The Presbyterian Church Adopts the Belhar Confession

The 222^nd General Assembly makes history by adopting the Belhar Confession.

Author: Jill Duffield (23 June 2016)

The 2016 General Assembly sitting in Portland, Oregon, made history by voting on the 22^nd June 2016 to add the Belhar Confession – a moving call for reconciliation, and a condemnation of racial injustice written in the crucible of the struggle over apartheid – to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Book of Confessions. The Belhar Confession becomes the first confession from the southern hemisphere the mostly-white PC(USA) has ever adopted. The PC(USA) has done this at a time when racial tension, injustice and violence in the United States make headlines nearly every day.

Christians from South Africa told the assembly they have been waiting for this day for years.

On the evening of the 22^nd June 2016, the Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee of the 2016 General Assembly moved for the approval of the Belhar Confession. Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons explained to the assembly the ramifications of the vote that was about to be taken. Should the commissioners pass the motion, he explained, the Belhar Confession would become part of the Book of Confessions, which is part of the PC(USA)’s constitution. After commissioners watched a video explaining the importance and impact of the Belhar Confession, the assembly’s co-moderator, T. Denise Anderson, called for discussions. There were none.

The commissioners then voted overwhelmingly (540 in favour and 33 against) to approve the measure, and with that the first confession since The Brief Statement of Faith in 1983 was added to the Book of Confessions. Across the room, people began to clap; commissioners rose to their feet and musicians took the stage to lead the body in singing: “Oh, Freedom.”

Reverend Godfrey Betha, Assessor (Deputy Moderator) of the Uniting Reformed Church of Southern Africa, was invited to address the assembly. Rev Betha began by saying: “It is 05H45 in South Africa, and I believe there are those who did not sleep waiting for this moment.” He went on to say: “We gave you this gift and you have been unwrapping this gift for quite some time.”

Co-moderators, Teaching Elders Jan Edmiston and T. Denise Anderson, upon approval of Belhar

The adoption of the Belhar Confession has been a long time coming. The 219^th General Assembly in 2010 approved the Belhar Confession, but it then failed to win approval from the required two-thirds of presbyteries. The 220^th General Assembly in 2012 created a special committee given the task of studying the Belhar Confession and creating educational materials. Once again in 2014, the assembly approved the addition of the Belhar Confession – the first step in the process. This time, the required two-thirds of the presbyteries did vote in favour – allowing the Belhar Confession to be presented to the 222^nd General Assembly for the historic vote, the last step in a long process.

Reverend Godfrey Betha

 

Rev Betha noted that: “it is the 22^nd... and the 222^nd GA. I will never forget this date.” He continued: “Your decision affirms that you say to your children, you say to all, ‘When you come to us looking for a glimmer of racism, don’t come to our church.’”

 

Cliff Kirkpatrick and Matilde Moros, Co-Moderators of the Special Committee on Belhar, upon seeing the Belhar Confession adopted

Quoting Philippians 1:6, Rev Betha closed by saying: “I am confident of this; the One who began a good work in you will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus – Viva Belhar Confession! Viva!” Once again people rose to their feet and applauded.

Reverend Dr Allan Boesak a minister from the Uniting Reformed Church of Southern Africa, anti-apartheid activist, and drafter of the Belhar Confession, came to the podium saying: “What a night, what a night! Thank you so much for coming to this point of this journey – I thank you for this action tonight.”

Rev Dr Allan Boesak

Rev Boesak acknowledged both how much progress has been made against racism and injustice, and how much more needs to be made. He told of the adoption of Belhar Confession in his own denomination in 1986. Upon its adoption, the youth started singing: “We Shall Overcome.”

Rev Boesak said: “I know no matter how long the road, we shall overcome – I thank God for your faithfulness. I know because of God’s faithfulness we shall overcome.” At that point, someone began to sing from the floor: “We Shall Overcome.” By the second verse the body had joined hands, by the third they had lifted them upward. Some on the stage couldn’t hold back tears and Co-Moderator Anderson was caught on the large screen mouthing: “Wow.”

There was no doubt the gift of the Belhar Confession had finally been fully unwrapped. The challenge now is for the PC(USA) to open it up and use it.

Source: https://pres-outlook.org/2016/06/adopting-belhar-222nd-general-assembly-makes-history/