All Christians identify themselves by answering the question "Who do you say that I am?" with the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, who came into the world (Mark 8.29; Jn 11.27). But it belongs to the distinct identity of Reformed Christians to take with special seriousness the task of confessing Christ by means of confessional statements of faith. We recognize that true confession requires not only words but deeds, lives and communities of faithful discipleship. Yet Reformed churches have repeatedly felt summoned to verbal testimony also. Faithful preaching of the word leads to faithful written witness, on the basis of the scriptures. Our statements of faith have taken different forms: some emphasizing a few aspects of the gospel, as required by given situations; others expounding belief and correct interpretation. In general, these confessions have combined a distinctly Reformed understanding of the gospel with the claim that this is a true expression of the apostolic teaching of the one catholic or universal church. While both universal and Reformed, our confessions have also attempted to relate the unchanging truths of the gospel to changing particulars of place and time and context. And wishing to be particular and contextual, the Reformed churches tend to make their confessions local and provisional. Each church, at each time, attests its faith for there and then. So it is that WARC member churches all have their own confessional histories, and many have their own self-identifying confessions of faith.

It is not the intention of this general council either to replace or to supplement whatever confessions are presently acknowledged by the member churches. A universal Reformed creed, whose formulas bound the member churches and narrowly defined their beliefs, would be quite inappropriate, denying the diversity of expression of faith and practice which is such a strength of the Reformed tradition. Nor is a common Reformed confession desirable. such as would touch on every issue of faith in a systematic way. However, we here and now in Seoul, 1989, do believe that the time has arrived for the member churches to begin to lay the basis for a common testimony, by which they could affirm together for the first time some central aspects of the gospel, which previously they have at most confessed separately. Thus the Reformed churches. so varied and diverse, might rediscover their unity as a family bound by a common faith. There are many concerns today. so common to all the churches, and indeed all humanity, that we need to address them in the light of the gospel and with a single voice. For example: in the face of the exploitation and destruction of the created order, we should affirm the goodness of creation, and our human responsibilites as stewards of God's world; in the face of the many instances of injustice and oppression in these days, we should affirm together God's compassion for all the victims of repression, violence, discrimination and neglect, and God's commitment to justice and reconciliation among all human beings; and in the face of the threat to the future of our planet through irresponsibility or war , we should affirm together the providence of God at work in history and the ultimate victory of God's grace over all the powers of destruction Naturally, all such affirmations would have implications for the church itself, and its calling to embody Christ's unity, peace and justice in a divided and threatened world.

One of the great strengths of our common testimony of faith is rooted and grounded in our worship. When the members of our churches pray, read, study and interpret the scriptures - and observe the sacraments - they strengthen their own spiritual disciplines, and witness to those who are outside our churches. Without regular worship our common testimony of faith, however profound and effective, has an empty sound. In individual devotional times and in corporate liturgical worship, our common testimony of faith bears an authentic demonstration of our faith and witness to the world.

Much that we might say in common testimony would not be new - though it would be new for us to say it together - nor uniquely Reformed. Our particular task here in Seoul has been to analyse some specific matters which do affect us as Reformed churches in distinct and special ways. These provide the circumstances, and set the context, within which a testimony common to our family of faith would have to be made. We have identified three such matters:

a) Status confessionis.

WARC at Ottawa made a declaration of a status confessionis with respect to apartheid. It is therefore particularly urgent for the Reformed churches to clarify the meaning, consequences and criteria of such declarations, and to consider the relation of status confessionis to the task of common testimony as a whole.

b) The Community of Women and Men.

Can the member churches really make a common testimony if they themselves do not embody true human and Christian community? In particular, we must honestly face the fact that women do not find an equal place with men in the common life of many churches, and that there are deep disagreements within the membership of the Alliance concerning such matters as the ordination of women.

c) Gospel and Culture.

The churches of the Reformed tradition live in such varied settings, and so many different parts of the world, that we are particularly obliged as a family of faith to consider the question of how culture and context affect the task of confessing Jesus Christ. When should we affirm culture, and when judge it, in the name of the gospel? And given the local and cultural differences of our member churches how might it be possible for us to make a common confession applicable to all our situations?

Status confessionis

The term status confessionis came into the vocabulary of the Alliance at the Ottawa meeting of the general council in 1982. The specific occasion (casus confessionis) was the issue of apartheid. The general council issued a carefully worded statement reflecting its conviction that a matter can be declared as having status confessionis within the Reformed tradition, but only when the integrity of the proclamation of the gospel is at stake. To declare a status confessionis is to affirm that the issue in question bears so directly on the centre of Christian faith that the decision taken on it is one for or against the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The general council meeting in Seoul recalls that the Ottawa general council, after setting out with care the theological grounds for its concern, declared that

"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." (quoted from Ottawa to Seoul, p.37).

Decisions approved and actions taken by member churches since the Ottawa Statement have supported this decision of the Ottawa council. The general council meeting in Seoul has reviewed the situation and affirms that the decision on status confessionis taken in 1982 was and still is appropriate.

The question has been raised about the role of the general council of the Alliance in making a declaration of status confessionis. While the council has no authority over its member churches, it is able to act in a representative way on behalf of the churches and bring to their attention for decision matters which they may not have been able to focus clearly for themselves. In this particular case the Alliance has played a crucial role. Status confessionis when declared by the council, is effective to the degree it is appropriated by the churches with their assent or consent. The declaration may act in a prophetic way, challenging member churches to become more faithful to the gospel by recognizing and acting on matters that are decisive for life in faith.

There are many concerns in today's world which call for loyalty and obedience to the gospel. The church responds to these challenges by witnessing to and confessing Jesus Christ. The church calls its members to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ, which transcends the horizons of human thought, to bear upon these challenges. The church has to testify unambiguously to Jesus Christ in every human context.

The question has been raised since Ottawa whether some of the other crucial issues facing humankind might also force the church to declare itself to be in status confessionis. However, the church can do this only in situations that impinge on the heart of the Christian gospel, where confusion is present in the church and where a clear and unambiguous affirmation of the gospel is forced upon it.

The events prior to the 1982 declaration by the Alliance illustrate the process that can lead to a/declaration of status confessionis. The Alliance has been a major forum for churches of the Reformed family to share their concerns about apartheid over an extended period. After many years of dialogue with the churches in South Africa, there was a broad conviction that the council, acting in the name of the Reformed community, needed to act decisively. This it did by declaring apartheid to be a sin and its theological justification a heresy. It was only at the end of a long process of reflection, dialogue, debate and negotiation within the Alliance that its general council made this declaration. It was forced on the church at the point where it needed to stand for the integrity of the gospel against a declared position which was hostile to and distorted the gospel.

The general council is therefore advised to treat all further proposals for the declaration of a status confessionis with considerable caution, and to weigh carefully the implications of such a declaration. The following guidelines are suggested for future reference.

Jesus Christ sets us free to confess our faith, to confess our sins and hear God's word of forgiveness, to witness to him and to live in love towards God and our neighbour. This is the primary meaning of Christian confession.
Any declaration of a status confessionis stems from the conviction that the integrity of the gospel is in danger. It is a call from error into truth. It demands of the church a clear, unequivocal decision for the truth of the gospel, and identifies the opposed opinion, teaching or practice as heretical.
The declaration of a status confessionis refers to the practice of the church as well as to its teaching. The church's practice in the relevant case must conform to the confession of the gospel demanded by the declaration of status confessionis.
The declaration of a status confessionis addresses a particular situation. It brings to light an error which threatens a specific church. Nevertheless the danger inherent in that error also calls in question the integrity of proclamation of all churches. The declaration of a status confessionis within one particular situation is, at the same time, addressed to all churches, calling them to concur in the act of confessing.
When church bodies declare a status confessionis, they declare first of all that they themselves are in a situation in which a clear decision for the truth of the gospel must be made. The declaration of status confessionis therefore has the character of self-obligation.
A declaration of a status confessionis must therefore be treated as a matter of high seriousness. The fragmented history of Reformed churches is a sober warning against declaring a status confessionis on issues that are less than central to the gospel.
It is not appropriate to declare a status confessionis in order to emphasize commitments which are primarily based on current ethical, social or political concerns. Such concerns do regularly call for Christian witness and challenge the church to consider what is the proper response to them in the light of the gospel. But that alone does not constitute a status confessionis in the sense outlined above. It is quite unjustifiable to declare a status confessionis in order to exert moral pressure upon Christian sisters and brothers who take the call to Christian discipleship as seriously as we do, but give different answers to such ethical, social or political challenges.

Christian confession is always and inevitably particular and historical. It reverberates beyond the particular historical context when it authentically echoes the claim and promises of God, our Creator, Redeemer and sanctifier. In this sense, every act of punctual confession and wltrless has universal import and contributes to the life of the church as a community of witnesses.

The community of women and men

In varying degrees every church and society accords to women lesser status than to men. Women often do more work and (if they are paid at all) receive less pay than men The experiences and insights of women are less welcomed and less valued than those of men. Fewer women are involved in decision-making and leadership in churches and societies than are men, if women are allowed to participate in such matters at all.

This is a situation which we as Christians cannot condone. Can our churches affirm God's stand on the side of victims of injustice and oppression without recognizing and speaking out against injustice done to women in their own churches and In the world? Can the churches not see the impoverishment which results when the gifts of only one-half of the population are used and valued? God created humanity in God's own image (Gen 1.26f), but that image loses its fullness and richness if women are not perceived as full human beings. That image is defaced when women are treated as property to be bought and sold; when they are denied Justice and basic human rights. That image is perverted when the female body is exploited as an object of desire in some cultures, or feared as impure in others. If churches are to take seriously the creation of women and men in the image of God, and the gospel's message of liberation for all who are oppressed, then women ~ men in our churches must be active advocates for women in both church and society. They should be advocates not only in terms of the oppression women experience, but also in affirming the inherent value and gifts of women, without whose contribution human community is not whole. Churches must listen to the call of the gospel challenging them to regard women as full partners in Christian community.

Women have received forgiveness and redemption, and have been united with Christ in baptism. Women have received the Holy Spirit and gifts of the Spirit for the upbuilding and the common good of the body of Christ. The liberating vision of the gospel is that in Christ all are made one. Within the body of Christ, social, racial, and gender distinctions do not apply.

Our culminating challenge to WARC, its member churches and each person's Christian conscience is: how "common" can a common testimony of faith be if it is not uttered by a community reflecting a true discipleship of equals?

Recommendations

In light of the above reflections, we recommend:

That all WARC member churches
- strive to break down the barriers which still divide women and men within their church communities;
- listen anew to what the biblical witness says about the partnership of women and men;
- examine their theology and practices in order to recognize and eradicate sexism and attain inclusiveness;
- recognize the gifts and talents of women for ministry, and involve women fully in leadership and authority in the life of the church at all levels.
That all WARC member churches who do not yet ordain women seriously reconsider their position in light of the scriptural declaration of the oneness of women and men in Jesus Christ.
That all member churches ensure that women be afforded equal access to assignment or position and receive equal pay for equal work in all church positions.
That WARC and all its member churches examine the language used in their liturgy, confessing and official documents, and work to include language which affirms the community of women and men, which reflects the experiences of both women and men, and which speaks about God utilizing a broad range of biblical images, not merely the masculine metaphors of God.
That all WARC member churches act as witnesses to, agents for, and models of mutuality and reciprocity, so that they might be communities which reflect a discipleship of equals, both for themselves and for the world; and they become advocates and examples for the full participation of women at all levels of their churches and of society as a whole for the enactment of laws by their governments that will ensure this equality, and for the repeal of those which run counter to it.
That WARC give its full support to and encourage the participation of its member churches in the ecumenical decade of churches in solidarity with women.
That this general council instruct the executive committee to gather information from its member churches on their responses to these recommendations in their life and work, and that a full report on the community of women and men in WARC, reflecting these responses, be given at the 23rd general council.
That WARC assign a staff member to fulltime responsibility to women's issues; and that each member church appoint a staff member to be responsible for women's issues; and to maintain contact with the appropriate WARC staff member in Geneva.

Gospel and culture

For us the gospel speaks in many tongues. We cannot even speak together as Reformed Christians without knowing at once that the gospel has taken root in the various and diverse cultures in which our churches bear witness to the gospel. To them all and in them all has come the gospel of Jesus Christ, God's own word to us.

As Christians we confess, with the church through the ages, that Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh. The incarnation of Jesus Christ demands that we take culture seriously; for there is no "flesh" that is not nourished by a culture. No "word" can be heard that is not the language of a culture. Jesus Christ came in a particular time and place among a particular people, in short, into a particular culture. He came both to judge and to transform that culture. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the gospel of Jesus Christ continues to have the capacity to judge and to transform the cultures in which we live.

To paraphrase the scripture, Christ did not come to abolish cultures but to perfect them - or, at least, to transform them. Unfortunately, many Christians have not proceeded on this principle. They have thought it necessary for the sake of the gospel to abolish much of the culture into which they came with the gospel. Happily, much good use is now being made of elements in these cultures which had formerly been banned.

In every culture there are matters that are compatible with the gospel and matters that clearly are not. The gospel must act as the criterion by which we judge the value of such matters. It must be the filter through which each culture is passed. This is not a simple procedure. Our perceptions of what the gospel is inevitably are coloured by our own culture's presuppositions. But we remember that Jesus Christ is for us always the measure of true humanity. In general, anything in a culture that promotes the growth of such a full humanity, the gospel will encourage; whatever hinders the development of such humanity, the gospel will oppose.

We recognize that the gospel illuminates culture. To a degree, culture also illuminates our understanding of the gospel. Different cultures can perceive in the gospel that which other cultures had failed to perceive.

The gospel must not be used to promote a "levelling-out" of culture, everything the same everywhere. The gospel affirms what is good in every culture, both the cultures to which we belong and those of others. The gospel, through the love and solidarity it brings, enables each culture to love and value itself and likewise to love and value other cultures. In this light we can bear witness to Jesus Christ, as the gospel continues to demand, but in a new and "non-imperialist" way.

To every culture and to its expressions the church must listen reverently and with patience. When it is time to speak the church may then "speak the truth in love." It may speak the truth to those cultures to which it has failed to speak the whole truth in the past. It can speak in love to those cultures it has failed sufficiently to love in the past.

We understand only in part the everlasting gospel which always takes shape within particular cultures. The relationship between gospel and culture must constantly be reassessed as part of our life as "ecclesia reformata sed semper reformanda" (The church reformed but always being reformed).