"What is our mission as young people from different war-zones? How can we struggle against death and for life; what is our role in addressing all that denies life in fullness, from individual sin to macroeconomic exploitation? And how can we do this together, regardless of the divisions which exist between our denominations?"

For young people in Angola, the most burning questions in life have to do with precisely that: life! How to survive in a country that has been at war from before they were born? How to fight the innumerable forces which threaten life in this country: eradicable diseases, landmines, massive unemployment, illiteracy, boys who are trained for nothing but war, girls who are treated as pawns in the conflicts, a widespread sense of hopelessness and futility.

In view of this grim situation, a group of youth leaders from the Congregational, Reformed and Presbyterian churches got together and drew up plans for a youth consultation focusing on peace.

Three days at the training centre of the Angola Council of Churches were by no means sufficient for the 130 delegates to this mission in unity consultation to explore all the issues in depth. But something important happened when the participants, drawn from the different Reformed churches and a variety of other denominations, got together and started talking.

The worldwide search for new expressions of mission in unity continues. Study teams are exploring present and possible models of cooperation in mission between the mainline Reformed churches and ethnic minority churches in the Netherlands and the United States. In February, seven small Reformed church groups in Uganda came together to discuss their common mission (see Update 10/1). In June, thirty Korean pastors ministering in Europe met with twenty leaders from the established European churches to identify areas where closer relations and greater cooperation will be beneficial.

They promised to involve themselves in mission in their communities in four priority areas:

Work with children
Reclaiming their history and identity as Angolans
Human rights and women's rights
Environmental improvement

They resolved to work together on these tasks as much as possible, and asked the planning group led by Coutinho Maravilhoso Moma to serve as a continuation committee. This committee will coopt members from churches not yet present and coordinate the follow-up, including common training of the delegates and where possible their youth groups.

We need each other to be truly Christ's church, stated Delma Monteiro, one of the Catholic representatives, during the role play on "Conflict in Corinth". And so the group of Tertius taught both the rich and the poor of Corinth to sing:

Your church is one body

Each member is different

And there is in the body certainly

A heart for my Lord.

In it love is born

The best gift, the most important.

In it I have happily found

My calling: love!

I think this was a great initiative and a good start to promote unity among our Churches, make projects for the community and reach our objectives as Christians.

Anabela Celita Miguel Pongolola (IECA):

It was a praiseworthy initiative, because it brought together different member churches of WARC and others. But this is not the last step; unity needs to be acted out and made real in the whole country; we need to eliminate prejudices that can divide and separate us. Two themes spoke to me a lot: "The role of youth in African conflicts" and "Preventing HIV/Aids". These are the issues which affect the daily lives of youth.

Gonçalves Augusto Damba (IERA)

All the subjects were interesting, highlighting the importance of unity in a disturbed country, and taking into account the present moment in which our country lives. We can't say exactly that we have reached our objectives yet. But this is a starting point, since in this workshop we drew up some plans to achieve our goals.

Manuel João (IPA)

Thus a remarkable mission in unity venture is under way. It started when Reformed youth recognized the need for urgent action; was gradually embraced by the Reformed churches' leadership; expanded into a fuller ecumenical enterprise; and finally resulted in a commitment to concrete involvement in mission at the grass roots of Angolan society.

Jet den Hollander, mission in unity project