04.06.2007

REC approves proposal for wider Reformed organization

The Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC) has approved in principle the formation of a wider ecumenical organization with the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC). The new body would be tentatively called the World Reformed Communion.

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	REC leaders and WARC general secretary, Setri Nyomi, gathered in Pretoria, South Africa, to discuss the possibility of a new worldwide Reformed body. (Photo: REC News Exchange)

WARC has not yet made a decision on the issue but will address it at its Executive Committee meeting in October in Trinidad.

Setri Nyomi, WARC’s general secretary, welcomed the REC decision as “a step along the journey. It is good to know that the spirit of unity is alive and well in REC. For its part, WARC will prayerfully consider its response when our Executive Committee meets in Trinidad.”

The REC decision came during a meeting of its Executive Committee in Pretoria, South Africa, in March. Fourteen persons from 12 REC churches in 10 countries met to make the decision. Nyomi was present for a part of the meeting.

In making their decision, the REC leaders proposed a two-person team (one from each organization) to begin drafting a proposed constitution that takes into account the current constitutions of WARC and REC. They also requested that the drafting team bear in mind the importance of:

- a sound Reformed confessional basis that faithfully reflects the essentials of the Christian gospel as historically expressed and understood in the major confessional documents of Reformed churches worldwide;
- an organizational structure that fosters fellowship and theological kinship with other members of the World Reformed Communion while maintaining the unity of the whole.

WARC has 75 million members in 216 churches in 107 countries. REC has 12 million members in 39 churches in 25 countries. The two bodies, which have 25 common member churches, have been in bilateral talks since 1998.

In 2006 a joint WARC-REC committee produced a document called “World Reformed Communion: A Proposal for a New Global Entity for Reformed Christians (to succeed the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council).”

It states that all current member churches of both bodies would become members of the World Reformed Communion. It also recommends that other Reformed, Presbyterian, Congregational, Waldensian, First Reformation, United and Uniting traditions who affirm the basis of the new body be invited to join.

It suggests that other agencies and theological institutions of the Reformed movement be invited into active affiliation with the World Reformed Communion.

The REC Executive Committee asked that the proposed new Reformed organization be formed by 2010.

Eighteen of REC’s 39 member churches formally addressed the issue of forming a wider Reformed body with 75 per cent of those responding firmly on the positive side. The remaining 25 per cent of responding churches expressed some hesitation. No church completely rejected the move.

WARC has received 47 responses from member churches with the overwhelming majority of those, 41 churches, welcoming the proposal. Six of the 47 churches raised questions, some of which can be understood as hesitation. No church expressed a clear negative response.