Jun
12
2010
RCA Adopts South Africa’s Belhar Confession
A couple days ago, I posted a brief list of Christian denominations in the U.S. having their annual meetings this week. While I’d count myself among the many who break out in hives at the thought of attending denominational meetings, these are important gatherings for the life of the church.
For instance, at its annual synod meeting, the Reformed Church of America, the country’s oldest Protestant denomination, adopted the Belhar Confession written in the 1980s by Dutch Reformed South Africans. Once adopted, the Belhar will join the three historic statements of faith–the Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession and Canons of Dort–as the RCA’s organizing documents. The older three have served the denomination since its founding in 1628.
Proponents say this is an important development.
“It is historic and it adds a needed component to the confessions, the social dimension,” said Mitch Kinsinger, a religion professor at RCA-affiliated Northwestern College.
“For a denomination that has been historically Dutch and white, it opens the windows to a broader sense of what this church is and what it should be.”
The document instructs people to “love one another; that we experience, practice and pursue community with one another; that we are obliged to give ourselves willingly and joyfully to be of benefit and blessing to one another.”
“This is a way to ground our commitment to justice and to reconciliation and to unity,” said the RCA’s general secretary, the Rev. Wes Granberg-Michaelson said. “This means that every theological student will be shaping their faith in light of not only the Heidelberg, the Belgic and the Canons of Dort, but also the Belhar Confession.”
The full text of the Belhar is available in pdf here. Along with the move to adopt the Belhar, RCA synod president James Seawood presented a report “calling the RCA to engage in “ministry from the bottom up” by practicing a ministry of presence, listening and learning with the ear and heart of Jesus, and acting as the hands and feet of Jesus.” You can watch the report here:
Many grapple with the church’s role on social issues and community engagement. The RCA has chosen this path forward. I’d be curious to what others think about the Belhar, whether there are other documents like it that could be part of the discussion, and Seawood’s proposals.
Kevin DeYoung, ain’t this your gang? Any comments on this?