Reformed church family marked by Spiritual renewal, mission and prophetic action

[Worldwide Faith News]

World Alliance of Reformed Churches
News Release
2 June 2008


Spiritual renewal, mission and prophetic action mark the Reformed church family

Reformed Christians around the world are living out their faith
in a variety of relevant ways, says Setri Nyomi, general
secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC).

Nyomi told the Synod of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the
Canton of Glarus in Switzerland on 29 May that the Reformed
churches of the Alliance are engaged in spiritual renewal,
mission and prophetic action in more than 100 countries.

“We do this out of gratitude to God and out of conviction that
our Lord Jesus Christ calls us to be the salt and light in our
communities,” Nyomi said.

“Believing in the God whose love caused him to be crucified
for us and the transformation this brings into our lives leads us
to gratitude which is evidenced in how we proclaim God’s
wonderful words and actions.”

Nyomi spoke on the theme, “How is Reformed faith expressed in
the global church today?” He thanked the Swiss churches for
offering the world its Reformed ancestors, including Ulrich
Zwingli, Heinrich Bullinger, John Calvin, Marie Dentiere and
others.

He said the Christian evangelism, mediating efforts in the world
and examples of Christian love are all important proclamations of
God’s love that Reformed Christians carry out around the world
today.

“As Reformed people, we are called to work together for the
transformation of the world. Our world is broken in many ways.
The injustices in the economy, racism, sexism, poverty,
suffering, diseases, conflicts and war are common in many parts
of the world.

“Are we simply to fold our arms in despair when we see the
world slip into chaos? The Christian’s answer ought to be:
‘no.’ In the face of what is happening in Zimbabwe as the
democratic wishes of people are frustrated by the powerful, and
in Myanmar as people struggle with a major devastation and the
powerful think only of their own interests, are we supposed to be
simply silent? No!

“Believing that the salvation we have and that the Holy Spirit
is in our lives means we are called to make a difference.
Reformed faith has always beckoned us to do something about
societal problems - to be God’s agents of transformation, to be
the salt and light of the world.”

This same sense of commitment called Reformed churches in the
1930s to stand up to the Nazis,  to declare apartheid a heresy in
the 1980s and call in the Accra Confession for the fullness of
life to be available for all at WARC’s 24th General Council in
Ghana in 2004.

Nyomi also lamented the ideological divisions among churches
today. “On the basis of these ideological differences, we allow
different government players to see us as people who are for or
against them. This is inconsistent with our calling.”

He added: “I am glad that when the World Alliance of Reformed
Churches acts, we do so, not on the basis of ideologies but on
the basis of struggling with the question of how we respond to
what God calls us to do today, even if that makes us
uncomfortable.”


***


The World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) brings together
75 million Reformed Christians in 214 churches in 107 countries -
united in their commitment to making a difference in a troubled
world. The WARC general secretary is Rev. Dr. Setri Nyomi of the
Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana. WARC's secretariat is
based in Geneva, Switzerland.


Contact:
John P. Asling
Executive Secretary, Communications
World Alliance of Reformed Churches
150 Route de Ferney
P.O. Box 2100
1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
tel.  +41.22 791 6243
fax: +41.22 791 6505
web: www.warc.ch