From April 15-26, three leaders in the Reformed Church in America (RCA) traveled in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa, as part of a delegation with Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), meeting with leaders from the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA), the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC), and the South African Council of Churches (SACC). Rev. Eddy Alemán, general secretary, Rev. Dr. Laura Osborne, RCA coordinator for ecumenical relations, and Rev. Dr. Nathan Busker, Commission on Christian Unity member and pastor of Ponds Reformed Church in Oakland, New Jersey, experienced a “wonderful time of connection and fellowship,” listening to ecumenical partners whose confession—the Belhar Confession—the RCA shares.
“We took part in conversations about many topics, but especially unity, reconciliation, and futures freed from racism—all topics that are incredibly important,” says Osborne.
| Read the press release from the trip
The Belhar Confession marks 40 years
The trip included a meeting in Belhar, specifically at the church where the Belhar Confession was formally adopted 40 years ago in 1986. While the confession has its roots in the struggle against apartheid in southern Africa, its relevance extends to the global church as it addresses three key issues of concern: unity of the church and unity among all people, reconciliation within church and society, and God’s justice. The RCA delegation met with leaders of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA) to strengthen the relationship between the RCA and the URCSA.
“We talked about how this confession should be shaping the church and what the implications are for the church today,” says Osborne. “This is incredibly important work that is very timely.”
The RCA’s 2009 General Synod adopted the Belhar Confession, and, after approval by at least two-thirds of RCA classes, it was incorporated in the Book of Church Order as the denomination’s fourth Standard of Unity—a statement of belief that expresses what the Reformed Church believes—in 2010.
Related: Belhar Confession worship resources
How the South African church’s history informs the future
In addition to Belhar, the delegation visited the Apartheid Museum, the “Truth to Power” exhibition on the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, and Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for nearly two decades.
“I remember very well watching the news as a kid about apartheid and the fight against it, and when Nelson Mandela was freed and became the first Black president of South Africa,” says Osborne. “And I remember very clearly the Truth and Reconciliation Commission with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the trials. Even though apartheid ended, there are still absolutely remnants of it everywhere.”
The South African leaders applied the Belhar Confession’s themes to the current tensions in Gaza, naming the church’s continued call to speak where it once was silent.
“During our visit to South Africa, we were immersed in the history of the South African church’s struggle for justice, unity, reconciliation, and liberation,” says Alemán. “Churches today must continue to confront injustice everywhere with boldness and determination. The Belhar Confession affirms that ‘we believe that God, in a world full of injustice and enmity, is in a special way the God of the destitute, the poor and the wronged.’
“In the U.S. today—amid debates about racial justice, inequality, polarization, and the role of the church—these lines from the Belhar Confession call faith communities to be active participants, not neutral observers, in speaking truth to power to confront injustice and to foster reconciliation. This is the call of the Gospel and as disciples of Jesus we must have a serious commitment to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.”
The 11-day trip concluded on Sunday with worship with Scottsdene Church (URCSA), during which Alemán had the privilege of sharing God’s Word. The delegation and ecumenical partners also served communion together. Osborne described it as “a sweet service of hope.”
The call of the Belhar Confession for the RCA today
“As we journeyed through South Africa and heard the stories of struggle and hope and the connections to the U.S. and the Middle East, I heard the echo of Scripture that we are here ‘for such a time as this,’” says Osborne.
In recent years, the heavenly vision described in Revelation 7:9—a great multitude from every nation and all tribes, peoples, and languages worshiping the Lamb—has become an increasing priority and a budding reality in the RCA as the denomination lives into a multicultural, multiracial future freed from racism, sexism, and ableism. In particular, current efforts to grow in diversity and pursue justice include Sankofa Journeys, which are also rooted in an African context, as well as other initiatives that break down barriers and strengthen the body of Christ in unity.
Additionally, the RCA is committed to prayer for those suffering violence and injustice, particularly in war-torn areas, and continues to work with trusted mission partners and ecumenical partners like Churches for Middle East Peace to bring Christ’s love and shalom to sisters and brothers in need.
“We pray. We give. We advocate. We refuse to turn away,” says Alemán. “And we trust that even in the darkest moments, God is present—working through the faithful witness of God’s people to bring light, healing, and hope.”
A joint statement for Freedom Day
As part of the journey in South Africa, the delegation and ecumenical partners released a statement in recognition of Freedom Day, April 27, a day that marks the end of apartheid in South Africa and the birth of a democratic nation. The joint statement centers on solidarity, truth, unity, and the church’s call to repentance and justice; it “concludes with a call to the global church to speak with courage and clarity, to governments, including those of the United States and South Africa, to pursue policies rooted in human dignity and international law, and to all people of faith to work toward ending violence, dismantling systems of oppression, and building a more just and peaceful world.”
On this day of freedom in South Africa, as Christ’s body united across continents, may we be reminded of the apostle Paul’s appeal in Colossians 3:12-17 to be like Christ:
Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Photo courtesy Laura Osborne
English 
Español de México 
한국어 
Português do Brasil 
简体中文