Survey of Church Union Negotiations 1996-1999

The signing of the agreement was witnessed by a wide range of ecumenical partners, including the national council of churches, "mission partners, and representatives of workers' organizations, the urban poor and student groups".

A more complete account including contact information will appear in the next edition of the survey.

SOUTH AFRICA

UNITING PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN SOUTHERN AFRICA: Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa; Reformed Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa

ALASTAIR RODGER

The PCSA is a multi-racial church of about 90,000 members spread across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia, while the RPCSA (formerly the Bantu Presbyterian Church) has about 44,000 members, all in South Africa and all from the African community, except for a few "coloured" congregations.

From the early 19th century, when they were represented by colonial and missionary streams, their histories have always been intertwined. They very nearly became one church when the PCSA was formed in 1897 and continued to cooperate closely during the next few decades, during which the BPC was set up as an independent denomination by the United Free Church of Scotland (1923).

Although the two churches drifted apart and tensions arose, a bold move was made in 1958 to initiate union negotiations between the PCSA, the BPC and the Tsonga Presbyterian Church (now called the Evangelical Presbyterian Church), which had arisen out of Swiss mission work. These negotiations proceeded slowly and with many difficulties but finally reached the stage where the PCSA and the TPC had agreed to the union. The BPC however was unable to overcome its deep division on the issue and in 1972 the whole process had to be abandoned. Its failure was exacerbated -- and to no small degree caused -- by the deep divisions and gross inequalities and injustices of South African society.

Twenty-five years later a process of bridge-building was initiated, leading to the adoption by both general assemblies in 1990 of a basis of agreement, which acknowledged the responsibility of both parties for past failures in their relationship, committed the churches to improving these relationships at every level and extending their cooperation, and suggested many practical ways in which this could be done. The response from presbyteries and congregations was disappointingly small, in spite of the dramatic changes in the South African situation over the next few years. Nevertheless in 1994 the RPCSA general assembly proposed the reopening of formal negotiations for union and a few months later the PCSA assembly readily agreed. Before the end of the year the joint committee on union had held its first meeting. For most of its existence that committee was composed of approximately 11 representatives of each church, appointed by their general assemblies. While the majority of these were ministers, there was always strong and active lay participation.

The union committee formed a number of sub-committees to examine the work and policies of the two churches and to see how the various aspects of their work could be merged. Progress was slow at first, but in 1995 the assemblies adopted seven reasons for union put forward by the committee. These related to the churches' theology and historical connections and the important witness that a union would provide, especially in the context of a rapidly changing South Africa. At the same time the assemblies encouraged their presbyteries and congregations to work together, so that more members in each church could become familiar with the other and build relationships. At the same time presbyteries were instructed to debate the principle of union and to disseminate information about the two churches to their sessions and congregations. While it was grateful for the fellowship and the sense of unity of purpose which had developed within the committee, and for the enthusiastic support for the union talks shown at assembly level, the union committee was very concerned that the union should not only be a "top down" process. Once again however the response to these resolutions seemed to be rather muted.