Last year the general secretaries of 14 sister Reformed Churches in Southern Africa met for the first time to establish the DRC Reformed Family Forum. It was held in Lusaka, Zambia and it was indeed a historical meeting!
It was with great gratitude and joy that we rediscovered our family ties as sister churches and celebrated our shared history and Reformed identity. We reflected on our calling to discern our missional identity in an ever-changing context and listened to the stories of the different churches and realised how much we need each other. We committed ourselves to taking hands in many practical facets of our joint calling in the Southern African context, where borders became perforated and our countries increasingly interdependent.
This year we had our second meeting in August at Senga Bay, Malawi. We thoroughly realise that we cannot go forward alone. In our big decisions we need to listen to each other. The major challenges of value-based leadership, prosperity gospel, theological education and public witness were among several issues discussed during this year’s annual meeting.
The representatives of the sister churches attending a recent meeting of the Reformed Family Forum in Malawi: Front from left to right: rev Godfrey Betha (URCSA, South Africa), rev Libias Boloma (CCAP Harare – Zimbabwe), rev Timoteo Fabiao (IRM Mphatso Synod – Mozambique), rev Vasco Kachipapa (CCAP Nkhoma – Malawi) and dr Gustav Claassen (DRC – South Africa). In the middle are dr Gideon van der Watt (Partners in Mission, DRC Free State SA), rev Jonah Lagat (RCEA – Kenia), dr William Zulu (RCZ -Zambië), rev Gabriel Morata (IRM Synod Novo – Mozambique) and elder Kgosi Tlhowe (DRCB – Botswana). At the back are dr Andries Hoffman (DRCA – South Africa), rev Jaos Herbath (IRM – Tumbini Synod Mozambique), rev Kovilan Moodley (RCA – South Africa), me Charmaine Stoffberg (CLF), prof Jurgens Hendriks (NetACT) and dr Kobus Odendaal (Witness Ministry DRC and URCSA Western Cape).