World Alliance of Reformed Churches News Release 21 April 2008
Africa consultation on the Accra Confession calls for stand against world disorder
A rich minority is working to dispossess the poor, creating food and fuel price increases as well as chaos and corruption, says a group of 25 Reformed theologians and church leaders from Africa in a consultation ending in Johannesburg today.
â??We looked through the eyes of the powerless and suffering people and what this means for us. We located ourselves among the poor and downtrodden and this determined our theological viewpoints and our faith and humanity as we read the Bible together.
â??We stand against this world disorder, rightly identified by the Accra Confession,â?? the African church leaders stated in a communiqué.
The consultation was sponsored by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and its African regional body, the Alliance of Reformed Churches in Africa (ARCA), to continue to plan strategically how to engage African churches on the Accra Confession.
The Accra Confession is the major statement of WARCâ??s 24th General Council held in Accra, Ghana, in 2004. It states that working to create a more just economy is essential to the integrity of the Christian faith.
â??We believe the integrity of our faith is at stake if we remain silent or refuse to act in the face of the current system of neoliberal economic globalization,â?? the Accra Confession states.
The Johannesburg consultation said that Christians need to challenge the â??survival of the fittestâ?? thesis of todayâ ??s principalities and powers - the powerful, the empire, the market - which purport to have the only truth.
â??The universal church is only now recognizing and taking into account the fact that the wealth creation capacity of Africa is debilitated by European colonial empires through the domination and exploitation of African peoples, the humanity and natural resources.
â??This is a history and a faith question that cannot be denied,â?? the consultation stated.
â??We observed that the convergence of domination and exploitation is manifest in the collusion of the exploitative market system, which colludes with other life denying systems of injustice, such as racism, sexism, ecological degradation and the abuse of human dignity,â?? the church leaders added.
â??We stand against this world disorder, rightly identified by the Accra Confession, because in todayâ??s globalized world the new law is the â??law of the jungleâ?? or â??survival of the fittest,â?? which we reject.â??
The consultation, held from 18 to 21 April, brought together women and men, theologians and church leaders, from east, west, central and southern Africa. A keynote address was given by Allan Boesak, a former WARC president, who reminded the group that the church must be on the side of the poor because that is where God is.
A nine-member Africa Covenanting for Justice working Group was appointed to continue work on the Accra Confession throughout Africa.
Participants agreed to introduce the Accra Confession to the national Christian councils and Reformed churches in Africa to stimulate debate. In addition, a study guide will be created for churches and curricula will be developed for theological and Christian education programmes with feedback from these studies to be made available for a 2009 consultation.
Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth, executive secretary for WARCâ??s Office for Church Renewal, Justice and Partnership, called the Africa consultation significant. â??It provided the context for key inputs for the covenanting for justice process, especially regarding race and power analysis.
â??It also made clear the urgency for more proactive responses by churches, including engagement in the public arena. African churches see this as a critical life issue that calls for unity and action,â?? she said.
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The World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) brings together 75 million Reformed Christians in 214 churches in 107 countries - united in their commitment to making a difference in a troubled world. The WARC general secretary is Rev. Dr. Setri Nyomi of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana. WARC's secretariat is based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Contact: John P. Asling Executive Secretary, Communications World Alliance of Reformed Churches 150 Route de Ferney P.O. Box 2100 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland tel. +41.22 791 6243 fax: +41.22 791 6505 web: www.warc.ch
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