I greet you most heartily in this historic building of the Great Church (Nagy Templom) in Debrecen. It was within the walls of this church that on April 14 1849 - almost 150 years ago - the Hungarian leader and son of the Protestant church, Kossuth Lajos, declared the freedom and independence of Hungary from the House of Hapsburg. Freedom was short-lived, but this great tradition is still living and inspires us even today. We are most grateful to the Reformed Church in Hungary for inviting the 23rd general council to the city of Debrecen. We feel honoured and privileged by the invitation to hold this important meeting in a region which has been the stronghold of the Reformed faith since the time of the Reformation in the 16th century. It is not incidental that Debrecen was called "Calvinist". Here we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses and martyrs. This church and the nearby College are witnesses and symbols of the strength, endurance and vitality of the Reformed faith in this part of the world. Here we are again reminded that church history and national history often coincide, overlap and interact. However, under this pulpit we remember that our identity is in Jesus Christ and our ultimate loyalty goes to Christ. Jesus Christ challenges us to be originals, to affirm our cultural and national identity, but at the same time the love of Christ commits and urges us to go beyond all human identities and loyalties.

When the first general council 120 years ago started its session in Edinburgh on July 3 1877, it was reported that, in addition to the 22 churches represented in London two years earlier, 27 churches had expressed a desire to be connected with the Alliance. The Reformed Church in Hungary, the Reformed Church of Bohemia and Moravia and the Reformed Church in Russia were among these 27 churches. The Alliance has been linked to this part of the world for its entire history. However, this is the first time in 120 years that a general council will be held in central or eastern Europe.

Central Europe

Increasingly, we learn to pay more attention to the culture and particular context in which we carry out our witness and mission. In this country we meet in central Europe. In eastern Hungary we find ourselves almost on the dividing line between the Byzantine (eastern) and Roman (western) traditions. These two traditions are interlinked and yet they are distinctly different. The difference between them is the clue to the difference between central and eastern Europe. Culturally speaking, the centre of Europe belongs to the west but it has its own culture and its specificity needs to be taken into consideration. Central Europe is the zone of smaller nations between Germany and Russia: Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Hungarians; in the south, Croats, Slovenians and Serbs. It has been an embattled and highly fragile territory. The region was christened by the Greek missionaries Cyril and Methodius in the ninth century, but soon the influence of western Christendom prevailed. The indigenous Reformation (the Hussite movement) and the Reformation of Martin Luther and John Calvin were received with enthusiasm. However, the ensuing Counter-Reformation decimated the Protestant presence in central Europe. The struggle for national identity and independence in the 19th century, the aspiration of Protestants to be recognized as equal partners in social and political life, the illusion of progress and stability at the end of the 19th century, the hecatomb of people who perished in the first and second world wars, the prolonged communist rule as a consequence of the second world war - all that profoundly marked the people living in this region.

In this sketchy survey one fact must not be forgotten: central Europe was deeply influenced by the presence of Jewish people. They brought a unique dimension to social and cultural life. It is part of the moving and at times tragic history of this region that almost all Jews were exterminated during the Holocaust. I am grateful that a person like Elie Wiesel, who originated from Sighet in nearby Transylvania, was spared and in his writings he continues the Jewish tradition of this region in an admirable way. In many ways we stand on the ruins of a world which has collapsed. It is not just a collapse of communism. It is a deep crisis in western civilization which reaches back to the 18th and 19th centuries. In spite of technical and scientific achievements, in spite of a pathfinder on the planet Mars, the dreams and great designs of yesterday have not been fulfilled. With all our gadgets and sophistication, our human life has become more shallow and superficial. The organization of human society is not fair and just. In some parts of the world people are exposed to suffering and poverty beyond imagination. The classical painting "Guernica" by Pablo Picasso commemorating the Nazi bombardment of a Spanish town during the civil war still symbolizes the ambiguity of the situation in which humankind finds itself. There are many chains of injustice which need to be broken.

The demise of the second world

Shortly after the 22nd general council in Seoul major changes took place. In the period of a few months the second world crumbled and fell apart. (The "second world" comprised the countries in the Soviet sphere of influence.) Recent developments are epoch-making. We have come here also to manifest our solidarity and interest in peoples and churches living in the area. What is the legacy of the fifty preceding years? What are the experiences of the last eight years?

Let me mention some causes of the collapse. The Stalinist model developed immense concentration of power in the hands of a small elite. Opposition and democratic control through the press and mass media were eliminated. Economic life was directed by commands from above. A great military establishment became a self-perpetuating force. A police state created an atmosphere of fear and conformism. Bureaucracy became excessive and oppressive. The courts were often misused, personal freedom limited and human rights violated. However, the fundamental failure was that the second world became blinded and fascinated by capitalism and gradually gave up developing a society on its own principles.

My theological critique is related to the understanding of human beings in the philosophy on which that type of society was built. What is the concept of power? How do we evaluate the evil and evil forces of destruction which impact us? Can a society function in the long run without the dimension of love, forgiveness and reconciliation? At the same time, we have to affirm that the biblical and theological understanding of human beings sees humans as individual and social beings. Therefore, individual and social rights belong inseparably together. In the future, any concept of society has to include liberal and socialist elements as was attempted to some extent in the social market economy and in the social welfare state.

Regarding the former second world it is not sufficient to highlight the reality of totalitarianism over against pluralism and liberalism. We can never ignore the question of economic mechanism and social justice. The power of capital cannot be fully controlled; it escapes democratic control and therefore it becomes a threat to freedom and pluralism. It is a threat to the environment and all creation. It is said that state totalitarianism has been replaced by the total market. Political totalitarianism is socially destructive in the long run. However, the economic exclusion which takes place in many parts of the world can be equally destructive.

I do not want to take lightly the suffering of people inflicted by a communist regime. However, the socio-political and economic concept which was presented after the demise of communism as the only viable solution does not seem to be an adequate alternative. The theme "Break the Chains of Injustice" compels us to ask the question: What are the structures which could facilitate the political realization of social justice? The failure of one utopia does not imply the end of every social utopia. The cry of suffering people today challenges us to develop a realistic utopia which is not divorced from reality but which is not frustrated by present reality either. We look for a sustainable, ecologically responsible and socially just society which would not exclude and discriminate but embrace people.

Some people speak about the end of utopia. I, on the contrary, plead for utopian thinking which would inspire and empower politicians, economists and social scientists. I claim that this is a service which a Christian community, a church, can render in an era of pluralism and post-modernism. Let us look history in the face boldly and openly. The biblical message of liberation and hope encourages us to work for a model of society which would be politically responsible, socially just and ecologically sensitive.

Lessons for the church universal

Let me indicate briefly the experience of Christian existence in central and eastern Europe in the period after the second world war. The situation in each country was different and therefore it is not easy to speak about a common denominator. Christian communities were exposed to difficulties and harassment, but also to new challenges. God did not emigrate to the west. Life was under both the judgment and promise of God. Demonization or glorification in this respect would be taking us up a blind alley. A fair and sober scrutiny is called for. Is there any lesson for the church universal? I wish to mention a few insights:

A Christian community can live in a secular society and even in a hostile environment without privileges and without access to power. The powerlessness of Christians and their being pushed to the margin has often become the source of authority, credibility and a new confidence.

After the prolonged period of the Constantinian mingling with the state it was a purifying experience to be distanced and excluded from the official power structures. It helped the church to be close to the everyday life of ordinary people.

The church is often a little flock and lives in a minority situation. However, even a decisive minority can play an important and significant role.

A genuine Christian existence is a costly discipleship. In a situation of external pressure and internal struggle, life would be almost impossible without the support of fellow Christians. If you swim against the stream you need to belong to a community. In a situation of censorship and surveillance, this fellowship can become a zone of free speech and independent thinking.

The churches in central and eastern Europe and in similar situations around the world were placed in the particular context of a Marxist society. Their task was and is to witness to Jesus Christ. By taking this task upon themselves these churches struggled and witnessed in a vicarious way on behalf of Christian fellowship around the world. In such a situation, Christian witness and mission do not ultimately depend on a social system or on external safeguards. An unfriendly atmosphere does not destroy Christian faith. Christians are challenged constantly to examine their spiritual stamina and to renew their spiritual foundations. It is necessary to struggle from day to day for integrity and new strength. We have learnt that the Christian church is politically relevant without direct access to the corridors of power. We have understood that every sermon and Bible study is also a political action. We have understood that the Resurrection is a reality in the everyday life of people.

Globalization and the present predicament

The new situation in which churches in central and eastern Europe found themselves after the radical changes in the years 1989-90 seems to be more friendly and open to Christian witness and presence. In spite of their efforts, churches were not in a position to fill the ideological vacuum. They might have missed a precious opportunity to become a focal point for orientation and meaning. In some places, they even turned their back on the ecumenical movement and are in danger of a new isolation. It would be a serious failure if churches became opportunistic, denouncing the past and turning a complacent face to the present and to the future. In an era of neoliberalism there are new temptations and seductions which need to be identified and addressed. Christians always need to learn to distinguish between the biblical God and the old and new idols. Christians strongly affirm democratic and participatory procedures, freedom of assembly, speech and press. But freedom cannot be divorced from the concern for justice. Therefore the issues of economic justice, exclusion, marginalization, unemployment, exploitation, violence and hunger in the societies of the north and in the entire world cannot be dropped from our prayers and intercessions and from the agenda of the churches.

Let us turn to a situation in the wider world which has an impact on all of us. We are confronted by a process of economic globalization. It is enhanced by advancing communication technology, means of transportation and the use of mass media. Sophisticated technology facilitates the making of financial contracts and agreements with unprecedented speed. Cultures are converted into markets. Autonomous peoples are transformed into consumers. Transnational corporations transcend the limitations of national boundaries and cultures. The media try to persuade us that the welfare of these corporations is more important than the welfare of the household of God. Trade agreements reduce the ability of governments to act in the interests of their citizens. Globalization has resulted in a massive debt crisis involving a number of developing countries. Some experts even foresee that certain areas and regions, certain parts of the world population, are expendable and can be sacrificed. The globalization of advertising creates a monoculture of consumerism and insatiable desires. This process was aptly called a colonization of consciousness. Biblically speaking, this situation can be compared to the unleashing of the idol Moloch (1 Kings 11.7, Acts 7.43).

Economic globalization is not merely an innocent process of extending structures and benefits of the economy of the industrial countries to the southern hemisphere. The consequence of this process in many parts of the world is exclusion, injustice and death. It is the denial of God's blessing. We are called to resist the mechanism which serves mammon in the first place and requires both human and environmental sacrifices. I quote from the report of our consultation in Kitwe (October 1995): "It is our painful conclusion that the African reality of poverty caused by an unjust economic world order has gone beyond an ethical problem and become a theological one. It now constitutes a status confessionis. The gospel to the poor is at stake in the very mechanism of the global economy today."

Against this background we come together at the 23rd general council in Debrecen. We are gathered under the theme: Break the Chains of Injustice. We believe that this prophetic word responds to the hopes and expectations of many people in our member churches and to the longing of the entire humanity. The whole creation has been groaning (Rom 8.22). Through our passion for justice, our struggle for peace and reverence and respect for creation we are connected with many millions of people around the globe - believers and non-believers. It is a joyous occasion. The study texts and other materials stem from our work and consultations over the period of the last eight years. Many new people have been drawn into this process. Now we are making you a part of this process. We want the time here in Debrecen to be a time of celebration, sharing, exchange of experiences and decision-making. At the end of the general council I hope we can commit ourselves to take the resolutions of Debrecen to our respective member churches and to start a serious discussion on the level of sessions, presbyteries, synods, and general assemblies. Let us see this general council as the beginning of a process which should last until the next general council in the first years of the 21st century.

Confessio semper reformanda

In the light of recent developments and today's political and social situation in the world, together with you I would like to ask a more fundamental theological question: Who are we Reformed people? Do we still have a common basis on which we can build our worldwide fellowship? Our roots reach to different historic epochs and our church life is related to different traditions. Our churches are rooted in the Reformation which needs to be understood in a broader and more comprehensive way, but many of them in the south are fruits of missionary activity in the 19th and 20th centuries. The question: "Who are we?" can be partly answered by referring to our classical confessions: The First and Second Helvetic Confessions, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Westminster Confession. In 1934 the Theological Declaration of Barmen was formulated when the church in Germany was threatened by heretical tendencies. More recent attempts have been made to produce a contemporary statement of faith in different churches. This fact points to the recognition that not all Reformed churches have one confession and they even do not have an identical set of confessional statements.

When the World Alliance came into being, for a certain period of time there was an effort to strive for a common confession of faith. However, this project was dropped. Our forebears understood that on principle a confession is an open process. About confession we can also say: Confessio reformata et semper reformanda. A confession is like a railing which helps us to move and guides us in the understanding of the Holy Scripture. We should diligently study the Scripture - Nulla dies sine linea! (No single day without a line of the scriptures) - but we should also study the ancient creeds, the confessions of the Reformation and the more recent and contemporary statements which were written as a response to a particular existential situation.

I would like to mention one statement in this context: the Confession of Belhar. It was an outcry of faith. It was a call to faithfulness and repentance. The Belhar Confession was issued soon after the action taken by the 21st general council in Ottawa which had declared status confessionis on the matter of apartheid. The Belhar Confession is a response to status confessionis because in that particular situation of 1982 in South Africa the proclamation of the gospel was at stake. This confession makes clear that the forced separation of people on grounds of race and colour impinges on the very heart of the gospel. The Belhar Confession is a clear decision for the truth of the gospel. It was declared by a Christian community in South Africa, but it is an invitation and a challenge to all churches, especially in the Reformed family, to concur in the act of confessing. The Belhar Confession teaches us that at a certain moment in history it is necessary to put aside all considerations and calculations and to take a confessional stance on matters of great urgency.

Needless to say that WARC still holds to its resolution of Ottawa 1982 on racism and South Africa. It was not merely a socio-political assessment of the situation, but a profound theological declaration which has not lost any of its seriousness and validity. I hope that the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa will fully concur with this statement. The Belhar Confession plays an important role in the process of unification among churches in South Africa. Although racism in our world has not been overcome and eliminated, there are old and new trends and tendencies in the social, cultural and economic spheres which call for a similar process to that which led to the statement of Ottawa and subsequently to the Belhar Confesssion. I am mentioning Belhar as an example of a struggle against the chains of injustice in our contemporary history. This example reminds and teaches us that a confession is something practical, tangible and concrete related to our faithfulness in everyday life.

Let me return to the question about our self-understanding. Who are we? Do we still have a common basis? We do not possess the truth of the gospel. It is by the grace of God that the truth comes to us through the word of God and seizes our heart. We are pilgrims on the way, listening to the stories of the Jewish people and to the story of Jesus of Nazareth, who cannot be fully understood without the background of the Old Testament. We are challenged and our hearts are searched by the power of the gospel.

But we are equally challenged by the urgent issues and problems of today. Our faith is tested at the intersection of those two levels: the calling of the gospel and the level of the social and political arena. On our way we learn that we need each other. We need the fellowship of encounters. We need to renew our spirituality. We need to learn from each other - we need to exchange our experiences, theological insights, innovations in worship. We need a communion of people who go in the same direction. The word of God - Jesus Christ - opens us to the fellowship of faith but also to the hopes and concerns of our contemporaries. Faith keeps us open to the future which belongs - as we believe - not to dark and evil forces but ultimately to God.

At the general council we come together to compare notes. In the Bible study groups, sections and subsections, committees, worship services and personal encounters we share our experiences and our visions. We can help each other to see more clearly what are the basic tenets of Reformed teaching, if we listen to each other and to the great variety of voices. Nobody is beatus possidens (having truth); we all are listeners and learners. We all live and witness in a given context. Each situation is as equally relevant and important as any other situation. We need to unlearn our open or more subtle paternalism and our cultural imperialism, and we need to learn and embrace a true partnership.

A common basis?

Let us examine briefly some basic features of Reformed faith and let us hear the questions which are being raised.

Reformed tradition stresses the unity of the Old and New Testaments. Various voices in the Bible point to the voice of God. How can we express the authority of Scripture if we are faced with many interpretations? How can we avoid falling into the trap of fundamentalism?
Reformed teaching emphasizes the otherness and distinctiveness of God indicating the abysmal difference between the creator and creation. How can we accommodate the justified critique of Christian feminist theology which stresses the closeness between God and humans?
We would not be truly faithful to Reformed understanding if we would not speak about grace and covenant as basic pillars of Reformed faith. Jesus Christ is an incarnation of God who is constantly on the move towards humans. It is a miracle that the "infinite embraces us who are finite." We live from an amnesty of grace which surpasses all understanding. How to interpret "covenant" adequately without putting too much emphasis on obligation?
We believe that the gospel is prior, and only in the light of the gospel can we fully and profoundly grasp the meaning of the law. The gospel is inclusive, not exclusive. In the first place the gospel is "yes". How can we avoid the danger of self-righteous legalism and of being subservient to the principalities and powers of the world?
The Holy Spirit is nothing else than the triune God at work. The Holy Spirit leads us into fellowship. The Holy Spirit is a bridge-builder. In a situation where we are confronted with the rise of interest in spirituality and spiritual values, are we in a position to distinguish between the Spirit of God and the human spirit? What can we learn from the Pentecostal churches? What can they learn from our Reformed tradition?
We are called to be a witnessing community - witnessing to the faithfulness of God who through Jesus Christ calls us to be a sign of forgiveness, love and reconciliation in this world. How do we relate to our older brother Israel and to other religions? How do we communicate as Reformed churches with each other on a national, regional and international level?
A basic feature of Reformed faith is freedom. God's freedom is the very core of the gospel. Our inner freedom is not arbitrary. We are free as long as we decide to live in compliance and in harmony with the freedom of God. If we all are receivers of freedom and called to service, what does the concept of the universal priesthood of all believers teach us? What does it mean for church structures and the life and activities of ecumenical organizations?
In a particular way, Reformed Christians understand that God is also served politically. Political and social responsibility is part and parcel of Christian existence. For a Christian community there is a liturgy in the world which follows the liturgy in a church building. There is a need for speaking truth to power. How can a Christian community be prophetic without being arrogant?
A Christian community is a fellowship of pilgrims. We are seekers after the city which is to come. We live both in faith and hope. The church does not build the kingdom of God but prepares the way for it by acting in hope. How can we avoid a demobilizing effect and indifference, if we stress too much our being pilgrims and sojourners?

The ecumenical imperative

As a fellowship of Reformed churches, are we going in the same direction and do we have a similar understanding? We carry out our mission in a particular culture and in a context which is imprinted on the way we interpret the gospel. We can speak about a common basis only in a broad sense. We are grateful for new voices which come from Christians in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean region, the Middle East and the Pacific. We in Europe and North America are much enriched by new insights and discoveries. And we realize how much each statement is contextual and how much we all are determined by the times in which we live and by the location in which we have been placed. Let us enter into a dialogue as equal partners, without trying to dominate and control each other.

There is a danger that without sharing, dialogue and partnership our witness will be weakened and become marginal. There is a temptation that we will be concerned about our own denomination and about our immediate problems. There is a possibility of living and working in isolation. Christian churches are no exception. And yet we live in a global village and we cannot live alone. We are bonded together in Jesus Christ and we are called to give a more visible expression to the unity which already exists in Christ. We are being nourished, sustained and upheld by the witness of churches in other parts of the world. We can say, with the apostle: "We live because you stand firm in the Lord" (1 Thess 3.8). We are carried by the faithful witness of brothers and sisters around the world. Our interconnectedness in the Reformed family and in the wider ecumenical fellowship means that we can learn from each other, we can support each other, we can express our solidarity in situations of stress and difficulty, and we can challenge each other. We have a potential of mutual solidarity and of mutual challenge. In love and charity we can enrich each other spiritually. We can inspire each other in the area of social witness.

An important discovery of the last 70 years in the ecumenical movement is related to racism. There is a reasonable consensus among Christians that racism is a sin and justification of racism is heresy. Analogically, one day we may see that our position on money and economic matters has a bearing on the integrity of faith, and that certain situations call for a confessional stance. There is still a larger household of God - a broader oikoumene to which renascent world religions and cultures belong. I hope that this general council will encourage and motivate us to pursue the pressing issues of today: proclamation of the gospel in different cultures, the search of people for identity and self-understanding, justice between genders, the rise of diverse ethnic groups, the challenge of globalization, ecological responsibility, and interreligious dialogue.

Towards a more visible communion (koinonia)

The Alliance helps to express a common witness of Reformed churches. The Alliance is an instrument for the exchange of information among the member churches. In some areas cooperation among Reformed churches has advanced. We have five regional bodies which act as intermediaries between the Alliance and the respective regions. However, we should avoid fragmentation and unnecessary confusion by overdeveloping the regional structures. In this respect, we always have to strive for an adequate balance. In several countries a council or association of Presbyterian or Reformed churches has been established to facilitate closer cooperation (Korea, Nigeria, Chile, Mexico). All this is highly commendable. We rejoice in the growing cooperation of Reformed churches everywhere. In the Alliance we have a valuable and important network which would need to be created if it did not exist.

However, we lack a deeper awareness of the communion (koinonia) among Reformed churches. One reason may be that the notion of church as God's gift is often somewhat played down among Reformed Christians. And yet, we are called to be a communion. Ultimately, our communion is rooted through Christ and the Holy Spirit in the communion which exists in the Trinity. The communion of Reformed Christians and churches is expressed through celebration of worship, witness, practical service and economic support. You may feel that all that already exists among us. In my view, we still need to grow into a more profound and effective communion.

The New Testament speaks about the koinonia of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. In the eucharist, we have koinonia in the body of Christ. Through the sacraments we participate in Christ's cross and resurrection. In faith and hope we look to the full communion of the kingdom. Because we are called to koinonia with God we can have a fully inclusive fellowship and partnership with each other. Koinonia manifests itself in our sharing of spiritual gifts and material possessions. Our communion with God is something mysterious, unmerited and glorious. Communion among individual Christians and churches should reveal that mystery and glory.

I hope that in the future Reformed churches will experience more deeply their unity in spite of the diversity of confessions and church government. We belong to each other and we are mutually accountable to each other. Any exaggerated individualism or isolationist attitude is a departure from the foundation on which a Christian church is built. Communion does not call us only to be tolerant. Communion is full acceptance. We should accept each other as Christ has accepted us (Rom 15.7). Communion means sharing and if necessary sacrificing and suffering for each other. Each local congregation and each national church is an expression of the universal church. We have to seek a more adequate understanding of the relationship between local and universal.

In a local or regional situation, we are called to realize our oneness with other churches around the world. There is no more important or less important church because of size or financial potential. All churches, numerically small or big, are equal; they are on the same footing. Every community and every church has a task to witness to Jesus Christ in the context in which it has been placed. For the sake of witness and service we welcome and recognize primarily other communities and churches in the Reformed tradition as companions on the journey of faith. In the local, national, and regional context we should seek a conciliar fellowship with other Christian traditions.

One of the characteristics of the worldwide Reformed church is its disunity. It is not unusual to find several Reformed churches in one country. Among the Reformed there is a tendency toward splits and divisions. The work on the new comprehensive handbook, The Reformed Family Worldwide, indicates that there are more than twice as many Reformed churches outside the World Alliance of Reformed Churches as there are inside. There is a deficiency in Reformed understanding of the church that in practice we play down Christ's presence in the communion of the church. We tend to forget that the church - local and universal - is an expression of the body of Christ. We are all members of this body, equipped with different gifts with which we can enrich and serve each other. Therefore it is a serious failure if we easily accept the existing divisions and separations among Reformed churches.

I wish to urge this general council to undertake steps which would transform the World Alliance of Reformed Churches into a more committed communion of churches. It is not a question of changing the name. It is rather an opportunity and a challenge to rethink the basic concept of who we are and what we are called to be. Such a shift would have far-reaching consequences for our understanding of how we relate to each other and how we support each other and this organization. Bonded together in a new way we would be better equipped to address the existing disunity in missionary work. It is not incidental that missionary work is often supported by a local congregation which at present often has a tendency to self-sufficiency and autonomy. In this respect, international cooperation and coordination among Reformed churches need to be strengthened. We have to remember that a Christian church is both local and universal. One aspect cannot be separated from the other.

A fellowship of service

The Alliance is a fellowship of service. In solidarity we serve each other and we serve each other also through mutual challenge. Our headquarters in Geneva and our regional structures make themselves available to member churches. Member churches and individuals ask us for information, orientation, literature and financial support. The Alliance can be of some service in many ways. It can facilitate an exchange of information. It can deepen communication among member churches and encourage cooperation. For example, we have drawn the attention of churches to the plight of refugees in the Great Lakes region. Recently we have launched an appeal to organize help for the people of North Korea suffering from famine and scarcity.

The original meaning of diakonia (service) in the New Testament is the service at the Lord's table. The Lord's supper is central to our communion. We partake in the Lord's supper but from there we are being sent out to witness and to serve. In the early church it meant to care for those in need, to be concerned about their living and well-being. From the Lord's table we are sent to serve our own community and the human community in general. Our service is often of a theological and intellectual nature, but it should be also very concrete and practical. Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. This was an unprecedented, surprising and mind-blowing act performed by a male person of his background and profile. In Jesus' footsteps we are called to serve in a humble way. We have been served and therefore we are to serve. There are many needs in the Christian community and bleeding wounds in the larger human community. Service has many aspects and dimensions. Our service has no limits. We are debtors - we are in debt vis-à-vis fellow Christians and we Christians are in debt vis-à-vis humanity. We are debtors regarding nature and the whole creation.

You may say that this is still very abstract and philosophical. Let me be concrete and down to earth. I do not want to prejudge the outcome of this general council concerning the priorities in the next period. Nevertheless, let me outline what the service of the Alliance in the years to come might be.

Together with Reformed theologians and lay people including women and youth we need to reflect on the main emphases of Reformed faith.
We need to identify burning issues in science and social life and to reflect on them theologically.
We need to continue bilateral dialogues with other Christian communions.
We need to visit member churches and to have personal contact with them - especially when they face difficulties and are under stress.
We need to support the fully inclusive community of women and men and to remove every chain of injustice.
We need to strive for human rights, to expose unjust and oppressive situations and to work for economic justice, a peaceful solution of conflicts, against violence and racial discrimination.
We need to cultivate reverence for life and justice for all creation. Experts say that there are only 50 years left to redirect ecologically destructive developments.
We need to address misunderstanding and confusion in the area of mission. What can we do about the disunity and lack of coordination in missionary work?
We need to continue to search for a clear vision of what is the specific contribution of the Reformed family to the ecumenical movement. The Alliance suggested having a joint assembly with the WCC and the LWF on the first occasion in the 21st century.
We need to open ourselves to other religions and to start dialogue and practical cooperation, especially in the multireligious situations in which many member churches find themselves.

These are some of our priorities as I see them. The general council may affirm these priorities and may add other concerns. According to the measure of our gifts we shall continue to carry out our work. However, we badly need your prayers and intercessions. Include WARC, its staff and the regional work in your prayers. In our Wednesday meditations in the Geneva office we often remember you, your needs and hopes. We ask for your concern and your prayerful accompaniment.

Last but not least, if we are to fulfill the established priorities, I ask you all to reconsider your annual financial contribution towards the WARC budget. We cannot fulfil our tasks and visions if the level of our income is not maintained or increased. However, our income is shrinking. If a remedy is not found quickly, we will have to release some members of our staff and our overall work will be impaired. I urge you to look into this question carefully and to see that your contribution is in tune with the size of your church. In our fellowship the lack of financial means is not primarily an economic problem. It is related to our theology, to our overall spiritual existence, and to whether we see each other as a closely related fellowship of churches.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I wish to thank my colleagues in the administrative and executive staff for their cooperation and dedication over the years. I am most grateful to all of you. A special thanks goes to the staff of the office of the coordinator for the general council.

I wish to thank madame president, the officers and all members of the executive committee for their contribution and concern for the Alliance. Over the years we have created an atmosphere of trust and friendship which is so important in our work. I wish to assure you that it was a delight to work with you and that I feel deeply indebted to you.

I wish to thank the member churches which have maintained contact with the WARC Office in Geneva and supported our work in many ways.

I wish to thank all of you who have been appointed delegates to this general council. I wish to encourage you to feel that your mandate does not end with the closing worship of this meeting. We would like to invite you to maintain close contact with the life of WARC beyond Debrecen. You will continue to be on our mailing list for the bulletin Update. The members of the incoming executive committee have special tasks. However, every delegate of the general council can help the Alliance by interpreting its work in the member churches. We want you to be a wider circle of the WARC constituency on which we can rely. Only in this way can we cope with the many visions and dreams ahead of us. I hope that for a long time you will remember our time together, which should not only be a time of serious reflection, but a time of celebration, joy, sharing and many personal encounters.

On the threshold of the next millennium, it is my prayerful wish for the Alliance that it may be a prophetic community - prophetic without arrogance and with compassion. "Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!" (Num 11.29) This is not just said about the people of Israel in the time of Moses. It is a promise for all who live in the succession of faith. Let us not be conformist and opportunistic. Let us be a church and world communion which is prophetic and which is faithfully watching from the walls of our cities and societies. May the triune God give us courage, endurance and a clear vision of what is important. Would that all the Lord's people were prophets!