Douwe Visser is WARC's new Theology Secretary

[Worldwide Faith News]

World Alliance of Reformed Churches
News Release
2 June 2008


Douwe Visser is WARC's new Theology Secretary

Dutch theologian and pastor Douwe Visser, 54,  is the new
Executive Secretary for Theology and Ecumenical Engagement for
the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC). He joins the
Geneva secretariat on 2 June 2008.

"It is very clear that Douwe is the person with the
theological gifts, the skills and the experience that WARC needs
at this time. We are very excited about this appointment,” said
Setri Nyomi, WARC's general secretary.

Visser replaces Odair Pedroso Mateus who left WARC for a
position at the World Council of Churches (WCC) in May 2007.
Visser is a minister in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands
at Rotterdam-Overschie and the former president of the Reformed
Ecumenical Council (REC).

WARC and REC have agreed to merge in 2010 to form the World
Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC). Visser resigned as
president of REC to join the WARC staff team.

"It was not planned this way but as it turns out, having Douwe
on staff at such an important time of transition - as WARC and
REC become one unified Reformed body - offers us a great
bonus," Nyomi added.

Visser was ordained in the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
(now the Protestant Church in the Netherlands) in 1980 and has
served a number of congregations. He also worked as a missionary
of the Mission of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands at a
lay training and theological school in Zambia from 1983 to 1990.


At that time Visser attended several meetings of the former
Southern Africa Area Council of WARC during a period of the
group's anti-apartheid activities.

Visser was a member of the Theological Committee of the National
Council of Churches in the Netherlands from 1998 to 2005, serving
as moderator from 2002. Since 2003 he has been a member of the
Board of Advisers of the Theological Institute of the Protestant
Church in the Netherlands (since 2006, the Protestant Theological
University).

He was a member of the General Synod of his denomination from
1993 to 1997.

Visser studied theology at the Free University at Amsterdam,
obtaining a Masters of Theology in 1980 and a PhD in 1993. His
doctoral thesis was on the concept of sin in the theology of
Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

He was elected vice-president of REC in 1996 and again in 2000
and became president in 2005. He has been intimately involved in
the negotiations between WARC and REC that led to the historic
agreement to merge, and therefore knows WARC well.

"I am intensely aware of the Accra Confession (WARC's
statement critiquing neoliberal economic globalization) and the
deep call for justice that is behind it. I see this call first of
all as an aspect of obedience to God, Visser said.

He sees the theme of the upcoming uniting General Council in
2010 "Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" as both a
call to be a communion of Reformed churches and a commitment to
continue the struggle for justice.

Visser is married to Antoinette Berkouwer and they have three
grown children.

In February, Adolfo Ham of Cuba became interim executive
secretary for Theology and Ecumenical Engagement. He is a pastor
of the Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba and the director of
the Superior Institute of Biblical and Theological Studies. He
served until 31 May.

Nyomi expressed thanks for the contribution that Ham made to
WARC. "We are grateful that Adolfo took time to be part of the
WARC team these last four months. We are thankful for the gifts
and experience he placed at the disposal of Reformed churches."


***


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