Churches mark anniversary of statement calling racism a sin

["Daphne Martin_Gnanadason" <Daphne.Martin_Gnanadason@wcrc.ch>]

World Communion of Reformed Churches  
News Release
26 September 2011
 
Churches mark anniversary of statement calling racism a sin
 
Churches today are marking the 25th anniversary of a declaration that racism is 
a sin. The declaration known as the Belhar Confession was adopted by the Dutch 
Reformed Mission Church in South Africa on 26 September 1986. The confession, 
issued in the context of the anti-apartheid movement opposing the country’s 
legislation that segregated people by race, attracted wide attention from 
churches and secular organizations.
 
A message to mark the anniversary issued by WCRC General Secretary Setri Nyomi 
says: “The World Communion of Reformed Churches deems the Belhar Confession as 
one of those gifts to the church worldwide which is still relevant today – not 
just to the South African situation of the 1980’s. There is much to be done yet 
for the justice and reconciliation theme it so eloquently articulates.”
 
The message is addressed to the moderator of the Uniting Reformed Church in 
Southern Africa (UCSA) Thias Kgatla. In 1994 the Dutch Reformed Mission Church 
and the Dutch Reformed Church in Africa united to form the URCSA.
 
The Belhar Confession declares: “We believe that separation, enmity and hatred 
between people and groups is a sin. Therefore, we reject any doctrine which in 
such a situation sanctions in the name of the gospel…the forced separation of 
people on the grounds of race and color.”
 
In church terms, a confession is a declaration before God and the world of what 
the church believes.  As such, it defines the criteria for church membership.
 
Formal adoption of the Confession continues to this day with representatives of 
the Reformed Church of America (RCA) and the Synod of the Christian Reformed 
Church (CRC) voting in meetings held in June 2009 in the United States to 
accept the Belhar Confession as a foundational statement of belief that defines 
the terms of church membership.
 
The Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa is still unable to affirm the Belhar 
Confession and is therefore a “suspended member” of the WCRC pending acceptance 
of the document.
 
The full message by Nyomi, addressed to the Moderator of the Uniting Reformed 
Church in Southern Africa follows. 
 
The Belhar Confession and a worship service based on the Confession are 
available on the WCRC website:
 
Belhar Confession 
http://www.wcrc.ch/sites/default/files/BelharConfessionTextSeptember%201986%201.pdf
Belhar Worship 
http://www.wcrc.ch/sites/default/files/Belhar%20Worship%20September%2026%202011.pdf
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rev. Prof. Thias Kgatla
Moderator, Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa
 
21 September 2011
 
 
Dear Moderator, dear sisters and brothers,
 
It is with great joy that we join with you in celebrating this 25th anniversary 
of the Belhar Confession.  The World Communion of Reformed Churches deems the 
Belhar Confession as one of those gifts to the church worldwide which is still 
relevant today – not just to the South African situation of the 1980s.  
 
Before the coming into being of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the 
World Alliance of Reformed Churches had held the Belhar Confession as a 
standard which our member churches should take very seriously – right from the 
1980s.  We were therefore happy to be associated with processes in which 
churches outside South Africa were considering adopting the Belhar Confession.  
We also recall its linkage with the Status confessionis declared in our 22nd 
General Council in Canada in 1982.  
 
For these and many other reasons we rejoice with you in this anniversary.  The 
impact of Belhar is tremendous.  There is much to be done yet for the justice 
and reconciliation theme it so eloquently articulates.  We thank God for the 
Belhar and will continue to be a partner in lifting it up as a standard.
 
On behalf of our president, Dr. Jerry Pillay, WCRC’s executive committee, my 
colleagues in Geneva, and the entire WCRC family, we salute you at this 
anniversary and pray that the message of the Belhar Confession will continue to 
inspire, challenge and bring hope. 
 
May God bless you.
 
Sincerely yours,
 
Setri Nyomi (Rev. Dr.)
WCRC General Secretary