Reformed Communiqué December 2010

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Green Moderator Riding the Rails

When Mardi Tindal was electedModerator of The United Church ofCanada in August 2009, she vowedto do as much travel as possible usinggreen friendly transportation.

She meant it. In October this yearshe travelled by train across Canada,stopping in parishes along the way toencourage church members to embracenew lifestyles where they wouldconsume less of the earths natural

resources. Her trip, dubbed the SpiritExpress, has inspired people along the

way to share their fears, hopes and suc-cesses in response to climate change.

Tindals trip is just one of a num-ber of initiatives to protect earthsnatural resources being undertakenby member churches of the WorldCommunion of Churches (WCRC).Education and awareness-raisingprojects such as this are happeningin parishes around the world.

In the Pacific countries of Tuvaluand the Republic of Kiribati, churchleaders are dealing with the reality

of rising waters that may eventu-ally claim their land. In India, aninspired educator is teaching a gen-eration of children how to live life-

styles that reduce the consumptionof non-renewable resources. Boththese stories appear in this issue ofReformed Communiqu.

Initiatives such as these dem-onstrate rising awareness among

WCRC member churches that it isnow time to act as people of faithto protect Gods creation. It is thisbelief that is central to the work ofthe Oikotree movement that links

parishes, individuals, and faith-basedgroups worldwide who share a com-

Canadian church leader, Mardi Tindal, prepares to board the Spirit Express on a month-long trip across the country talking withparishes about ecology (Photo: United Church of Canada)

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mon concern for acting in faith inresponse to environmental and social

justice concerns. A report of therecent Oikotree Global Forum in

Germany appears on page 4.Omega Bula, who heads the

justice work of the United Churchof Canada, says that the trip bythe United ChurchModerator on the SpiritExpress is an example ofthe church respondingin concrete ways to thecall for justice in theeconomy and the earth.

The Moderatorraises up the need forthe care of soul, com-munity and creation;that ecological justiceis central to the well-being of all of creation.

We must remember ourresponsibility withinthe wider Earth community by mak-ing connections between wealth cre-ation, poverty and ecological justice,

says Bula.In Canada, the challenge for

Tindal was how to manage her car-bon footprint (the amount of fossilfuels consumed) during a three-year

term where she would be expectedto travel extensively. To-date Tindalestimates her air travel as Moderatorhas burned approximately tonnesof carbon. She has challenged thechurch to help her reduce the impact

of that travel by taking actions thatoffset the carbon emissions sheknows will accumulate as a result offulfilling her role as Moderator.

One congregation in a smallfarming community reports thatthey have reduced their carbon emis-

sions output by almost 34 tonnes peryear, which more than offsets theModerators first year of air travel.

But Tindal wants to do more, soshe has pledged to limit her air travel

by planning her meetings in a waythat accommodates travelling pri-marily by train.

As she traveled the country inOctober, Tindal hosted a series oftown hall meetings where she shared

her message of how Canadians canfind ways to live abundantly withinthe natural limits of Gods creation.

We must celebrate peoples sto-ries of hope their greenachievements as wellas hear their stories ofsuffering and concernabout climate and oceanchange, says Tindal.

The Moderator, a for-mer television presenterconverted to an ardentblogger, writes: Inthe midwestern city of

Winnipeg, I met Elliot,a university student whotold me churches arein the best position toinspire hopeful action on

climate and ocean change becausewe know how to build community.When people feel a strong sense of

community, he pointed out, theytake more responsible environmentalaction.

With files from The UnitedChurch of Canada

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Students work to restore creationTheir Spiritual Garden has trans-formed wasteland into productive

fields. They raise fish in an eco-pond. They run bio-gas projects.Students at an award-winning schoolin the Indian state of Orissa arelearning what it means to translatefaith and values into action.

We believe education is forliberation not just academic achieve-ment, says Rashmi Senapati, prin-cipal of New Stewart School in theCuttack Diocese. Our commitmentis to restore Gods creation.

Senapati, who holds a mastersdegree in education and a doctorate,also serves as a master trainer withthe District Environment Society

where she encourages other schoolsto adopt the New Stewart School

model of academic excellence andcharacter building through whatshe calls multiple intelligence aconcept that combines education foremotional, spiritual and intellectualdevelopment.

The 400 boys and girls of NewStewart School range in age from2.5 to 5 years. They and their 43teachers all have a role to play in themultiple ecological projects run bythe school as part of its compulsory

environmental education curriculum.School leaders take seriously thenational slogan Education for alland have formed a student commu-

nity that is inclusive of both gendersand of disabled students.

We encourage caring and shar-ing rather than selfishness, saysSenapati. We want our students tounderstand that each of us is respon-sible for preventing environmentaldestruction. For this, practicalknowledge is required.

Students learn by doing. Throughworkshops, an Eco Club and workassignments, children learn to recycle

water, run a greenhouse, develop bio-gas projects and work a composting pit.

The question is, says Senapati,how can we sustain Gods creation?

Church people across Canada gathered for dialogue on climate change.

(Photo: United Church of Canada)

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In an area of India that has beenhit by communal strife, the schoolseeks to be a model of justice, peaceand communal harmony.

The value which underpins thisapproach to community-building is

co-operation rather than competition.This is a community based on thevalues of reconciliation, reformationand re-structuring, Senapati explains.

The model is catching atten-tion. The school has won a string of

awards at the state level from BestEco-Friendly Project awarded on

World Environment Day 2008 fora project dubbed Kick the Habit C02 Towards a low-carboneconomy to the 2009 award for

Friend of Nature School. And theschools students are tuning into the

world beyond Orissa. To mark theUN Summit on Climate Changein Copenhagen in 2009, students

joined a district-level rally and

arranged for other schools to attendas well.

Senapati says she is inspired inher work by the World Communionof Churches focus on transformingsociety and cites Isaiah 6: -2.

We must take those verses seri-ously, she says. We must set atliberty that which needs to be freedfrom destruction. The students ofNew Stewart School have taken thatmessage to heart.

Help God. Build sea walls.When church members in the Pacif icnation of the Republic of Kiribatiask how building a wall to protectthe shoreline is doing Gods work,Baranite Kirataexplains they are not

just building a sea wall.We are participat-

ing with God to sus-tain life, the churchpastor tells them. Weare stewards put in theGarden of Eden to pro-

tect it.The Republic of

Kiribati is one of thePacific island countriesthreatened by risingocean levels that sci-entists attribute to theeffects of global warm-ing. Already churchpeople from the regionreport local crops such

as coconuts are beingdamaged by salt water.Kirata is active with

Oikotree, the church-based movement for environmentaland social change. His appointmentas head of Oikotree Pacific is to beconfirmed the Pacific region of theCouncil for World Mission at meet-ings in March 20. Meanwhile,Kirata is active raising awarenessamong churches of damage to the

local environment to which theythemselves sometimes contribute.

Kirata points to the use of stoneand gravel to build churches in

Kirabati, stones he believes can bebetter used to defend against theencroaching ocean. Church build-ings could instead be built with

wood in the style of the maneabaortraditional meeting house, he says.

The idea is not yet widely-accept-ed, Kirata acknowledges. Peoplereject it because the maneaba isseen as secular, he explains. But

we must reorient ourselves to thesacredness of the local context andrediscover the sacredness of thatbuilding.

Soama Tafia, a minister in Tuvulahas worked with the Pacific Council ofChurches on issues related to the envi-ronment, justice and peace. He is now

active in awareness-raising in Tuvaluabout the impact of climate change.Tafia says his work is to prepare localchurches for what is coming.

Our country will be under waterin 25 to 50 years, he says. My mes-

sage to churches is tolook at preparednessprogrammes.

For now, Tafiaresists talk of resettle-ment plans.

We need to thinkof staying rather thanthink already of reset-tlement, he says.

The pastor believesprogrammes mustfocus on adapting tonew realities such asthe high tides erodingbeaches and salt waterdestroying crop land.

We need to plantto counter erosion,says Tafia. We needmangroves along the

seaside for example.Referring to the biblical story of

Gods promise to Noah that therewould be no more floods, Tafia saysthe promise of the rainbow is stillthere but people have destroyed theirpart of the promise through misus-ing knowledge and freedom.

It is not God who is responsiblefor the flood waters, he says. Its us.

What is needed now, Tafiabelieves, is faith but faith in action.

Baranite Kirata and Soama Tafia: Calling Pacific Island churches to save their land from

rising waters for God. (Photo: Greenaway/WCRC)


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Oikotree Global Forumby Oikotree Global Forum PlanningTeamResist life-destroying civilization,

build life-enhancing communities,cultures and systems! The par-ticipants of Oikotree Global Forumheld in Arnoldshain, Germany,from to 4 November 200 calledchurches, congregations, individuals,community of faith, national andregional ecumenical organizations,networks, and social/peoples move-ments to promote life-sustainingalternatives to the prevailingdeath-dealing systems.

The Oikotree Movement,initiated by the Councilfor World Mission, WorldCommunion of ReformedChurches and the WorldCouncil of Churches, broughtsixteen faith based socialmovements from all overthe world for strategizing commoncommitment and actions to trans-form the current Life-destroying

civilization into Life-enhancingCommunity, Cultures and Systems.

Looking back at the last fiveyears or so, appraising our presentglobal situation, we would have tosay the churches who met at Accrain 2004 were right. Allan Boesak, aSouth African theologian and formerpresident of the then World Allianceof Reformed Churches said in key-note address to the Forum.

In the work of the GlobalisationProject, following the critical lead ofthe WCCs Alternative Globalisation

Addressing People and Earth (Agape)Project, we paid special attentionto the role of financial markets. Weforesaw the coming crisis precipitatedby the global neo-liberal financialmarket policies. We have seen thatcrisis arrive, we are experiencing itsdevastation still and we have alsoseen how the empire has looked after

its own. This unjust global economicsystem is defended and protectedby political and military might, andfor the poor, it has become a matter

of life and death.Dr Boesak drewattention to the urgency of todaysdestructive global economic system.

In its Accra Confession (2004),the then WARC, now the WorldCommunion of Reformed Churches,called unbridled consumption sinand urged member churches toresist neo-liberal economics. The

AGAPE process within the WorldCouncil of Churches (2006) urgeschurches to work for the eradicationof poverty and inequality through

the development of economies

of solidarity and sustainable com-munities. CWM in its theologystatement,Mission in the Contextof Empire(200), observes that inbringing the love of God to the

world and witnessing to Gods prom-ise of fullness of life we are calledto follow the example of Jesus in hisresponse to Empire.

Recognizing the urgency of thecurrent life-destroying human civili-zation, the participating movements

committed themselves to seek to livefaithfully amidst empire that hasprovoked unprecedented economicand ecological crises in recent times.

We have joined hands in solidar-ity to build platforms of dialogue,critical reflection and activism for

justice in the economy and theearth. Participating movementsunder the Oikotree affirmed theircommon commitment to worktoward a Solidarity Economy andLife-sustaining Oikos. The name ofOikotree is derived from the Treeof Life in Revelation 22 and theleaves of the tree are for the healingof the nations and the spiritual

traditions of many indigenouspeoples and faith traditions.

Korean theologian andModerator of the OikotreeMovement, Park, Seong-Wonsaid a unique role of theOikotree Movement is to pro-vide an ecumenical space wherechurches, individuals and socialmovements can come together,

network and work for our commontask of shaping our planet into aLife-enhancing Oikos.

Visiting the diaconal project withunemployed people and the CentralStation Mission in Frankfurt, andhearing from the student networkon liberation theology and othersocial initiatives I had the feeling thatOikotree spirit is largely shared amongthe churches, said Antonella Visintinfrom the Waldensian Church.

The sixteen movements whocame under the Oikotree identified

areas of convergence, built synergiesand linked global, regional and localagendas for fostering justice in allaspects of life.

The Oikotree Movement alsochallenged faith communities, inparticular churches and ecumenicalmovements, to keep justice at theheart of faith.

The Forum planned commonaction at all levels for intensifyingtheir united goal of building life-

enhancing community, cultures andsystems. The report on commonaction is available on request [email protected]

We have joined handsin solidarity to buildplatforms of dialogue,critical reflection andactivism for justice in theeconomy and the earth.


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Pakistan church delivers flood aidA letter received by the WorldCommunion of Reformed Churches inOctober from the Executive Secretary

of the PresbyterianChurch of Pakistan paintsa vivid picture of effortsby church staff, volun-teers and seminarians toprovide relief to peopleaffected by severe floodingin Pakistan.

In his message,Maqsood Kamildescribes how aid hasbeen delivered by thechurch to communitiesin the north-western dis-trict of Khyber PakhtoonKhwa which sustainedextensive flood damage.

The relief effortswere assisted by a grantfrom the PartnershipEmergency Relief Fund of the WorldCommunion of Reformed Churches.Money from this fund is sent to

member churches for immediate usein the wake of a disaster.

On the advice of the Diocese ofPeshawar which serves the district,the church gathered kitchenware

for families in Noshera, the secondlargest city in the region. In earlyOctober two seminarians from

Gujranwala Theological seminarymade an overnight trip by truck todeliver five hundred sets of cooking

pots, jugs and dishes to the cam-pus of Christ Church where a largecrowd was waiting. They were joinedstaff from the Christ Church school,Kamil, and other members of the

church to assist in the distributionof the goods to Christian, Muslimand Hindu families. Although five

hundred sets had seemeda lot when loading thetruck, it seemed so littlein face of the great needof the people jostlingto get the much-neededsupplies, Kamil reports.

Kamil writes that theneed for assistance willincrease in the coming

weeks. As winter setsin, people will be need-ing warm clothes, blan-kets and other winterrelated bedding.

WCRCs PartnershipFund provides grants tomember churches foremergency relief as wellas support to develop-

ment projects. For more informa-tion about how to apply for fund-ing, please visit the WCRC website

www.wcrc.ch or write to: WCRCPartnership Fund, PO Box 200,50 route de Ferney, 2 Geneva 2,Switzerland

Staff, students and volunteers from the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan gathered kitchenware

supplies urgently needed by flood victims. (Photo: Presbyterian Church of Pakistan)

North American Endowment Fund createdby Stephens Lytch

At the meeting of the Uniting General

Council in Grand Rapids this June,the Executive Committee of the WorldCommunion of Reformed Churches(WCRC) appointed the North

American Endowment Committee. Itsmandate is to seek financial supportin North America to undergird thefinancial stability of WCRC in lightof decreasing membership fees frommember churches and a growing needfor the Communions witness to unityand justice.

The North AmericanEndowment Fund, which currentlyholds approximately $25,000, wasestablished by gifts from friends of

WCRC. Each year, the Endowmentwill pay out 5% of the funds value

to the core budget of WCRC.Members of the EndowmentCommittee are the North Americanmembers of WCRCs ExecutiveCommittee plus the past presidents of

WCRCs antecedent organizations whoreside in North America. My role is toserve as President of the EndowmentThe Endowment Committee will devel-op the fund through an annual appealto North American friends of WCRC.There will also be regional gatherings

where supporters can meet leaders ofWCRC and learn of its latest initiatives.

A grant from WCRCs regionalgroup for North America and the

Caribbean, CANAAC, offers finan-cial support for the work of the

Endowment Committee.Residents of the United Statescan make tax-deductible gifts tothe Endowment Fund by sending acheque to WCRCs North Americanoffice at 2850 Kalamazoo Ave.,Grand Rapids, Michigan 49560,USA. Provisions will soon be inplace for Canadian donors to maketax-deductible gifts.

The Endowment Committee isalso receiving gifts to go directly to

the WCRC core budget and to spe-cific programs. Information about

WCRC programmes is available atwww.wcrc.ch


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Latin America: Communion mustwork for justice

by Dafne Sabanes Plou

During the Uniting GeneralAssembly (UGC) in June, the del-egations from Reformed churches inLatin America worked to strengthenthe bonds that enable them to con-tinue their ecumenical efforts in sup-port of dialogue and commitment inthe region.

Carola Tron, who was electedmember of the Executive Committeeof the new ecumenical church body,considers that there are three mainthematic issues that are high in Latin

American Reformed churches agen-das: social, economic and environ-mental justice, gender justice and theglobal economic crisis.

All these issues were highlightedby the assembly, says Tron, who is aminister of the Waldensian Churchof the River Plate in Uruguay.These are all challenges we face in

our contexts, where we want to bepart of Gods mission. We also know

that these matters challenge our

communion, she added.Communion and justice are two

theological concepts that were welldeveloped in discussions previous tothe Uniting General Council and inthe Council itself, says Tron.

Now we need to create newtypes of actions and revise the usualpractices in our communities. Wealso need to have a renewed under-standing of our theology to be ableto sustain all the tasks we are calledto do.

Tron adds that the role ofAIPRAL (Alliance of Presbyterianand Reformed Churches in Latin

America) is essential to communionbuilding in the region.

The first meeting of the newWCRC Executive Committee isscheduled for May 20 in Geneva,Switzerland.

We need a renewed understanding of our theology,

says WCRC Executive Committee member,

Carola Tron. (Photo: Coll/WCRC)

We are family now: South AfricanstudentBy Hans PienaarMany South Africans believe usingthe family as a model for relation-ships among members of the World

Communion of Reformed Churches(WCRC) will serve them well saysJanine Williams, a Cape Townpost-graduate theology student whoattended the launch of the WCRC atthe Uniting General Council in GrandRapids, United States this June.

Williams believes such a model isbetter than a definition that was takingroot in some ecumenical circles of unityonly being possible if it were based on ascriptural reading, from which a single

set of behaviours was derived that ulti-mately would lead to one denomination.

We are a family now, not togeth-er in hostility, but intimately, all in

acknowledgement of each othersdifferences. Family members are incommunion, but still themselves,as brothers and sisters, parents and

children, says Williams, a memberof the United Reformed Church ofSouth Africa (URCSA). This is thefocus that would help to spread themessage of Grand Rapids.

Williams believes that after theGrand Rapids event, people in South

African Reformed churches are gen-erally committed to reach out to oneanother but in celebration ratherthan as a matter of conformity.

Grand Rapids has enabled us to

come together in celebration, espe-cially during communion which ismeant to be across boundaries, says

Williams.

The theology student knowshowever that there will be resistanceamong some church members whoprefer to focus only on their con-

gregations and will be against unitysimply because they fear change andleaving their comfort zones.

Nico Koopman, head of theologyat Stellenbosch University, who was adelegate at Grand Rapids, hopes thatthe WCRC would be a true com-munion, (one) that builds on globalsocial solidarity, global social cohe-sion, and global social capital.

Secondly, one hopes that WCRCwould be a community that pursues

compassionate, healing justice, whichis so central to the Reformed tradi-tion, on global and local levels, saysKoopman.


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Scholars share A Common WordIt is one of the most pressing issuesof our day. Success could meanpeace. Failure certainly will result in

more death and suffering. At issue ishow to overcome misunderstanding,resentment and fear between peoplesof different faiths. The challenge islearning how to nurture understand-ing and respect among the worldsfaith communities.

Christian and Muslim scholars andleaders took up the challenge duringa recent meeting at the EcumenicalCenter in Geneva, Switzerland. Theinternational consultation called

Transforming Communities:Christians and Muslims Buildinga Common Future was convened

by the World Council of Churches,World Islamic Call Society, Royal Aalal Bayt Institute and the Consortiumof A Common Word.

The consultation was called inresponse to an open letter issuedby Muslim scholars in 200 to

Christians around the world. Theintent of the letter - called ACommon Word was to try tomake peace between Muslims andChristians globally, Prince Ghazi

bin Muhammed bin Talal of Jordansaid at the time. Bin Muhammedbin Talal, a keynote speaker at the

Geneva consultation, is credited asthe architect of the initiative. Theletter sparked a series of dialoguesand consultations worldwide amongChristians and Muslims.

The event in Geneva wasintended to explore how churchesand Christian communities can bestrespond to new opportunities broughtby the Muslim letter, says RinaBarsoum, WCC programme execu-tive for Christian-Muslim relations.

Douwe Visser, ExecutiveSecretary for Theology andEcumenical Relations with the

World Communion of ReformedChurches, attended the consulta-tion along with Johnson Mbillah ofthe Presbyterian Church of Ghana.Mbillah participated in a paneldiscussion in which he drew onReformed church experience withinterfaith relations in Africa.

In 2009, Visser edited an issueofReformed World, the theological

journal published by WCRC, whichfocused on Reformed theology andIslam. Plans are for WCRC to con-tinue active engagement in dialogue

with other faith groups, says Visser.

Muslim and Christian leade rs: Committed to dialogue for peace . (Photo: WCC)

Farewell to Swiss ecumenistThe Swiss ecumenist and churchleader, Thomas Wipf, has finishedhis term as president of the Councilof the Federation of Swiss ProtestantChurches (SEK-FEPS). To mark theoccasion, national and internationalfaith leaders and political dignitar-ies joined delegates to the FEPS

Assembly in Bern, Switzerland on 9November to celebrate Wipfs serviceto peoples of faith in Switzerland,

Europe and abroad. Wipf served aspresident from 999 to 200.

During his farewell address, Wipftold guests and Assembly delegates

that many people want solid con-tributions from Protestant churchesin response to urgent socio-political

questions. He noted in particular thechallenge of coexistence among peo-ples of different origins and faiths.

It is not simply a question ofsolving problems. It is also abouttaking advantage of opportunities formutual enrichment. We cannot leavethe theme of integration to politicaltrouble makers, he told the delegatesand guests.

The general secretary of the

World Communion of ReformedChurches, Setri Nyomi paid tributeto Wipfs contributions to the globalchurch.

Farewell event for Thomas Wipf in Bern,

Switzerland marked his contribution to ecumenism.

(Photo: SEK/Thomas Flgge)


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Can you hear the drum?by Robert Faris

What follows from a confession orapology? What is the path which

Canadian churches, including thosethat are members of the WorldCommunion of Reformed Churches(WCRC), should follow to give fleshand bone to words of apology andconfession that have been written andspoken to Aboriginal people, particu-larly in relation to abuse in formerIndian residential schools in Canada?

In residential schools forAboriginal children run by thechurches on behalf of the Canadian

government until the late 20

th

cen-tury, there were abuses that resultedin highly-publicized court casesagainst the churches and the govern-ment. The four churches involvedhave all made apologies or confessionsand Prime Minister Harper issued anapology on behalf of Canadas federalgovernment in 2008.

In recent years, Canadianchurches and the Canadian publichave been made aware of attempts

through assimilation policies of thefederal government in the past tosilence the drum and all that itrepresented in Aboriginal culture.

The churches played a central rolein silencing traditional Aboriginalpractices not only by their role in the

residential schools but also by givingtheological justification to these edu-cational policies and in many casesdemonizing Aboriginal spirituality.

The Churches Council onTheological Education in Canada(CCTE), which includes in itsmembership WCRC members TheUnited Church of Canada and The

Presbyterian Church in Canada, isexploring ways in which theologi-

cal education can support initiativesfor repairing broken trust betweenCanadas Aboriginal peoples andits churches. This will be the focus

of a CCTE-sponsored conferencein Winnipeg, Canada in May 20

with the theme Can you hear the

drum? Aboriginal spirituality andtheological education.

During the conference, we willask where we can hear the drumin theological education in Canadatoday. Following the apologies andconfessions offered by Canadianchurches to the countrys Aboriginalpeoples, how do we move from

silence to embracing the giftof these teachings and prac-tices, not as an addendum tothe curriculum in theologicalschools, but as central to themeaning of understandingGods work and mission inthis place? What could bethe import of this wisdom forthose preparing for ministryin churches and a society

which are seeking reconcili-ation with Aboriginal peopleafter so many years of vio-

lence against them? In circlesof learning we will talktogether and listen togetherfor the drum in our midst.

This conference followson CCTEs first confer-ence in May 200 on thetheme Doing theologyin a

fair countrydrawn from the work ofCanadian philosopher, John RalstonSaul. Both conferences have been

hosted by the Faculty of Theology atthe University of Winnipeg.Other members of CCTE include

The Anglican Church of Canada,Canadian Baptist Ministries, TheCanadian Conference of CatholicBishops and The EvangelicalLutheran Church in Canada.Further information will be availablesoon atwww.ccteconference.ca.

Robert Faris is an ordainedminister of the Presbyterian Church

in Canada serving as ExecutiveDirector of the Churches Council onTheological Education in Canada.

North American Indigenous leaders like WCRC Executive Committee member, Mary Fontaine, are making drums

sound again in Christian circles. (Photo: Coll/WCRC)

The churches played acentral role in silencing

traditional Aboriginalpractices not only by theirrole in the residentialschools but also by givingtheological justification tothese educational policies.


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A new approach to mission is urgent:reality of life for Native people alarmingRepresentatives of Reformed

churches in North America andthe Caribbean have heard from aNative American pastor about howchurches in the region might engagein new forms of mission with North

Americas Indigenous peoples.Mike Peters, a pastor with the

Odawa people in the northeasternUnited States, was addressing ameeting of the regional group knownas CANAAC in Toronto, Canada inOctober.

Speaking during a conferencecall, Peters presented a model of how

WCRC might support ministry withthe regions Indigenous peoples.

Peters told the group that thereality of life for the majority ofNorth Americas Indigenous peoplesmakes it urgent thatchurches respond along

with Native leaders tothese challenges.

The statistics Peterspresented paint a starkpicture. Life expec-tancy for a Native

American is 44 years.The national averageis 4. One in threeNative Americans livesbelow the poverty line.In Peters home regionof Michigan, the sui-

cide rate for Indigenousyouth in the periodfrom 2000 to 2005 was00% higher than forany other group.

The model Petersproposes for addressingthe social crisis facingNative peoples is basedon a four-step programme of evange-lism, leadership training, a dialogueforum (called a talking circle in

Indigenous North American tradi-tions) and youth outreach.

Citing the missionary past, Peterstold the group, Even though many

missionary efforts were well inten-

tioned, they failed because theyattempted to impose their Europeanculture and theological viewpoint asthe only way to Christ.

Peters believes true cross-culturalministry allows faith in Jesus Christ

to be expressed by a cultural groupwithout imposition of the mission-arys worldview.

The question for the churchtoday, says Peters, is what theimage of God is and how it can beexpressed to Native peoples in 200.

Peters took a lead role in orga-

nizing the involvement of NorthAmerican Native peoples at theUniting General Council (UGC)

which marked the founding ofWCRC in Grand Rapids this June.

Stephen Kendall of thePresbyterian Church of Canada who

worked with Peters on UGC prepara-tions says he looks forward to build-ing relationships and further reconcil-iation and healing initiatives betweenchurches and Native peoples in North

America and the Caribbean.We exchanged gifts symbolic

of peace during ceremonies at theUGC. I pray that they will live intoaction in the life of the WCRC, itsmember churches and Indigenouspeoples, says Kendall.

CANAAC is now reviewing itsprogrammatic emphases for thecoming seven years leading up to the

next WCRC General Council.

It is time for new models of training, dialogue, and youth outreach, say Aboriginal community leaders.

(Photo: United Church Observer)

The question for thechurch today is what theimage of God is and how

it can be expressed toNative peoples in 00


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Caribbean church plans Haitian missionThe Presbyterian Church in Trinidadand Tobago is planning to launch aproject in support of primary school

education in Hati. The churchsModerator, Elvis Elahie, proposedthe idea following the earthquake in

January of this year which flattenedbuildings, including schools, in largeareas of the Caribbean country.

The project called Mission toHati focuses onidentifying a groupalready working inHati with whichto collaborate inthe constructionand operation of aprimary school.

The need foreducation is press-ing: 80 percent ofthe Hatian popu-lation is illiterate,Elahie says. Theschool system islargely privately-

run and manyfamilies cannotafford student fees.

The idea is tomake an arrange-ment with a school to allocate acertain percentage of the availablespaces for students whose fees would

be paid by the church. The churchwould have input into the curricu-lum as well, Elahie explains.

The example of Canadian sup-port for church-run schools inTrinidad and Tobago inspired theCaribbean church leader to proposea similar initiative in Hati.

The Presbyterian Church inTrinidad and Tobago, including all

of our educational institutions, isthe result of a missionary pursuit,Elahie notes. The time is right for

us to move from being an object ofmission to an agent of mission.

However, this is 2st century mis-

sion work. In an introduction to theproject Elahie writes: This mission Ihave suggested is not to Christianizeanyone in Hati. The idea is not topromote institutional Christianitybut rather to live out Christianitythrough educational formation,

Elahie says.The project

received Synodapproval ear-lier this year andUS$60,000 hasbeen raised to-date. However,plans are tempo-rarily on hold dueto the outbreak ofcholera in Hati.If all goes well,an exploratoryteam will travelto Hati early in

20 to identifyproject partners.

Elahie sees thisas a long-terminitiative; one that

he prays will be part of his churchsmissionary efforts for decades tocome.

Church in Trinidad and Tobago plans to help build a school in Hati. (Photo: ACT/Catianne Tijerina)

calvin09 is now www.john-calvin.orgThe international internet platformcreated to celebrate the 500th anni-versary of the birth of John Calvinis being redeveloped as a worldwideplatform of comprehensive knowl-edge and information about theGeneva Reformer.

www.john-calvin.orgfeatures

information, documents, gamesand products about Calvin in fourlanguages. International Calvinexperts from Germany, Switzerland,

South America and the United Stateshave been developing and expand-

ing the web page, which first wentonline in 200, into a worldwidecentral knowledge and informationplatform. The platform operates

under the auspices of the WorldCommunion of Reformed Churches(WCRC) and the Federation ofSwiss Protestant Churches.

WCRC President, Jerry Pillay,welcomes the site. I am particu-larly happy about the fact that theReformed Churches from Brazil, the

Netherlands, Poland and Hungaryhave also announced their coopera-tion, Pillay adds.


11/16


Korean peace impossible withoutjustice

The success of peace and reconcili-ation initiatives in the Korean pen-insula is linked with justice issuessuch as the right to free associationand access to food and education,the general secretary of the WorldCommunion of Reformed Churcheshas told global peace advocates andacademics at a seminar in Seoul inNovember.

Providing charity alleviatessome of the symptoms but we needmuch more than that. We need aclear commitment to justice for all,Setri Nyomi said in a keynote speechdelivered 3 November.

Nyomi was addressing morethan 00 participants from 5 coun-tries who were in Korea for a four-day seminar exploring the themeBuilding Communities of Peace.

The event which ran from 3

October to 4 November was thethird in a series of seminars onpeace and reconciliation hosted by

Youngnak Presbyterian Church to

honour its founding pastor, Kyung-Chik Han.

Originally from North Korea,Han dedicated his career to seekingreconciliation in the divided coun-try. The Religious Studies Sectionat York St. John University in GreatBritain was co-sponsor of the eventthat marked the tenth anniversary ofHans death.

Participants in the seminarincluded representatives from South

Africa, Croatia, Burundi and SriLanka.

In his presentation, Nyomi paidtribute to the efforts of WCRCmember churches in Korea fortheir commitment to reconciliationbetween North and South Korea.

There is a need to strengthenthe contacts between the church

in North Korea and the church in

South Korea, Nyomi said in speak-ing of his dreams for the region.

Efforts at annual prayer meet-ings ... and the development of com-

mon prayer give us a glimmer ofhope.

Christians represent 29.2 percentof the population in South Korea

with 8.6 million Protestants and 5.million Catholics. Reliable statisticsabout North Korean Christians arenot readily available. However, thestate-controlled Korean ChristianFederation, a Protestant organiza-tion, has 2,000 members.

The seminar opened with a tripto the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

which separates North and South.In a ceremony at the Songak PrayerHouse overlooking North Korea,international representatives offeredprayers accompanied by traditionalKorean music.

The gathering of Christians atthe border came in the wake of

state-organized meetingson 30 October where fami-

lies from North and SouthKorea met for the firsttime since the country wasseparated in the 950s. Anadditional 80,000 peopleare said to be waiting theirchance for a family reunion.

In a sermon on 3October, Nyomi told wor-shippers at a parish in Seoulthat they could set a good

example for secular societyand political authorities byworking to overcome divi-sions among churches. Byaccepting those who aredifferent from them, Nyomisays, Christians will be ina strong position to chal-lenge the powers that wantto keep Korea divided andspeak clearly on the fact

that this is one people.

Delegates to international seminar on peace and reconciliation in Korea visited the border between North and South for

briefing and prayers. (Photo: Youngnak Presbyterian Church)


12/16

2


Beyond Confessionalism: Essays on thePractice of Reformed Ecumenicityby Odair Pedroso Mateus

Ours is a time of ecumenicaluncertainty, Brazilian theologian,Odair Pedroso Mateus, writes inhis recently-published bookBeyondConfessionalism: Essays on the Practiceof Reformed Ecumenicity.

The former Executive Secretaryfor Theology and Ecumenism withthe World Alliance of ReformedChurches (WARC) has gathered a

collection of his essays in which he

questions the role of the ecumeni-cal movement today in general andthe role that the Reformed churchmovement and other Christ ian

world communions might play inparticular. Is it still important,Mateus asks, for denominations to

work towards organic union or hasthat imperative disappeared in thispost-modern era?

The question is timely. As the

newly-created World Communion ofReformed Churches (WCRC) seeksto define its role in global ecumen-ism, its member churches are asking

what to expect of themselves andothers in the Communion.

Copies of the book are [email protected]

Greed underpinsglobal economy

A new publication from the WorldCouncil of Churches (WCC)

that draws on work by the WorldCommunion of Reformed Churches oneconomic and social justice seeks aneconomy based on need, not greed saysthe WCC. The bookJustice Not Greed,edited by Pamela Brubaker and RogateMshana, is a compilation of papers pre-pared by the WCC Advisory Group onEconomic Matters. Fourteen Christianeconomists, theologians, ethicists andsociologists offer economic analysis andbiblical and ethical reflection for indi-

viduals, students and groups. The bookis available by contacting the WorldCouncil of Churches Publicationsoffice.

Church manualpromotes positivemasculinities

A new publication by the WorldCommunion of Reformed Churches

(WCRC) and the World Council ofChurches (WCC) is a church manualon men as partners for promotingpositive masculinities, says the booksco-editor, Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth,

who heads WCRCs justice office.Sheerattan-Bisnauth and Philip

Vinod Peacock edited Created inGods Image: From Hegemony toPartnership. The book aims to enablemen to become more consciousof gender as a social construct that

affects their own lives as well as thatof women, Sheerattan-Bisnauth

writes. Copies are available by [email protected]

Corruption-FreeChurchespossible

In a book published by Globethics.net, the organizations general sec-

retary, Christoph Stckelbergerwrites: corruption exists not onlyin business, politics and NGOs butalso in churches. In Corruption-FreeChurches are Possible: Experiences,Values and Solutions, Stcklebergergathers tried and tested guidelinesand codes of conduct to prove thatthere are solutions to the problem.The book is available atwww.globethics.net


13/16

3


Speak German? See the world.His ability with lan-guages has openedmany doors for

Hartmut Lucke.German is his birthlanguage but Luckealso speaks f luentFrench and English.Those languages havebeen his passport tothe world of ecumen-ical engagement.

Now retired,Lucke has an officeat the EcumenicalCenter in Geneva,Switzerland wherehe can be seen hardat work three days a

week translating news releases, cor-respondence and reports for the WorldCommunion of Reformed Churches(WCRC).

I cant imagine a passive retire-ment, says Lucke. I like the broadhorizon of WCRC. It is a real fellow-

ship, a community.Since he first began translating

theological articles for the Europeanpublishing companyLabor et Fidesin 96, Lucke has developed a voca-tion for languages. He has servedas an interpreter for WARC (now

WCRC) at every General Councilsince 982 (Ottawa) and at every

World Council of Churches assem-bly since 983 (Vancouver). The

Conference of European Churchesand the Community of Protestantchurches in Europe (CPCE) also callon him. His translations of theologi-cal and ecumenical texts to Germanand French appear in German andSwiss publications.

Luckes call to ministry came outof the experience of being part of thegeneration of German youth trauma-tized by what their parents genera-tion had done or not done in the face

of Nazism. He had had no contactwith the organized church as a childthough was encouraged by his motherto pray at home. It was as a teen-

ager at the end of WWII that Luckefound himself drawn to the church.

It was the place where I metpeople who would talk about whathad happened during the war, Luckerecalls. I was part of that genera-tion that was seeking reconciliation

and forgiveness. We wanted to showwe could be different. We wanted tomake up for what had happened. Wecould do that through the church andthe ecumenical movement.

Theology studies followed.Already Lucke was showing his giftfor languages. It was his knowledgeof French which allowed him to go

to Paris to study. Later, he partici-pated in Ecumenical Work Campsin France and French-speakingSwitzerland. These first contacts

with international ecu-menism set the coursefor his life.

It was in Genevathat he met his wife

Alice and was ordainedby the ProtestantChurch of Geneva.The young pastorand his wife shared adeep commitment torefugee work: Alicebecause of her originsas an Armenian born inTurkey and concernedabout the situation ofthe Kurds; Hartmutbecause of his experi-ence of the exodus of

refugees from eastern Germany.Luckes community organizing on

behalf of a new church developmentin an international neighbourhoodin Geneva led then-WARC generalsecretary, Marcel Pradervand, toendorse his application for a bur-

sary to study at the Institute onthe Church in Urban-IndustrialSociety of McCormick TheologicalSeminary in Chicago in the early90s. Those were heady days forthe German theologian-advocate.The excitement of working with theideas of community organizer, Saul

Alinsky, and African-American pas-tor, Jesse Jackson, was in the air.

On his return to Geneva, Lucke saw

his commitment to refugee work andecumenism could best be realized in theFederation of Swiss Protestant Churches(SEK-FEPS). From 98 until his retire-ment in 2002, he served as Secretaryfor International Relations. During thattime he was seconded to work part-timeas European Area Secretary to WARC.

Today, Lucke offers wisdom,words and perspective to the work ofthe World Communion of ReformedChurches.

If I can be useful, it is gratify-ing, he says simply.

Hartmut Lucke, seen here at the Uniting General Council in Grand Rapids, has been an

interpreter at global church events since 1982. (Photo: Coll/WCRC)

Luckes call to ministrycame out of the experienceof being part of the

generation of Germanyouth traumatized by whattheir parents generationhad done or not done inthe face of Nazism.


14/16

4


Zambian church appoints firstwoman as general secretary

The United Church of Zambia(UCZ) has appointed its first womangeneral secretary, Peggy Mulambya-Kabonde. The appointment wasmade in September at a synodextraordinary meeting.

Mulambya-Kabonde has beenan ordained minister in the UnitedChurch of Zambia since 98 andhas served in various church posi-tions at the congregation, consistoryand Presbytery levels. She has alsoserved as director of womens work atthe national level.

The new general secretary wasa part-time lecturer at the UnitedChurch of Zambia TheologicalCollege and in charge of a congrega-tion before moving to the Councilof Churches in Zambia where herduties included serving as a chaplainat the University of Zambia and the-ology and ecumenical engagement

officer.

Mulambya-Kabonde has beena member of the Circle of African

Women Theologians since its incep-tion in 989 and helps with the

coordination of gender justice issues

with the Council for World Mission(CWM) Africa region. She was anexecutive member of the World

Alliance of Reformed Churches(WARC) until June 200.

The Zambian theologian didher undergraduate studies at UCZTheological College in Kitwe andcompleted her post-graduate diplomain Ecumenical Church Ministriesat Pan Africa Mindolo EcumenicalFoundation. She holds a Bachelorof Theology (Hons) and Mastersin Gender and Theology from theUniversity of Cape Town (UCT).

Mulambya-Kabonde has beenwriting her doctoral dissertation onthe ordination of women as partof her doctoral programme at theUniversity of KwaZulu Natal inSouth Africa. With her appointment,she has been recalled to Zambia toserve as interim general secretary.

Peggy Mulambya-Kabonde be comes first woman to

head United Church of Zambia.

Global ecumenical youth movementnames new leaderThe World Student Christian

Federation (WSCF) has electedChristine Housel to be its nextgeneral secretary. The announce-ment was made in November by the

WSCF Executive Committee at itsmeeting in Lebanon.

An Episcopalian with an ecu-menical background, Housel is anative of the United States. She hasspent 2 years living in Germany,China, France, and Switzerland.

Since 2008, Housel has served as

Project Manager at the Federationsinternational office in Geneva. Priorto taking up her position with theFederation, she studied philosophy

at Wheaton College in the United

States and completed a Masters ofDivinity at Yale Divinity School.In announcing her election, the

Executive Committee pointed toHousels role over the past few yearsin developing new initiatives to drawout the potential of the Federationsglobal community of 06 nationalstudent movements. The Executivenoted in particular her work toestablish a global Advocacy andSolidarity Committee which builds

on the Federations justice work andher support of leadership trainingand skills-building at all levels of theFederation.

American ecumenist heads global church youth

organization. (Photo: Greenaway/WCRC)


15/16

5


News in new packages!The World Communion ofReformed Churches (WCRC) haslaunched two new communica-tions initiatives to mark the mergerof the World Alliance of ReformedChurches and the ReformedEcumenical Council.

Newsletter

This issue ofReformed Communiquisthe second edition of the organizations

new quarterly newsletter. Published inFrench and English, the newsletter isdistributed in both print and electronicversions. It is available free of cost tomembers and to partner organizations.

In order to receive your freesubscription, let us know which ver-sion of the newsletter you prefer andgive us your contact information.

Please complete and return the formbelow.

Algunos artculos estn reproduci-dos en espaol en La Voz. Si deseaabonarse, favor de enviar su solicituda: AIPRAL, Ricardo Rojas 56 B980AZ Brandsen Argentina.

E-mail: [email protected]

Ausgewhlte Artikel werden auf Deutschin die Reformierten reproduziert. Um sich

zu abonnieren, kontaktieren Sie bitte:Reformierter Bund e.V. Knochenhauerstr.33, D-3059 Hannover.

E-mail: [email protected]

Website

The new websitewww.wcrc.ch wentlive in the first week of September.

We invite you to visit the site andsend us your comments.

Theology Journal

WCRC is continuing publication ofReformed World, the theology jour-nalformerly produced by the World

Alliance of Reformed Churches. Thequarterly journal published in Englishis available by subscription. For infor-mation, contact the Reformed World

editor by e-mail or post.To subscribe to Reformed

Communiquby e-mail, send the fol-lowing information [email protected] subscribe by fax, complete andfax the following form to +4 (0)229 6505

(To subscribe by post, tear off and mail)

Reformed CommuniquSubscription Form

Family name: .......................................... Given name: ........................................ Title: ....................................

Name of church/partner organization/media outlet: .......................................................................................................

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World Communion of Reformed Churches, P.O. Box 00, CH- Geneva , Switzerland

Contributing to WCRCThe World Communion ofReformed Churches (WCRC) cre-ated June 8, 200 carries the hopes

and expectations of 230 memberchurches in 08 countries, most ofthem in the Global South. In orderto fulfill its mandate, WCRC needsyour help. Please consider how you

or your church organization mightcontribute to global church ministrythrough support of WCRC.

For information about how to makea financial contribution, you can visitthe WCRC website atwww.wcrc.ch,[email protected], or write to:

World Communion of ReformedChurches50 route de Ferney,

2 Geneva 2, SwitzerlandPhone: +4 (0) 22 9 6243Fax: +4 (0) 22 9 6505


16/16

From the general secretary

6


The World Communion of ReformedChurches formally began its exciting

journey in June 200. Among otherthings, its leaders took a firm decisionto embark on a strategic planning

process which involves listening veryclosely to its member churches, tak-ing stock of who we are and what weare called to be, focusing on someclear priority directions and position-ing ourselves to make an impact onchurch and society.

Going through this processreminds us of our Lords rhetoricalquestion For which of you, intendingto build a tower, does not first sit downand estimate the cost, to see whetherhe has enough to complete it? Thisquestion itself was set in a strangecontext in which Jesus was reported assaying that to follow him, one needsto take stock of himself/herself and be

prepared to forgo family and friendsand focus only on carrying the crossand following him, no matter the cost.This is commitment. The WCRC andits member churches are called to thiskind of costly commitment in follow-ing our Lord Jesus, and we cannotsimply follow programmes withoutcounting the cost and taking difficultdiscussions to prioritize what we do.

Far too many organizations lose

their focus and spread themselvestoo thin if they do not pause tothink through what they are calledto do and make plans to fulfill theircalling effectively. In this, organiza-tions are like builders who need toestimate the resources they have sothat their buildings do not end upin states of incompletion. The workof building the WCRC that we laidthe foundation for in June 200 hastherefore begun on that sound foot-

ing of estimating our strengths andresources so that we can focus.

In the first stage of that planningprocess, we sent questionnaires to all

our member churches and receivedsome insightful responses. Amongother things our churches, areacouncils and partners told us that the

WCRC constitutes the expression

of the Reformed familys relatednessin the world and that the churchesexpect us to help live out that con-nectedness. The responses affirmedover and over again that the WCRCis needed to be a force for unity andfor justice.

The Strategic Planning team is pro-cessing these responses alongside whatthe churches said through the UnitingGeneral Council reports to keep usfocused on what we are called to do.

Strategic planning also calls us toestimate our resources. While mem-ber churches say repeatedly that theyvalue the WCRC, often the financialresources they offer tell a different story.

The mission of the WCRC is excitingand the dedicated professionals serv-ing the organization are efficiently andeagerly fulfilling their calling but finan-cial resources are inadequate. Manypeople wonder how we have been ableto achieve so much with so little.

But it is becoming more and moredifficult to sustain the achievements

we have made unless more resourcesare injected into the life of the WCRC.

A donation from you or your congre-gation will go a long way to strengthenhow we address the many challengesthat face our world today. As you prayfor the WCRC, visitwww.wcrc.ch or

write to us [email protected] are doing everything possible

to focus on the priorities which canbe efficiently carried out to Godsglory. Our strategic planning is work-ing towards a stronger more effective

WCRC that will be a major force for

Christian unity and societal transfor-mation. We count on your continuingprayers and on your financial contri-butions for the success of this work.

For which of you, intending to build a tower, does notfirst sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he hasenough to complete it? (Luke 4:8)December 2010

Vol.1, No.2

Reformed Communiquis publishedquarterly by the World Communion of

Reformed Churches.

Unless otherwise indicated, the writersfor articles are alone responsible for

the opinions expressed. Articles may bereprinted freely with acknowledgement.

To receive your free subscription,subscribe online at:www.wcrc.ch/resources

or send a request by post to:

WCRC

PO Box 2100

150 route de Ferney1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland

tel: +41 22 791 6240fax: +41 22 791 65 05

email: [email protected]: www.wcrc.ch

Editor: Kristine GreenawayLayout: The Lutheran World Federation

Printed in Switzerland by SRO Kundig

Wold

communion

of refomed

chuhes

Called to communion,

committed to justice

Setri Nyomi, General Secretary

Reformed Communiqué December 2010

Documents

Transcript of Reformed Communiqué December 2010