wfn.org | South African hails American church vote to confess racism as a sin

["Franziska Surber" <Franziska.Surber@warc.ch>]

>World Alliance of Reformed Churches
>News Release
>9 June 2009

South African hails American church vote to confess racism as a
sin

A South African church leader is hailing a move by an American
church to require members to confess racism as a sin.  

Representatives of the Reformed Church of America (RCA) voted
yesterday at  meetings in the city of Holland in the northeastern
United States to accept the Belhar Confession as one of four
foundational statements of belief which define the terms of
church membership. 

Gottfried Betha of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern
Africa told delegates that by voting to adopt the statement they
are saying to the world and to Americans, “If you want a
theological justification for racism, don’t come looking for it
in our church!”

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.

The Belhar Confession which was adopted in 1986 by the Dutch
Reformed Mission Church in South Africa 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.”

The General Secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches
(WARC) believes the RCA decision gives a strong signal to the
Reformed family and the ecumenical community that they are ready
to be God’s agents of transformation in a world which he says is
still struggling to overcome the legacies of apartheid.  

Setri Nyomi points to the “sad results” of a recent survey the
Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa which show a large number
of church members are still uncomfortable with the Belhar
Confession.  But Nyomi believes the RCA decision may challenge
those who are hesitant to “take courageous steps for the
transformation of their societies”.

Nyomi says the Confession is important to the United States
where it can serve as a “non-violent instrument” for building
communities at a time when he notes security concerns are
compounded by the financial crisis. “It is so tempting to follow
the crowds and succumb to excluding those who are not like us.”

Later this week, a second American church will consider adoption
of the Belhar Confession. The Synod of the Christian Reformed
Church (CRC) will debate the measure at meetings set to get
underway 13 June in Palo Heights, United States.

>***
>Contact:
>Kristine Greenaway 
>Executive Secretary, Communications
>World Alliance of Reformed Churches
>150 Route de Ferney
>P.O. Box 2100
>1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
>tel.  +41.22 791 62 43 
>fax: +41.22 791 65 05
>web: www.warc.ch ( http://www.warc.ch/ ) 
>e-mail: kgr@warc.ch