this call.

What does this mean?

Firstly, it means a commitment to prayer. It is our privilege as Christians to bring before God the needs of all His creatures. In praying for one another, we are constantly reminded of our kinship in Christ and made aware of possibilities of new forms of mission and service.

Secondly, it means recognizing the vital importance of such global organizations as the World Alliance of Reformed Churches in the exchange of news and information not otherwise available. Only as we listen to each other's personal stories can we hear and respond intelligently to God's call to us to pray for and support one another.

Thirdly, it means exploring new forms of mutual support. For some, this may well entail, in the first place, undergoing a "conversion", turning away from certain features of our lifestyle, or of the policies of our governments, which cause or add to the sufferings of others, and turning towards the God of justice and life. Mutual support means that all the members of the body need all the others and that each has something to receive and something to give. This can best be realized when there are person to person exchanges. The exchange of printed news and information needs to become incarnate, known in the flesh and blood of brothers and sisters in Christ from different parts of the world-wide church. It is then that we glimpse the vision of unity in mission in the service of Christ and begin to see the whole range of possible ways of sharing our spiritual, intellectual, financial and human resources.

Fourthly, it means that any discussion of sharing must include on its agenda the redistribution of power in the church. Power can have many forms: money, access to information, eligibility to participate in church meetings and decision-making. As those who would be one body in Christ, we are called to relearn that all are equally members of Christ, that all are on the same footing before Him and that in the one body there is only one head, Christ Himself. It is Christ the servant Lord who is thus the model of how we are to relate to one another. Within the Reformed family, individuals and churches are never to forget that "greatness" in the kingdom of God is the greatness of service and of the one who serves (Mk 10.42-45). In practical terms, this may mean a significant redistribution of power, financial and otherwise, the increased empowerment of women and youth, and other strategies for which we must hold one another accountable.

As we consider the implications of unity in mission and mission in unity for the different member churches of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, we shall not forget that implications are often easier to write down than they are to live out. Our experience at this consultation leads us, humbly and soberly, to issue a call to all Reformed Christians and churches to pray for the transforming and enabling power of the Holy Spirit so that our unity in Christ and our obedience to His call to mission, "that the world may believe", may be evident in our lives both as individuals and as churches. And as we so pray, we are to be ready for our prayer to be answered "above all that we ask or think."

Recommendations

The consultation helped us to realize the range of tasks facing the Reformed churches in response to the call to mission in unity. Among the points to be noted here in particular are the following:

Many problems besetting Reformed churches today have their roots in the lack of a common understanding of the missionary calling of the church.

As Reformed churches face up to contemporary challenges, they are constrained to rethink certain aspects of the Reformed tradition at the levels of both doctrine and practice.

Ways and means need to be found of recognizing and expressing solidarity among the Reformed churches in their different contexts.

We need to halt the fragmentation of the Reformed churches, to heal existing divisions and to take steps to prevent further ruptures.

In all these areas, action is needed immediately. If action is to be effective, the Reformed churches and those who represent them in Seoul need to commit themselves to a common endeavour. Therefore, we propose that the General Council call on the Alliance and its member churches to make issues arising from the theme "Mission and Unity" a major priority in the coming years.

This proposal is not an encouragement to Reformed churches to isolate themselves from the ecumenical movement and to withdraw into their own circle and its concerns. On the contrary, only by an even greater responsiveness to the ecumenical movement can constructive and practical ways be found to meet the challenge to mission in unity and unity in mission. Valuable insights have been mediated to the Reformed churches not least from ecumenical thinking on "Mission and Evangelism" in the World Council of Churches. The Reformed churches should concentrate on putting these insights into practice in their own contexts and deepening them in the process. Dialogue in all directions is essential. Reformed churches should seek dialogue, in particular, with the conservative evangelical churches.

What will it mean to make the theme "Mission and Unity" a major focus of attention in the coming years? The following points are offered by way of illustration:

The identification and clarification of the theological questions facing Reformed churches in connection with this theme.

The honest recognition of the need for unity among the Reformed churches and the resolute pursuit of this goal.

The need for Reformed churches to have a clearer picture than they have at present of the whole Reformed family of churches throughout the world. A considerable effort is needed to make adequate information available, highlighting the present situation in different parts of the world. A handbook providing detailed information on all the Reformed churches and not simply the members of the Alliance could render a valuable service. There should be a regular exchange of reports on the experiences of individual Reformed churches in respect of mission and unity. The Alliance should make its publications available for this purpose.

At both regional and national levels, a series of consultations could be organized, providing opportunities for Reformed churches in a given area to analyze and review their situation with the object of developing common goals and ways and means of achieving them. Representatives of churches from other countries as well as from other confessional traditions should be invited to share in such reflections.

Reformed churches which are members of the Alliance should take the initiative in seeking contacts with Reformed churches which are not members of the Alliance.

Special attention should be given to the question of the international relationships of individual Reformed churches. Important as historical bilateral links established by the missionary movement have been, more emphasis should be placed today on multilateral relationships between the Reformed churches, both for the sake of the missionary calling and the imperative of unity. In particular, relationships between the churches in Asia, Africa and Latin America need to be strengthened.

As a first step towards greater unity, Reformed churches should form, wherever possible and useful, "Associations of Reformed Churches", one of the purposes of which would be to discuss contemporary issues claiming the attention of the Reformed churches.

Regular visits among Reformed churches can make a decisive contribution to mutual solidarity and to the development of a deeper sense of unity.

If there is to be real progress on the road towards unity, more and more people need to make the call to unity their personal concern.

We propose that the World Alliance of Reformed Churches establish for the next General Council after Seoul a full report on the situation in the Reformed churches in respect of mission and unity.

Several of the participants in our consultation represented mission departments or mission boards of Warc member churches. They expressed the view that mission departments and boards can make a significant contribution in the field of mission and unity.

They can contribute much to the growth of universal fellowship among Reformed churches. They are in a position to promote the establishment of multilateral relationships, especially between the churches in Asia, Africa and Latin America. They can help transcend the traditional historical bilateral links where necessary.

Collaboration is required between mission departments and boards which are active in the same country; in consultation with their partner churches they should seek ways of coordinating their work and acting together

Since leadership development is essential for the life and witness of the Reformed churches and for their active participation in the ecumenical movement, the Alliance's scholarship programme should be expanded with the specific purpose of developing leadership for mission in unity and unity in mission.

Any meaningful contribution on the part of the mission departments and boards will clearly depend on their willingness to ensure the adequate participation of representatives of partner churches from the South in their decision-making bodies and processes.

The primary role of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches is to propose and facilitate initiatives and steps to be taken by the member churches. The Alliance must not become an organization above the member churches. As in the past, it should continue to rely for as many tasks as possible on the initiatives and services of the member churches. Only to the extent that it would contribute to increased and better communication among the member churches is an expansion of the Alliance desirable.

An important link in the fellowship of Reformed churches are the regional councils. In Europe and North America these have been in existence for a long time. In Latin America, regional collaboration has in recent years acquired a new vitality and in Southern Africa a new regional association has come into existence. This is a welcome development and deserves the active support of all Reformed churches.

The World Alliance of Reformed Churches should organize from time to time "encounters" devoted to the theme of mission and unity, providing opportunities for exchange and discussion on the broadest possible basis. Such encounters could, for example, be arranged in connection with General Councils.