Lausanne World Pulse – Themed Articles – The Role of the Church in Reconciliation in South Africa

By Dion Forster
April 2010

What was required for this mission was a measure of flexibility that allowed for an interaction between orthodoxy (what we believe) and orthopraxis (what we do), an approach to faith that recognised and celebrated the truth of who God is (personal piety), yet was expected to enact God’s will for individuals and society (social holiness).

This concept of mission as social action may sound somewhat utopian. However, I will now sketch just one example of how the Church brought about liberation, restoration, healing, and transformation—signs of God’s kingdom—as part of this mission emphasis.

Christianity and Christians in Post-Apartheid South Africa—The Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Many Christians, such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu, gave the best years of their ministry to model the possibility of a racially integrated society. These efforts came at great personal cost. For nearly forty years church pulpits were one of the only relatively safe places from which the policies and abuses of the government could be addressed. Sadly, many of those who spoke against these abuses were placed under banning orders (i.e., banned from preaching, attending public gatherings, or being in groups of more than two or three persons). Others were jailed for extended periods or murdered.

In spite of these threats, the Church developed many prophetic statements (such as the confession of Belhar, the Coettesloe Declaration, and the Kairos document), and supported the task of social and political liberation in South Africa.

When Apartheid ended in 1994 with the first democratic elections in South Africa, the task of facilitating healing and reconciliation was brought to church leaders for implementation. A ground-breaking process, called the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)⁸, was rolled out across South Africa under the leadership of Archbishop Tutu.

The TRC was an official body sanctioned by the newly-elected government to hold hearings at which victims of gross human rights abuses could give statements of their abuse. The perpetrators of the abuses had an opportunity to give testimony and request amnesty for their crimes.

The intention of the TRC was to allow victims an opportunity to tell their stories and perpetrators to tell the truth and apply for amnesty so that retribution could be averted in the “new South Africa.” Central to the TRC was the notion of forgiveness and restorative justice.

Perhaps the most important lesson we can learn from this particular expression of the Christian faith is that the context in which mission and evangelism takes place is critical in shaping the ministry of the Church. A second important lesson would be that we should avoid the temptation of judging success in ministry by numerical growth—as was shown, in some instances numerical growth is an indicator of need rather than success.

What is certain is that the Church in southern Africa is faced with a number of complex contextual challenges which will require a great deal of courage and faithfulness if the Christian faith is to continue to make a positive impact upon society.

Conclusion
I hope the discussion above has made two points: (1) mission as social action is a truly holy, God-honouring, and practical way to transform individuals and society for God’s glory and kingdom and (2) mission is not just “religious” in nature. The parent, school teacher, economist, and even politician, can be part of God’s mission of healing and transformation. True Christian mission requires the active participation of all Christians. This is the work of every disciple.

Endnotes

1. Isichei, Elizabeth. 1995. A History of Christianity in Africa: From Antiquity to the Present. New York: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 100).

2. Ibid, 100.

3. See the 2005/2006 Christian Handbook. Johannesburg: WITS University Library. These statistics are also available online at www.statssa.gov.za/census01/html/default.asp. A theological critique of this data is available in Hendriks, J and Erasmus, J. 2005. “Religion in South Africa: 2001 Population Census Data.” Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 121: 88-111.

4. See Forster, Dion. 2008. “God’s Mission in Our Context—Critical Questions, Healing and Transforming Responses.” In Methodism in Southern Africa: A Celebration of Wesleyan Mission. Eds. Dion Forster and Wessel Bentley. Kempton Park, South Africa: AcadSA Publishers, 70-99.

5. It would not be possible to chart all of the significant shifts in society and politics in southern Africa in a study of this scope. For an insightful and scholarly account of the social and political trends from the first colonies at the Cape through to the dying days of Apartheid in South Africa, refer to Sparks, Allister. 1990. The Mind of South Africa. New York: Ballantine Books.

6. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartheid for a basic, accessible introduction to the history of Apartheid. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_of_apartheid for a succinct outline of the crimes of apartheid.

7. In L. Gregory Jones, Reinhard Hütter, and C. Rosalee Velloso Ewell, eds. 2005. God, Truth, and Witness: Engaging Stanley Hauerwas. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Brazos Press, 231-232.

8. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth_and_Reconciliation_Commission_(South_Africa).

Dr. Dion Angus Forster is a minister and academic. He is the former dean of John Wesley College, the seminary of the Methodist Church of southern Africa, and a research associate and lecturer in systematic theology at the University of Stellenbosch (BUVTON). Forster serves as a chaplain to the Global Day of Prayer and the Power Group of companies in Cape Town, South Africa. His most recent book on ministry in the workplace is entitled Transform Your Work Life: Turn Your Ordinary Day into an Extraordinary Calling (Struik Christian Books, 2010).