From August 15-26 1989, we, the delegates to the 22nd general council of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, met at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. We came from many places - Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, the Islands of the Pacific - from 82 countries in all.

We began with worship. We were drawn together in prayer, united in praise, challenged by proclamation. The daily worship services which followed renewed that initial experience; the Spirit of Christ joined ethnically, economically and culturally diverse individuals into a community and guided our deliberations and decisions. Here, and through our carefully prepared evening programmes, we learned of the religious and cultural richness participants brought to the assembly, and saw Christ embodied differently in the faith and practice of the various peoples meeting in Seoul. Here we found an answer to the thematic question of the council: "Who do you say that I am?" We came to know Christ as the Lord who meets us attired in the rich dress of our varied cultures, liberating us from those powers which divide us, reconciling us to himself and one another, and forming us into a community committed to peace, justice and the care for creation.

On the basis of this experience of Christ and community we wish to address the congregations of the member churches of the World Alliance.

If Christ can unite in a fellowship of peace and justice persons as diverse in background and perspective as those who met in Seoul, he surely can reconcile and renew the churches of the Reformed family, and draw them into broader ecumenical fellowship with churches of other traditions.

For us to engage in this task our congregations must be unified, involving women as well as men in all the ministries of the church. We must also seek spiritual renewal in the humble disciplines of faithful worship, ongoing scripture study, and regular prayer. To do this in fellowship with another congregation is already an important realization of unity. The unity we seek is for the sake of God's mission in the world which our council described in terms of justice, peace and the integrity of creation. These global issues are expressed locally in every community. Congregations need to recognize where they are present in their situations and develop effective local strategies working toward the achievement of justice, peace and creation's restoration. God's mission in the world can also be served through vigorous evangelistic outreach, as we have learned from the churches in Korea. Such programmes draw men and women into a community of reconciliation and should transform indifferent and self-centred individuals into dedicated servants of the mission of God in Christ.

We, the delegates of the 22nd general council, pray that God will richly bless your congregation, community and people, and challenge you to respond in your own place and in your own way to the question ever before us: "Who do you say that I am?"