02.06.2008

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.

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	Douwe Visser

“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.”