Introduction

'Is this a private fight,' asked the apocryphal Irishman, 'or can anyone join in?' This may not be the best way to begin, given the rather public fighting in which my countrymen and countrywomen have been engaged since 1969, but that is an issue for another issue. On national and ethnic identity, perhaps.

For some time now, the leadership of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches has been discussing the future of the Alliance after the 23rd general council, which takes place in Debrecen, Hungary, in August 1997; and the fruits of its reflections will be presented to and discussed by the delegates to that council. But it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to involve in the discussion a wider circle of friends - not least among whom are the faithful readers of Reformed World. This is not a private fight; do please join in.

The issue falls into three parts. In the first, we print a selection of contributions to the discussion of the future of WARC that took place in the executive committee in Detmold, Germany, this August.¹ In the second, we print most of the text that will now go to the general council (omitted are the closing sections on finance and staffing). In the third, lest we become too introspective, we print Philip Potter's sermon from the opening worship at our consultation last May on Reformed faith and economic justice. It may serve to remind us that WARC, like its member churches, exists for the sake of the world, and is therefore in the world in order to be not of the world.

We go to press as the World Council of Churches circulates to its member churches and ecumenical partners a working draft for a policy statement on 'a common understanding and vision' of the WCC. The whole shape and configuration - the respective roles and mutual relationships - of the various ecumenical instruments that the churches, Reformed and others, have over the last century and more created to serve them is, as we near the end of the second millennium, up for fundamental review. WARC needs to be part of that discussion, and to involve as much of its constituency as possible in the debate.

Your responses to the materials that follow will be warmly welcomed.

Páraic Réamonn

Notes