I recently had the opportunity to participate in a consultation on advocacy, hosted by the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC).
This gathering of 20 church leaders and theologians explored the role that WCRC churches and ecumenical partners play in advocacy and in addressing the root causes of global injustices.
WCRC advocating for justice
The WCRC has a global presence and a significant history of being an advocate for justice. As a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC), I recognise the impact of its theological witness. In 1982, the WCRC (then World Alliance of Reformed Churches) declared apartheid to be a sin, and subsequently expelled the DRC. This supported the adoption of the Belhar Confession in South Africa, which remains a fundamental articulation of the gospel’s call to justice, reconciliation, and unity. The Belhar Confession has also been instrumental in discerning ideologies of injustice.
The Belhar Confession states that in Christ, God is revealed “as the one who wishes to bring about justice and true peace among people … We reject any
ideology
which would legitimate forms of injustice and any doctrine which is unwilling to resist such an ideology in the name of the gospel”.
Anti-gender ideology movement
During this consultation I highlighted the impact and injustice caused by the “anti-gender ideology movement”, especially in how it affects local communities in Africa.
This movement generates discourses such as “homosexuality is un-African”, where the diversity within gender identity, sexual orientation, reproductive rights, and sex education is framed as threats to traditional values, families, culture, or national identity.
This fear of gender diversity and inclusivity, including LGBTQIA+ people, fuels political rhetoric that scapegoats LGBTQIA+ people, and is manipulated to justify oppressive policies. It poses a threat, not merely to democratic and humanistic values, but to the Reformed tradition’s theological integrity in advocating for justice, reconciliation, peace, and unity.
Standing where God stands
This underscores the urgent task of discernment and advocacy that is necessary within faith communities. Discussions during the consultation pointed out that conversations on advocacy should not cause polarization and isolation of communities but should be part of a broader effort to dismantle injustice.
Globally, there is little consensus amongst any denominations concerning LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and discussions on gender and sexuality struggle to discern ideology that leads to injustice for LGBTQIA+ people.
Muna Nassar, WCRC’s executive secretary for Mission and Advocacy, addressed the question of why injustice prevails and how advocacy must detect and challenge systems of power. “Advocacy in the WCRC is about standing where God stands—with the oppressed and those on the margins,” Nassar said. She emphasized the important role of the Global South churches, which have long been at the forefront of justice and advocacy, and called for a reimagined approach to advocacy in today’s international context.
A Decolonial Approach
The consultation emphasized the need for the church “to embrace a decolonial approach to advocacy, particularly in the context of the war in Gaza, which is seen as a litmus test for humanity and Christian witness”.
Queer Liberation
The consultation affirmed that advocacy is a marathon, not a sprint, and that the church must move beyond mere statements to tangible actions. For the conversation on gender and sexuality, it must turn to the voices and experiences of marginalized communities.
Many churches, especially Reformed churches in Southern Africa, seem stuck in their attempts to discern justice, while centering church unity. However, similar to how Black bodies and women’s bodies have found themselves not stuck, but liberated, and indeed liberating within the Reformed tradition, so too can queer bodies, and other bodies that have been marginalized or unrecognized, offer tools for liberation during such discernment.
Join us
May you join IAM in affirming, amplifying, and advocating for these reformations, as a reflection of God’s radical, indivisible justice.
Contact, Rev/Dr Louis van der Riet: louis@iam.org.za
The WCRC statement about the consultation can be read here: https://wcrc.eu/theology-of-advocacy-consultation/
