We the undersigned members of the EPCSA have met in Kempton Park Conference Centre from June 26 to 28 as an expression of our commitment to bringing healing and reconciliation to our church. We met under the auspices of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Southern Africa Alliance of Reformed Churches, with the accompaniment of the DM Exchange and Mission.¹ We were inspired by the context of worship, Bible studies and prayers throughout our time together.

We acknowledged that over the last decade there has been a division of the EPCSA leading to a recognized EPCSA establishment leadership and a Standing For the Truth Movement Leadership. This has brought pain, suffering and much hurt to many Christians, families and congregations and their leaders within the EPCSA family. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in a process of open and honest sharing, we confessed openly individual and institutional responsibilities, and mutually asked for, offered, and received forgiveness.

We reaffirmed that we all belong to the one Evangelical Presbyterian Church in South Africa - a Church under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, who alone is its guiding star. We continue to hold on to the constitution of our church and acknowledge that it is in need of revision.

We thank God for the opportunity offered us to talk together over the three-day period. The open and committed spirit in which we talked was seen as gifts and a significant milestone in the life of our church. Our talking together has given us the base for building a strong living church, which will be prophetic and relevant to the socio-cultural context of South Africa.

We acknowledged that our church is in need of renewal, and that all parties within the church need to engage together in the process of rebuilding the EPCSA together. The time of sharing and confession of pain suffered and caused constituted an important part of this process of healing and renewal.

In addition, we agreed on the following process:

To appoint a Joint Commission for Unity and Renewal (hereafter called the JCUR) composed of ten persons including the top leaderships. WARC and SAARC as well as the DM Exchange and Mission will continue to accompany this process.
They are to be in charge of the development of strategy for renewal taking into consideration especially the operational, ethical and priority issues within the church.
Their specific tasks include developing an action plan and implementation strategies vis-à-vis the decline in the church, its finance, administrative structures, its departments, and its diaconal services and outreach. They are also expected to review the liturgy and training of ministers.
The work of the JCUR may culminate in a revised constitution.
It is expected that the JCUR will draw on other people, resource persons and engage in the consultations that are necessary (including with women and men, young and old at grassroots, consistories and Presbyteries) in order to do its work.
The JCUR is expected to prepare for the 2002 October Synod of the EPCSA, by which time the groups, which have emerged in the last decade, would have been unified. The preparations may include the documents that will have emerged from its work (e.g. as in Points 2, 3, and 4), as well as constituting the Synod in a way that consolidates the healing and renewal of the church. It is recognized that not every point of contention may have been completely resolved before the October 2002 Synod.
To achieve this, the JCUR will need to begin its work immediately after the June Kempton Park meeting, taking into account the enormity of the task as well as the time limitation.

We are grateful to God for the gifts we offered one another as we listened to one another. We honour this gift by pledging to act and speak in our various constituencies in a manner that promotes healing, unity and renewal. This calls for commitment to honesty and for avoidance of reckless language and gossips. As a part of this gratitude, we will carry the news of what God has done for the EPCSA in the Kempton Park meeting to our constituencies, various groups and families with joy, and work with them to ensure successful implementation.

We can affirm with St. Paul that "The old has passed away, behold the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us a ministry of reconciliation"

Soli Deo Gloria!

Signatories

Rev. JS Ngobe	Rev. Dr Jean-Francois Bill
Mr DZJ Mtebule	Rev. Prof. Tinyiko Sam Maluleke
Rev. NJ Tshawane	Rev. NNJ Ngwenya
Rev. EP Machavana	Mr. Rickson Mboweni
Rev. SK Maphophe	Mrs Ouma Eleanor Mpapele
Mr MS Chauke	Mr Joe Vuma
Mr T Sombhane	Mr VR Hlekane
Rev. MW Khosa	Mrs. MD Mathabathe
Rev. GM Tshabalala	Mrs. ET Xulu
Rev. HV Degama	Rev. Jameson Ngomane
Rev. H Dixon Masangu	Mrs M Mfungwane
Rev. MD Nyawo	Mrs D Zwane
Rev. Moses Mabaso	Mr Victor R Nesengani
Rev. TR Mobbie	Rev. GS Moyane

Witnesses

Rev. Eugene Roy, DM Exchange and Mission
Rev. Majaha Nhliziyo, SAARC coordinator
Rev. Dr Setri Nyomi, WARC general secretary

Note

1. The former Département missionnaire of the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches.