"We affirm our unity in Christ, the fact that we belong to God... Being Reformed is our way of answering the question of Christian identity, but we do not maintain the Reformed faith as a tool for excluding others who are not like us." (Study Texts, p.8)

To be Reformed is to be grateful for the presence of the God of the biblical witness before us in all things. To be Reformed is to face hard questions and hard decisions with clear eyes. The word is made flesh and is heard in particular cultures, often through painful struggles. To be Reformed is to participate faithfully in the work of God in Jesus Christ, through proclamation, community and service, and witnessing together. To be Reformed is to share in an ecumenical partnership of Christian churches.

As the Alliance moves into a new programme of studies, our recommendations are structured in such a way that they involve the members of the Alliance locally in an ecumenical framework.

Actions:

The general council

encourages member churches to organize workshops on the study themes and take up WARC programmes within the life of their congregations; insights shall be shared throughout the Alliance;
asks that delegates become agents of the 23rd general council in their church structures; WARC shall inform each member church who the delegates are so that the resolution agreed to in the covenant can be implemented;
requests that the department of theology develop a network of theological schools which are willing to contribute to the studies recommended in this report;
adopts the Study Texts as an official document for consideration and further study by member churches.

Reformed self-understanding: Who are we called to be?

We are who we are as Reformed churches because of the witness of our mothers and fathers in faith. We must hear their voices and learn from their faith and faithfulness. We must also listen to our brothers and sisters in the Reformed churches throughout the world. As Reformed churches we must be open now to the reforming word of God. We are neither confined to the past nor captive to the present. How can we understand the relationship between tradition and adaptation, fidelity and freedom, text and context? How can our worship, the structure of our churches and our vocation be shaped within the dynamic of a past and present that is open to the future?

The present moment in the life of the Reformed churches is best understood not as a loss of identity, but as a struggle to discover the ways our identity should be expressed in the light of the many abrupt changes in life and culture we are confronted with today. This necessarily entails thinking about the nature of being Reformed, that is to say about those elements, principles and perspectives which were operative in the dynamic transformations of the past, but yet transcend a specific time. This bipolar reflection, encompassing on the one hand the nature of our tradition, on the other the nature of the challenges posed by our time, must be based on the life and practice of the respective churches in their specific contexts, so we may find out whether these hermeneutics are faithful to the gospel and to the needs of the world.

Actions:

The general council asks that the Alliance

continue to encourage member churches to study what it means to be Reformed in their own contexts; and requests the department of theology to create a representative taskforce to prepare other study texts to be used at the congregational level regarding the basic elements of Reformed thought and life, which would help member churches to think about their interaction with their social and cultural environment;
promote the preparation of workshops for ministers and lay people, youth, women and men, on how to manage change and how to respond pastorally and socially to that change so that further chains of injustice may be prevented;
implement a process for member churches to:
1. exchange liturgical materials which would be accessible on the internet or in print;
2. exchange studies on issues and problems with which member churches have struggled; and
3. identify the confessional basis of each member church and how that basis leads to Reformed witness in society and in daily life.

Many Reformed Christians are challenged to express their identity, as members of their culture but also as standing out from the surrounding culture. This raises for them issues concerning the essence of the Reformed identity. An example of such a challenge for Christians in some regions is the growth of Pentecostalism and charismatic movements with their emphasis on experiences of the Holy Spirit. Therefore WARC member churches ask for guidance about their response and witness in such situations.

Actions:

The general council

encourages WARC to continue ongoing conversations with Pentecostals; and recommends that the department of theology study the theology and work of the Holy Spirit and its manifestation in the Reformed churches today, for example in worship, particularly from a charismatic perspective, and to report such findings to member churches for appropriate action;
further requests the department of theology, together with the Youth Desk, to organize a series of consultations on the effects of the charismatic movement on and in member churches, and to suggest strategies for church renewal and the rebuilding of churches in the Holy Spirit, and to report such findings to member churches for appropriate action.

In the life of each church, tendencies to unity and to diversity will always exist. Our unity is based on our faith in the triune God and the authority of the Holy Scripture. Within our unity in the Spirit and in Scripture we are thankful for the diversity of traditions in our Reformed family and feel enriched by this diversity. This is evident in forms of worship, dressing, and ways of celebrating joyfully. All members of the churches have the responsibility to serve congregational needs in a manner that leads to a healthy balance between unity and diversity.

Actions:

The general council asks that the Alliance

encourage member churches in a quest for unity to be open to listening to what other people have heard from the word of God in the same way as they listen to their own interpretations and to hear diverse voices and communities within the Reformed family in order to avoid further splits; and to continue to support Reformed churches, especially when they are in a minority position, in maintaining their identity in positive ways;
initiate consultations, together with its member churches, in countries with several Reformed churches to seek ways of closer cooperation, with the aim of church unity and of giving faithful witness to the world in common mission and service;
provide materials for confirmation (affirmation of faith) classes on issues such as the causes of diversity and unity as well as the authority and responsibility of all members of the church.

Gospel and cultures

The abundance of suffering and the abundant life

Suffering is a relational issue; it is not an abstraction. Suffering is personal and social. Christians are called to reflect on the love of God in the face of suffering. Human action and natural events cause suffering; it is the responsibility of Christians to labour in the power of the Spirit to break every humanly created cause of suffering, and also to work to alleviate suffering caused by natural events. We know that the huge majority of those who suffer in every cultural and national context are women, children, youth and indigenous peoples. Christians are called to change the social and economic structures which create conditions of suffering, such as wars and genocide.

In the suffering of the cross, Christ has come among us to share our burdens and take up our pain. In the resurrection, God has defeated death and pain and tears. As Christians we must live in the constant awareness that God"s will is the fullness of life for all the earth, not suffering in the world. We will not succeed in healing the suffering of the world if we take the suffering as a burden which we should bear alone. The grace of God sets us free, and encourages us to open ourselves to the needs of our neighbours. Because God has redeemed us from our shortcomings and sin, we must heal those sufferings which can be healed.

Actions:

The general council requests

the department of theology to study cultures in respect of the ways in which they help people to overcome suffering and the ways in which they bring forth suffering. The churches need to discern which elements of their culture contribute to the suffering of people and which are bases for liberation. The church needs to discern and denounce external factors which inflict suffering on our people. We encourage churches to support one another in suffering and to stand in solidarity with those who suffer, while labouring to change the conditions which produce suffering.

Ancestral Rites in Theological Perspective

The practices which have been known as ancestral rites have been part of many cultures, particularly in east Asia and Africa. The honour and respect paid to loved ones who have died and whose memory is still honoured has been part of Christian practice since the earliest times, and is also an integral part of every culture. In many regions, ancestral rites have been given a Christian character. The practice of honouring the saints is both similar to and different from the ancestral rites found in east Asia and Africa. Christianity should not estrange people from their background by singling out ancestral rites for condemnation and alienating them from the saving love of God in Jesus.

Actions:

The general council requests

the department of theology to undertake further studies on the relationship between ancestral rites (sometimes performed in secrecy) observed by Christians, and the celebration in memory of the departed as practised by certain communities, in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Cultures Before Christianity

In many parts of the globe, people are now looking to the resources of their local cultures to explore the possible parallels and illumination of the gospel through these cultures. Cultural values expressed in music, dance or movement, dress, colour, language, and symbolism distinctive to each culture, are important in worship and other church practices. This recovery of regional culture in the life of the church should be done in the light of a comprehensive, not a narrow, reading of the Bible, and with the understanding that not all cultural values and practices are acceptable to the spirituality and ethical values inspired by the gospel.

Actions:

The general council requests

the department of theology to assist the churches to explore the appropriate cultural values of each region in church life; to gather and distribute the stories on how regions integrate culture and gospel.

Pluralism of Cultures

Culture and the diversity of cultures are God-given, but not every element of culture is given by God. We must begin the study of culture with respect, recognizing that the gospel is embedded in each culture, that there are spiritual impulses in each culture, and that cultures are changing. We seek to discern those impulses, recognizing that Christianity is not solely concerned with spiritual or religious impulses. All cultures, including western cultures, must be subject to scrutiny.

Actions:

The general council requests

the department of theology to work with the churches to help them to a) discern how the gospel is embedded in each culture; b) identify the changing influences of the gospel or culture; c) study how sacraments relate to culture; and d) scrutinize cultures ethically and spiritually.

Traditional Christian language, symbolism and worship and contemporary cultures

There is a widening gap between many cultures and the way churches present the gospel. In secularized cultures, this gap has robbed many people of the possibility of articulating meaning in their lives. Youth and prosperous middle-class people are often noticeably absent from Reformed worship. Many churches are discussing symbols, actions and language in worship, the meaning of holy communion, and whether foods from the local context may be used instead of bread and wine for communion. The incarnation of God in Christ sets a paradigm for Christians throughout time and culture, calling each of our communities to embody the Christian witness in ways which are specific to our own contexts.

Actions:

The general council requests

the department of theology to study the possibilities for member churches in emerging individualistic and consumeristic cultures to find words and forms to reach out to secularized people and those engaged in the new religiosity, to find a new place in their changing pluralistic societies.

Witnessing together in context

Jesus said: "Follow me." Imagine if we did...

The search for authentic witness has always been important in the life of the church. The church"s proclamation, the kind of community it forms and encourages, its service and its theology are all shaped by the different contexts in which the church finds itself. In the last half-century, the recognition of the significance of context has caused a revolution in ecumenical theological reflection. It has impacted both the church"s missionary practice and its search for unity, and has given birth to new concepts.

Since Seoul 1989 the WARC department of theology has studied some of the many questions which arise when the church engages in witnessing to the gospel in different contexts. To make it clear: by context we mean the place where and the situation in which people live; those elements which make up the identity of people: economic and political (western/non-western, poor/rich), social, (man/woman, employed/not employed), cultural (how people create for themselves a world to live in and an identity between yesterday"s truth and expectations for tomorrow). Contextualization can be seen as the struggle of churches and Christians to define their identity in terms of their own cultural reality, by connecting the basic tenets of Christian faith (creation, incarnation, salvation, liberation) with their own historic, existential experience. Contextualization is an issue for all churches. It is an urgent necessity for churches which are used to expressing their faith in creeds and liturgical forms shaped by the specific (contextual) circumstances of the 16th and 17th centuries. For all of us, contextualization means to decontextualize in order to come to an appropriate recontextualization.

Witness happens in three areas: proclamation (kerygma), community (koinonia) and service (diakonia).

Proclamation

Proclamation aims (through verbal and nonverbal activity) to set before the people of God a different reality, the reality of the kingdom of God. Through proclamation the community (a) receive a vision of the new reality, and (b) are empowered to participate in the actualisation of the new reality. The value of storytelling is its ability to introduce the vision and possibility of the new reality. It has the capacity to connect local themes with biblical themes and reveal visionary imperatives. Stories help people to see the principalities and powers at work behind contextual situations.

Actions:

The general council asks that the Alliance

which places high value on proclamation, promote reflection upon, and training in effective ways of proclamation such as storytelling with a view to holding workshops on these ways.

Community

Jesus affirms the full community of humankind, female and male of all ages, yet still Christians wrestle with the challenge of inclusivity and exclusivity. The community that meets around the table of the Lord (koinonia), is at the same time a community within other communities, political, religious, social, domestic. This community, challenged by the welcoming table fellowship of Christ, liberates all people from the demeaning restrictive categories that deny their full humanity. In a context of secular culture and multifaith culture particular questions about the nature of this community arise.

Actions:

The general council asks that the Alliance

continue to encourage member churches to initiate or improve dialogue with our sisters and brothers in other Christian communities;
produce material that affirms the full inclusion of women in the religious and social spheres and calls for action on this issue.

Service

Christian service is a matter of presentation and representation. Christians are called both to present our neighbour before God in prayer, and be present with our neighbour in their suffering. It is a kind of mourning that originates from the joy of our Lord. The unfortunate reality is that the church is often too late to take action in situations of suffering. Similarly Christians have a tendency to be condescending and self-righteous in their offer of service. Christian service is grounded in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Actions:

The general council asks that the Alliance

in accordance with the historical Reformed emphasis, continue to resist the tendency to withdraw from the public sphere, and to produce study material that is not only directed at the marginalized and oppressed but also at monetary powers, economic giants, politicians, and church institutions. If the church"s service is directed at the poor and oppressed it just perpetuates their situation. If it is also directed at the principalities and powers the witness is more effective and the church"s stance renewed.

Summary: Witnessing together in context

The Holy Spirit unites separate communions and communities for action and witness. Our solidarity one with another crosses global boundaries so that united we are strengthened for the work of the kingdom. The Reformed family has a vital place within this globalization of solidarity.

In many parts of the world, churches and individuals of the Reformed faith are working with communities and individuals of other Christian traditions, or of other religions, or of no religious commitment as they seek together to achieve common goals. Whether they focus on proclamation, community or service, we request WARC to study these relationships and provide guidance regarding their effects upon the search for unity.