Special Hearings — Faith Community Hearings — 1997-11-17

MR MORPHEW: Mr Chairman, I'm going to make five points which will be about   five minutes.
My comments relate to Clause 2 of the primary document, which refers to the   failure of the Evangelical community to develop and adequate theology of social   reality. I wish to reflect on how this was manifest in the White section of   the conservative Evangelical community. 
In describing this section of South African society, I must acknowledge that   there were christians of conservative Evangelical faith and other constituencies   already represented before the TRC, which could legitimately distance themselves   from the confession which follows. My hope is that this statement will assist   in the on-going confession and repentance of the constituency I will describe. 
Perhaps the primary value and distinguishing mark of the Evangelical community   is the place given to the authority and inspiration of scripture. A high view   of scripture is believed to provide a perspective which safeguards the church   from worldly thinking and keeps it faithful to it's mission.
The critical question is therefore, to what extent did this value work for   the church caught in the ideological struggle of the apartheid era? We have   to confess that the Evangelical community largely lost it's way and became as   captive to the ideologies of the day as any other part of South African society.
Given a context where ideologies from the right neo-facist and the left neo-marxist   were present, marxism was routinely demonised and the power of this ideology   was greatly exaggerated while the sinister influence of fascist ideology was   largely evaded or ignored. This, despite the rich biblical and church historical   heritage of terms like "spiritual warfare", "the unmasking of   the gods and of the spirit of the anti-Christ", the tearing down of strongholds   in the mind and so on.
This partisan spirituality was nowhere more evident than when the church prayed   for the State. Prayers against a threat of communism and revolution were filled   with far greater zeal than prayers against the violations of human rights perpetrated   at the time.
The Evangelical Church also has a rich heritage of social relevance. The history   of church involvement in the development of human rights down through the centuries   and the testimony of Wilbur Force type role models, is well-known. Yet the South   African Evangelical community somehow managed to suffer from amnesia and opted   rather for a form of gnostic dualism where evangelising the soul was unrelated   to the transforming power of the Kingdom of God. Instincts of self-preservation   predominated over compassion for the poor.
The Evangelical Church prides itself in it's fidelity to ...[indistinct] trinal   orthodoxy and is often quick to repudiate ...[indistinct], yet the South African   conservative Evangelical community did not lead the way in discerning the heretical   nature of apartheid theology.
Scripture is unambiguous in the unity of the church in contrast to the fragmentation   of worldly society. Pentecost reverses Babel and Christ's blood creates a new   community where dividing walls are broken down, yet many of the denominational   structures reflected the divisions of South African society, nullifying the   testimony of scripture. 
It is with sadness that we have to acknowledge that the Evangelical Alliance   and many of it's denominational constituencies emerged from previously divided   Evangelical structures only after the election of a new Government, so that   the church followed the example of the State rather than providing an example   to the State.
The Evangelical community we represent does have it's history of conferences,   statements, publications and positions, adopted in the struggle against apartheid.   There were individuals and congregations who courageously exemplified a truly   biblical witness.
However, in general, our testimony is one of failure to be faithful to the   word of God we so highly value. We did not act as the lemon and salt of society   Jesus called us to. This failure must be acknowledged before God, to ourselves   and to the South African national.
Our ability to be deceived in the past requires us to critically reflect on   our understanding of the gospel as it relates to society. The future calls us   to discover a practice of missions and evangelism where biblical discipleship   takes on new meaning. 
It will need to include biblical teaching on social ethics, human rights, the   empowering of disadvantaged communities and nation building. We will nee to   make our contribution to nation building in the face of new challenges and threats   to the emergence of a truly civil society.
Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you. Virginia?

UNKNOWN: Thank you Chair. Let me quickly congratulate you and your team   Mr Nthla, for your presentation and also for the open way in which you are ready   to admit the problems of the past and your willingness to show that you are   ready to become not only a new movement, but also new in your actions.
You have said that movement started in 1995, which means that you are quite   young, could you just mention about five of the churches or organisations that   are part of this movement - not more than five, you may have a long list but   just to give us an idea whom we are talking about.

MR LAFOY: Alliance Church in South Africa, Apostolic Faith Mission, Assemblies   of God, Baptist Convention of South Africa, Baptist Union of South Africa.

UNKNOWN: Thank you. In your presentation you mentioned that during the   dark days some of your ministers were defrocked, I would like to know whether   you have reinstated those ministers.

UNKNOWN: Some yes, some no. And I think that is also part of the journey forward   Mr Chairman, that part of the reconciliation that needs to take place in the   churches - we'll have to deal with those wounds of the past where the faith   of many was injured. And might I add that the Truth Commission does not help   the churches very much in that it gives amnesty up front without consequence   to the perpetrator. So in that way, there is a sense in which people feel that   the past can be forgotten and we can go into the future without having to deal   with it. 
I think in that sense, the Truth Commission hasn't been very helpful but there   is a journey that within our churches, we are working through to allow churches,   local groups, to deal with those issues and find a way in which they can genuinely   forgive and forget.

UNKNOWN: My last comment, I would like to comment on your preamble to your   constitution. It is a beautiful preamble, it has every word in the right place   but I am hoping that when you say "a non-sexist", you really mean   that you are going be mindful of the gender issues which from your delegation   right now, I don't think you are mindful of that. Your comment?

UNKNOWN: In that region - the fact that we were only launched in '95, means   we only have three years to date or two years to date to fix that problem but   we hope we will be able to deal with it. We have on our National Executive,   two women who couldn't be with us today and we trust that in future we will   be able to facilitate that.