Academic literature on the topic 'Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa'

The Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa was formed on 26th September 1999 as the result of the union of the black Reformed Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa and the white-dominated Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa. Various unsuccessful attempts had been made since the latter part of the nineteenth century to effect union. In the spirit of national euphoria which surrounded the first democratic elections in South Africa in1994, the Reformed Presbyterian Church initiated union discussions with the Presbyterian Church. The subsequent union was based on what are now considered to be inadequate preparations and many unresolved problems have emerged to test the witness of the new denomination, not the least of which is racism. At its 2002 General Assembly, as the result of what appeared to be a financial crisis, the Uniting Presbyterian Church appointed a Special Committee on Reformation was established to investigate the problems in the denomination and to bring proposals for dealing with these issues.

This article investigates the theoretical and practical effectiveness of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa’s (URCSA) ministerial formation of the Northern Synod. The URCSA is part of the Reformed Movement (Calvinism) that was established by the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) of South Africa that mainly came from the Netherlands to establish itself in South Africa and later established ethnic churches called daughter churches into existence in terms of a racially designed formula. After many years of the Dutch Reformed Church missionary dominance, the URCSA constituted its first synod in 1994 after the demise of apartheid. It was only after this synod that the URCSA through its ministerial formation tried to shake off the legacy of colonial paternalism and repositioned itself to serve its members; however, it fell victim to new ideological trappings. This article is based on a study that traces some basic Reformed practices and how the URCSA Theological Seminary of the Northern Synod dealt or failed to deal with them in its quest for the ideal theological ministerial formation.

The human dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people are threatend on the African continent. The sexual orientation, gender identity, expressions and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) of LGBTIQ persons are seen as un-African. Religious communities are one of the biggest perpetrators that violate the human dignity of LGBTIQ people. For the past fifteen years the Uniting Reformed Church in South African (URCSA) made policy decions and compiled research documents that envistigates the SOGIESC of LGBTIQ people. The URCSA failed multiple times to affirm the full inclusion of LGBTQ people. In this article I’m asking, whether the recognition of LGBTIQ bodies in the URCSA is an indecent proposal. This paper is theologically underpinned by late Latin-American bisexual theologian Marcella Althaus-Reid’s Bi/Christology. Starting with my own queer autobiography, I position myself from below and outside in doing theology. Secondly, I engage shortly with the history of the URCSA and the confessional clauses of the Belhar Confession. Lastly, the paper examines whether Belhar makes an indecent proposal for the recognition of LGBTIQ bodies in the URCSA.

This article consists of five mains parts. Firstly the author gives a brief overview of the history and origin of the Belhar Confession as a corner stone for URCSA’s arguments for church unity. Secondly, the discussion focuses on church unity in general in relation to the Trinity, Eucharist and the Word of God. Church unity is a given, as a fruit of the cross of Christ. Thirdly, the article discusses the unification process within the DRC and URCSA. Fourthly, the author explores the Belhar Confession as the corner stone of church unity from URCSA’s perspective, and the challenges around accepting this confession by the DRC. Fifthly, the author deliberates URCSA’s position on the Belhar Confession as fundamental to URCSA’s identity and life.

This paper will argue that the union which brought the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa into being was based on an inadequate view of reconciliation in a Christian context. While lip service may have been paid to the authentic concept, flawed views have led to many misunderstandings concerning the mission and vision of the new church, and despite attempts at reformation and renewal, reconciliation as justice restored still evades the ethos of the young denomination.

Challenges for the Dutch Reformed Church in Southern Africa with Malawi and Zambia as illustration areas What will be the challenges for the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa if in the coming decades its isolation from Africa could be ended because of political developments in a post-apartheid era? The Dutch Reformed Church planted indigenous churches in many African Countries like Botswana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and Namibia. The role of the church in Africa will be determined by its relations with these younger churches. The challenges in the fields of evangelism, church ministry, the youth and in the socioeconomic and political areas are illustrated specifically in the cases of Malawi and Zambia.

In this past half century the Dutch Reformed Church was continuously building on the tradition of extended missionary involvement within South Africa as well as in several countries in Southern Africa. During the fifties and sixties there were a flourishing of activities, driven by, amongst other reasons, an idealism and optimism concerning the homeland-policy or grand apartheid. The seventies and eighties were therefore characterised by resistance; the DRC had to reconsider its approach. While the church had to largely withdraw from the traditional fields, it found alternative areas for involvement, mainly abroad. In the nineties a whole new world dawned and the church once again had to adapt. The emphasis shifted to local congregations and a variety of approaches. World mission came into the focus. The way ahead for the Dutch Reformed Family of Churches could only be as one united church, fulfilling it’s calling to mission within the African and especially South African context, while staying true to its reformed tradition.

In 2017 the 500th anniversary of the Reformation will be commemorated worldwide through various conferences, church and cultural events, and publications, also in Southern Africa. How should we commemorate the 16th-century Protestant Reformation in 2017 in Reformed circles in Southern Africa? Against the backdrop of this question, this article argues for the need of a self-critical reflection on the possible abuses associated with commemorations as such, as well as by a heightened historical consciousness of the way in which past commemorations of the Reformation functioned in processes of identity construction and ‘othering’. With this in mind, the article proceeds in two parts. In the first part the aspect of commemoration is problematised by referring to the critique of the possible abuses of memory associated with commemorations, as highlighted in the work of Tzvetan Todorov, also with reference to his distinction between commemoration and rememoration. The second part of the article then turns to some historical documents that give us a glimpse into the 400th anniversary of the Reformation in 1917 in Reformed circles in South Africa, and specifically within the Dutch Reformed Church. This is followed by some concluding remarks.

Much study regarding the Belhar Confession has been conducted already such as: The Belhar Confession in its historical context Plaatjies-van Huffel (2014), Chronicle of Conference Barman/ Belhar Consultation 18 and 19 October 2004 Hansen (2005), A gift from heaven-the receptions in the Belhar Confession in the period 1982-2000 and its ecumenical significance today Naudè (2003) and On violence, the Belhar Confession and human dignity Koopman (2008) to mention but a few. From preliminary observations and some initial research, it seems that there is still a need to do an indepth study on the liturgical function of the Belhar Confession in Music. The working hypothesis of this study is if the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa URCSA uses Belhar more in the liturgy, especially in singing it will have an impact on the congregations and members. In other words the working hypothesis is that there is a link between liturgy, here specifically hymn singing, and the formation of worshippers. If URCSA is expecting others to adopt this confession it is its responsibility to embrace it during worship in church and to the rest of the society outside church vicinities. The literature survey that will be carried out later in this study confirms this state of affairs and that there is thus indeed a huge research gap in this regard. The researcher did a literature study, conducted semi-structured group interviews, as well as the some empirical research in order to explore the basic research question.<br>Dissertation (MA Theol)--University of Pretoria, 2017.<br>Practical Theology<br>MA Theol<br>Unrestricted

This study is the liturgical research based on the role of liturgy in the process of unification focusing on the union of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. The study will look into the cultural questions that are at play and critically evaluate the liturgy that is currently being used in the UPCSA. Does it enhance unity? The study will address the question, “What would the Worship Service Book look like in order to enhance unity in the UPCSA?” If this question is answered in the affirmative, the next question would be, “How can it be improved?” But if the answer to the question is in the negative, “What can be done to improve its content to assist with the process of unification that can be celebrated in liturgy?” “How can this study help the UPCSA in the process of ‘liturgia condenda’ develop a theory for praxis which will serve the unification process rather than hinder it? Finally, this study will then present recommendations for the UPCSA to develop or take alternative action.<br>Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014.<br>tm2015<br>Practical Theology<br>MA<br>Unrestricted

Christian life today has been influenced by countless influences from the external world. Although these external factors have a significant bearing on the church of Christ, the greatest challenge however manifests itself from within the latter. Where the core doctrine of the church constitutes issues of theological and Christian importance, they seem to slowly dissipate and the practices of the secular world seem to take ownership of the church of Christ. The Reformed church has within its confines the three marks of the church whose sole purpose is to ensure that the church of God remains and continues to be the true church of Christ. These Three Marks are: (a) the proclamation of the Word; (b) the correct administration of the sacraments, and (c) the correct exercise of discipline. Among the three marks, discipline acts as a catalyst that enables the survival and proper continuance of the other two marks and thus the true church of Christ. These Three Marks prescribe the basic fundamentals of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA) as a Reformed Church and thereby serve as a primary tool for this church. Discipline, therefore, forms an intrinsic part of this church. However, as a controlling mechanism, its influence and/or instillation appears to be neglected. This quagmire may very well be attested to the overemphasis of democracy (of/or relating to majority rule doctrine) in preference to theocracy (God as the ultimate authority in our lives), where even matters of high religious stature are being compacted to human decision-making processes. These influences needless to say are key in the regression and/or progression of Christian life and life in general. However, their inclusion within the Christian doctrine should not be cumbersome to the latter. The Christian way of life and doctrines should be holistically adhered to without fear or favour. The main purpose behind the formation of these marks by the Reformed church was to sustain the true church of Christ and the only way to ensure this sustainability, was to be consistent in exercising these marks. The church therefore has an obligation towards God and its members to be consistent in carrying out its mandate from God through the scriptures as the creator and father of the church and the world at large. The premonition that forms the basis of this research is that within the three prevalent marks of the church, there appears to be certain discrepancies in that they are not all carried out in unison and are not consistent with each other. With the over-emphasis of one above the other, the church of God could be heading towards vanity, and all its efforts could be fruitless. It is also my conviction that the starting point for rolling out these three marks lie with the leadership of the church by the General Synod, Regional Synods, Presbyteries, Ministers and their church councils. If found that any of these key adherents are not protagonists of these marks, then they would have neglected their God-entrusted responsibilities and their accountability towards the entire community of believers. It is in this regard that this research seeks to implement a litmus test of where the URCSA stands in terms of executing its mandate with relation to the three marks of the church viz; proclaiming the word, administering the sacraments and more importantly, exercising exercising discipline as these marks form the sinew that binds the entire church together. The church of Christ as an entity is engaged in service, which is not to be haphazard in nature, but must be structured. This service begins with serving God, serving one another and finally serving the world at large. This will ensure that the church of God maintains its holiness. For this holiness to be ensured, the church of God has to be open to discernment and allow God take charge of His church. Such uncertainties can be verified only by looking into discipline as the sinew that brings these three marks together. The reason for this approach is that, the first two marks are prescriptive with more parameters than discipline has, whereas discipline can be easily influenced. It is to the benefit of this task that much attention be given to discipline as the last mark of the three, as it is prone to abuse, because it relies mainly on human behaviour, attitude and/or approach to the Christian life. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation is to outline the possible disintegration of discipline as the sinew that binds the three marks of the Reformed Church in general and URCSA in particular within the Southern Synod. important to note that discipline in the lower strata of the church is carried out religiously without question. The notion that prompted this topic is that contrarily, those who occupy the highest echelons of the church (leadership in the church, ministers and evangelists) do not appear to be enjoying the same reception regarding discipline. The challenge that faces the URCSA is how to maintain equal treatment of the three marks of the true church in a democratic society in the light of the service of God, one another and the world.<br>Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology<br>M. Th.(Systematic Theology)

Despite the fact that the Bible as the inspired Word of God deals primarily with the relationship between God and humankind and the way to salvation and eternal life, the Bible also presents tenets that entreat the protection of the natural and biophysical world. Consequently, since the environment is a foremost aspect of God’s creation it is appropriate to establish the Biblical perspective on creation as a whole and Christians’ subsequent position and duty to creation. Humankind has been ecologically irresponsible. Greed, inadequate knowledge and negligence have led to exploitation, degradation, and disregard for the natural environment. Unfortunately, there appears to be a “deep silence” within the Christian Church worldwide as well as in South Africa on believers’ role and duty towards the natural created environment. The premise underpinning this thesis is that God’s redemptive care applies not only to people, but also to the whole of creation and that believers have a Biblical mandate to care for the natural environment and afford it its concomitant value. The Bible provides believers with directives regarding environmental care summarised in God’s requirement for man to “work [the earth] and take care of it” (Gen. 2: 15). The anticipated outcomes of this research were to establish the status of Environmental Stewardship as a dimension Christian Stewardship and the level of Environmental Literacy provided for in the curricula of theological seminaries of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa. The study further attempted to determine the level of understanding and stance of ministers, lecturers, elders and students towards these issues. Believers have a duty of care in relation to God’s creation in totality – both humanity and the natural environment. There is a great need for Christian discussion on and improvement in the appropriate use and protection of the environment.<br>Curriculum and Instructional Studies<br>D. Ed. (Didactics)

The researcher in this study focuses on reconciliation, justice and unity in the church and society, Mokopane being the investigative centre. In this study, it has been evident that this was a noble exercise to focus on reconciliation, justice and unity in South Africa. The researcher concludes that much needs to be done in the future to address division in the church and society. The passiveness of the church in the process is jeopardizing reconciliation, justice and unity. Reconciliation, justice and unity have been explicitly being explained. They are important in a sense that they form the bottom or base live from people and believe system could be well understood and thereby enable them to measure their role in the concept of reconciliation, justice and unity. These are the gospel imperative and unavoidable. Qualitative research was explicitly stated, described and discussed. The role of both Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa and Uniting Reformed Church in South Africa can play to reconcile the people of people in Mokopane. All cases studied serves as a true reflection of people’s knowledge on the experience in both past and present history. Our concepts of truth, justice, reconciliation, unity and peace must serve as a designed model to contribute to theology in demand. Unity as the function of the Holy Spirit, and unity in local church should be witnessed. Thereafter, the church is called to the ministry of reconciliation.<br>Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology<br>M. Th. (Systematic Theology)

Churches are confronted with the reality of younger, mobile generations challenging existing understandings of church and witness. They seem to live according to a different (postcolonial) script. This study probes the question as to how these churches are to understand and respond meaningfully, but also missiologically, to these transformations. Coming as a missiologist from a particular ecclesiological, theological, cultural background, I had two rationales for this study, namely to review the current theories we have about church and mission, i.e., missiological ecclesiology, and in order to do this, we need to craft a sensitive and creative dialogue, in the form of a missiological methodology with younger people. I address these rationales, guided by a research question: How can I design a creative dialogue with younger generations, to pick up the impulses, in order to discern a Southern African missional ecclesiology. Working with the metaphor of ―remixing‖, this discernment process started off where I engaged my own embeddedness. These were the older ―samples‖ to work with, in order to produce something new and in tune with the sensibilities, the ―soul‖ of newer communities. I then attempt to understand the current social transformations that younger generations are responding to. Through this, I want to design a methodology for a creative dialogue with these youth movements on the basis of an intersubjective epistemology. Using this methodology, I could develop a thick description from the dialogue with the two uniting youth movements. Lastly, I present the engagement (remixing) between these rich new impulses with the old (the existing), in carving out an appropriate missional ecclesiology for the audiences I‘ve been with. Starting with an outdated and colonial gereformeerde missionary ecclesiology, but then also the anti-colonial ecclesiologies and a postmodern (predominantly Western) emerging missionary ecclesiology, I discern a particular postcolonial African ecclesiology, which I call a Southern African missional ecclesiology. Instead of exclusion, I propose remixing church in terms of five dimensions as social network, spiritual home, mobile community, movement in the Holy Spirit and as story. These can serve as a map to guide Southern African congregations in their dialogue with younger generations.<br>Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology<br>D. Th. (Missiology)

In celebrating a quarter of a century of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URSCA) (1994 2019), quite a few well-organised activities and events took place. These activities reflect a mix of serious academic seminars and liturgical celebrations of which the ones in the Cape, both in Belhar and at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) warrant special mention. In his sermon based on John 17 at the closing liturgical celebration at UWC, Prof Daan Cloete raised several pertinent issues pertaining to unity and justice as a challenge to the leadership of URCSA. Despite all the significant events taking place throughout the year (2019), there has been a major deficit. Attempts at serious historiography are few and far between. This book is an attempt at starting such a study process. However, to put it modestly to contribute to the writing of the history of the URCSA. It has been resolved to start right at the beginning: the founding synod of URCSA with a specific focus on the constituting moderature. The book discusses the issues that were looming large at the founding Synod in 1994 which captures the ‘miracle’ and the euphoria that emerged amidst some delicate matters and issues that would have posed some serious impediments that would have jeopardise the unification before it even started. In calling into service the pastoral or praxis cycle the contributions of the first moderature of URCSA: Rev Nick Apollis (moderator), Rev Leonardo Appies (Scriba Synodii) Rev Dr Sam Buti (Assessor) and Rev JD Buys (Actuaris), of the 1994 General Synod elections are presented in this book. The authors were interested in answering the question: In what way did the moderature members of URCSA assist in the transformation of church and society? The book showcases, how not only systems and structures are essential in transformation processes, but people - who take up the task in obedience and servitude.

Presbyterians and Congregationalists arrived in colonial America as Dissenters; however, they soon exercised a religious and cultural dominance that extended well into the first half of the nineteenth century. The multi-faceted Second Great Awakening led within the Reformed camp by the Presbyterian James McGready in Kentucky, a host of New Divinity ministers in New England, and Congregationalist Charles Finney in New York energized Christians to improve society (Congregational and Presbyterian women were crucial to the three most important reform movements of the nineteenth century—antislavery, temperance, and missions) and extend the evangelical message around the world. Although outnumbered by other Protestant denominations by mid-century, Presbyterians and Congregationalists nevertheless expanded geographically, increased in absolute numbers, spread the Gospel at home and abroad, created enduring institutions, and continued to dominate formal religious thought. The overall trajectory of nineteenth-century Presbyterianism and Congregationalism in the United States is one that tracks from convergence to divergence, from cooperative endeavours and mutual interests in the first half the nineteenth century to an increasingly self-conscious denominational awareness that became firmly established in both denominations by the 1850s. With regional distribution of Congregationalists in the North and Presbyterians in the mid-Atlantic region and South, the Civil War intensified their differences (and also divided Presbyterians into antislavery northern and pro-slavery southern parties). By the post-Civil War period these denominations had for the most part gone their separate ways. However, apart from the southern Presbyterians, who remained consciously committed to conservatism, they faced a similar host of social and intellectual challenges, including higher criticism of the Bible and Darwinian evolutionary theory, to which they responded in varying ways. In general, Presbyterians maintained a conservative theological posture whereas Congregationalists accommodated to the challenges of modernity. At the turn of the century Congregationalists and Presbyterians continued to influence sectors of American life but their days of cultural hegemony were long past. In contrast to the nineteenth-century history of Presbyterian and Congregational churches in the United States, the Canadian story witnessed divergence evolving towards convergence and self-conscious denominationalism to ecclesiastical cooperation. During the very years when American Presbyterians were fragmenting over first theology, then slavery, and finally sectional conflict, political leaders in all regions of Canada entered negotiations aimed at establishing the Dominion of Canada, which were finalized in 1867. The new Dominion enjoyed the strong support of leading Canadian Presbyterians who saw in political confederation a model for uniting the many Presbyterian churches that Scotland’s fractious history had bequeathed to British North America. In 1875, the four largest Presbyterian denominations joined together as the Presbyterian Church in Canada. The unifying and mediating instincts of nineteenth-century Canadian Presbyterianism contributed to forces that in 1925 led two-thirds of Canadian Presbyterians (and almost 90 per cent of their ministers) into the United Church, Canada’s grand experiment in institutional ecumenism. By the end of the nineteenth century, Congregationalism had only a slight presence, whereas Presbyterians, by contrast, became increasingly more important until they stood at the centre of Canada’s Protestant history.