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Published: October 8th 2010
PC(USA) Delegation
On the Plenary Floor in Grand Rapids, MichiganA Report to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Delegation
to the Uniting General Council
of the World Communion of Reformed Churches
Visit: www.reformedchurches.org
www.wcrc.ch
www.canaac.org
GATHERING AROUND THE WORD
In the name of the triune God, hundreds of Reformed Christians joined together from June 17-28, 2010 in Grand Rapids, MI at the campus of Calvin College for the Uniting General Council (UGC) of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC). The WCRC was the union of the
Youth Delegates to the UGC
Youth from Africa, the Pacific, North America and Europe (Due to Visa denials no youth delegates were present from South America) World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC), bringing together 85 million Reformed, Presbyterian, Congregational, United, Uniting, and Waldensian Christians from 230 churches in 110 countries. Affirming and raising up our Christian calling to communion, unity and mission, the WCRC gathered around the theme of “Unity of Spirit in the Bond of Peace,” focusing on the scripture from Ephesians 4:3.
With a sense of joy, gratitude and humility, the delegates of the UGC acknowledged the Divine invitation to participate whole-heartedly in the mission of God. The UGC reflected upon the power systems and institutional abuses committed against First Nations/Native America peoples on this continent in the name of the gospel. In humility of heart, the UGC recognized anew the human tendency to oppress and marginalize others even in the attempt to engage in God’s life-giving mission. Unified the UGC proclaims that mission without justice is not mission at all. By God’s grace, the UGC lifted up the shared core values of God’s life-giving mission that guides our prophetic engagement: communion and justice in the churches and the world.
The UGC was preceded by two Pre-Council forums: the Reformed Youth Forum (RYF) and the Women’s Gathering. The Global Theological Institute convened seminarians and young pastors as they explored theological and ecclesiological issues at the campus of McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL prior to the UGC. They then met concurrent to the UGC at Calvin College. The RYF and Women’s Gathering gathered for worship, Bible study, networking, and theological reflection around the UGC’s theme. While maintaining a focus on social and spiritual identity of youth in today’s plural world, the RYF gathered youth from Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Europe, Pacific, North and South America. The RYF offered more forward and directive definitions and understandings of who a youth is, what ought to be the role and responsibility of a youth in the Church, and what it means to be Reformed in today’s pluralistic world. The RYF developed a message for UGC delegates that expressed RYF’s desire for a WCRC structure that would be broadly inclusive of young people and a communal culture within the WCRC that dignified the theological perspectives of this present generation of young people.
The Women’s Gathering underlined the necessity of the inclusion of women at all levels of the WCRC’s structures, and recognition of women in ordained leadership in all member churches of the WCRC. Fostering critical reflection on how these themes are exemplified within the Ephesians passage (4:3), the Women’s Pre-Council lifted up further conversations that focused on restructuring hurtful social systems and societal frameworks. These systems marginalize, and are hegemonic in nature. The Pre-Council was made up of members from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and the Pacific. Comprised of various histories, ideologies, and geographies the Women’s Pre-Council encouraged alternative methodologies and structures to the Reformed Church.
Accepting the work done by the Reformed Youth Forum and the Women’s Pre-Council, the UGC faithfully stepped forward by working to create a communion of Reformed Christians across the world. Important and new definitions concerning the role and responsibility of Reformed Christians, the mission of the Reformed Church, and socio-political stances were offered during the UGC.
PROCLAIMING THE WORD
From six continents, there were over 400 delegates plus hundreds of observers and official guests, who brought the richness of their gifts, experiences and perspectives. The UGC lamented the fact that 73 sisters and brothersfrom global South churches were denied entry visas into the United States. Young adult stewards had a conspicuous and significant presence as they lent critical support to hospitality and logistical needs of the UGC.
The UGC gathered for daily worship and evening prayers, utilizing creative liturgies and global songs. With such liturgical themes as: “Remaining in God, Becoming One;” “The Unity of the Spirit in the Bonds of Peace;” “The Spring of Living Water;” “We Are One in Christ;” “Walking in the Light of God;” “The Gifts of Christ;” “Longing for Blessed Unity;” and ending with a closing Eucharist, the UGC heard the Word of God proclaimed, calling for unity in the Reformed body and a determined commitment to justice.
We were welcomed by area churches for Sunday worship. We also gathered for Bible study groups utilizing the booklet, “This is our family.” It was a time of fellowship and conversation; the UGC was a unique opportunity for dialogue, relationship, and critical reflection on questions concerning our Reformed identity, the mission of the Church and discerning social, theological and political positions.
RESPONDING TO THE WORD
Delegates approved the Articles of Union and WCRC Constitution and By-Laws that officially established the World Communion of Reformed Churches, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Constitution locates the foundation of the new Communion in baptism in the triune God, calling for all member churches to mutually recognize one another’s ordained ministries.
The UGC gave particular attention to efforts for peace and reconciliation with First Nations (Native Americans). At the inaugural ceremony establishing the WCRC, Mike Peters, an Odawa minister, presented to WARC President Clifton Kirkpatrick and REC President Peter Borgdorff a peace medal honored by generations of Peters’ family. Kirkpatrick and Borgdorff presented a sword that was hammered into a plowshare, symbolically committing the WCRC to working towards peace in all of creation.
Four keynote presentations - speakers from Germany, Guyana, North America, and South Korea—spoke of unity, diversity, social justice and peace as interdependent characteristics of the new Communion and the Communion’s programs and priorities.
The UGC affirmed an understanding of Reformed identity as one grounded in our baptisms with attendant commitments to God’s work of justice in the world, an active theology, and a theology-in-action. Asserting the loving, all-encompassing nature of the triune God, we recommitted to the mission of God as primary in understanding Reformed identity. Being Reformed today means acting in relationships with God’s justice, communion and love: “To own our Reformed identity is to express appreciation for God’s gift of grace. At the same time, it evokes a commitment to strive tirelessly by God’s grace to become more and more the communion that God calls us to be.” We affirmed that being Reformed means being situated and acting in today’s world in a specific manner. Carrying out God’s mission means professing a priesthood of all believers that widely and wildly inclusive.
SEALING THE WORD
Official greetings were offered by leaders representing a broad array of global ecumenical organizations, such as the World Council of Churches, Pope Benedict XVI and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and the Lutheran World Federation, and the Disciples of Christ/Christian Church. The Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council (DECC) was received as the first associate member of the new Communion.
Delegates met in regional groupings for three days for careful and prayerful discernment as to whom God was calling to provide leadership in the new WCRC Executive Committee and Presidium.
Some delegates were assigned to committees (Policy, Nomination, Message, Business, Public Issues, Finance); all delegates were assigned to Sections, such as Christian Unity and Ecumenical Engagement; Worship and Spirituality; Youth; Peace and Reconciliation; Gender Justice; and Mission.
We engaged in worshipful work, seeking the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, finding tangible ways to live out God’s call for us to be one for the work of justice.
The UGC affirmed that being Reformed means being situated and acting in today’s world in a specific manner:
We are challenged to be responsible keepers of the earth that God created and entrusted to our care. In living and deepening our Reformed identity, we seek to experience peace with and gain greater understanding and appreciation of those neighbours who are of other faith backgrounds.
Reformed identity as outlined is dynamic, while claiming a foundation in the Life of Christ, and the direction of God given by the Holy Spirit.
The UGC gave overwhelming reaffirmation and recommitment to the Accra Confession and the core priority of Covenanting for Justice in the Economy and the Earth.
The UGC noted that with the reduced staff in the Geneva secretariat and the financial challenges facing the Communion, the locus of the work of the WCRC will occur in regional councils in partnership with member churches.
Working toward establishing justice and equality within the world begins first with work in the WCRC. The UGC struggled through difficult issues such as equal representation of youth and women in the new WCRC Executive Committee. The UGC fervently discussed the issue of ordination of women among its member churches, which gave evidence to the diversity of histories and ideologies of cultures present in the WCRC. Nevertheless, the UGC took decisive steps in assuring that women and young people will be well-represented at all levels of the WCRC’s structures now and into the future.
BEARING AND FOLLOWING THE WORD INTO THE WORLD
Even as delegates headed home on the final day and celebrated the installation of the new Executive Committee, officers, and the WCRC’s president, the Rev. Dr. Jerry Pillay of the Uniting Reformed Church of South Africa, we learned that on the same evening of our departures a gifted young musician, Christina Mandang from Indonesia, was killed in a car accident in Grand Rapids. She befriended many of us, sharing her gifts through her organ and piano playing throughout the UGC’s worship services. We offered our prayers to her family and to her home church as an expression of the unity of love which we share in Christ.
In the words of the theme song of the UGC:
We celebrate the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace
We celebrate the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace
In the bond of peace, we find unity;
And in unity, we will be a light to the world With joy and thanksgiving in our hearts, we call upon the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), its global mission personnel, global mission partners, ecumenical partners, national offices, governing bodies, affiliated seminaries, colleges and universities, camps and conference centers, and congregations to work and pray for unity within and among the wider Christian community, our Reformed family, and beyond that, peace and reconciliation in our nation and world, with all of God’s people.
We call upon the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to recommit and increase its leadership and support in working with ecumenical, missionary and global partners here and around the world to be agents of reconciliation and peace, and committed participants in God’s transformative justice for a better and just world, in which
• We address oppressive powers and reaffirm efforts for peace
• We work for gender justice so that women and men are equal at all levels of society
• We work for generational justice where young people are included at all levels of decision-making
• We work for economic and ecological justice so that “all may have life and have it more abundantly,” where people and natural resources are honored and dignified, not commodified and abused
• We promote that love of God necessarily means love of neighbor so that a welcoming, generous hospitality is extended to the strangers among us
• We genuinely listen to and dignify particular stories in particular communities, appreciating the rich diversity in each and all, not eliding one another with broad theological or social categories but appreciating the various expressions of the Reformed tradition in its worship, work and ministries
CLOSING
We are grateful to God for the opportunity to serve the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in this way, and commit ourselves to pray for and work towards the visible communion of the body of Christ for God’s transformative justice in the world
Delegates:
The Rev. Dr. Hunter Farrell, Louisville, KY
The Rev. Lemuel Garcia, Winston-Salem, NC
The Rev. Alice Hageman, Jamaica Plain, MA
The Rev. Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick, Louisville, KY
Rachel Medema, Berkeley, CA
The Rev. Gradye Parsons, Louisville, KY
The Rev. Dr. Neal D. Presa, Middlesex, NJ
The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, San Francisco, CA
The Rev. Dr. Marsha Snulligan-Haney, Decatur, GA
Aaron Stauffer, San Antonio, TX
The Rev. Robina Winbush, Louisville, KY
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Shirley
non-member comment
Great Blogs
Hi Aaron, I've read all your blogs and am greatly impressed. They make me wish I were much younger, such roads are open for youth to travel these days. Your scope of understanding and ability to share is amazing.This particular blog is so uplifting about the goals of what is "true grace and faith." I, of course, am especially appreciative of the work that is being done on women's behalf as far as church service is concerned. I so agree with "mission without justice is not mission." If we are not getting at the underlying cause of injustice and working to name it and stop it we are actually accepting it no matter what we say or preach, perhaps it is an impossibility but that must not stop us, as Christians, from unending endeavor to do what is right and holy. Thank God for those of you who keep on keeping on. Blessings, Shirley