Leaders of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches have challenged its 75-million member-strong community to restore justice to the world at the meeting of its executive committee in Evian, France.

|TOP|President Clifton Kirkpatrick and general secretary Setri Nyomi made an urgent appeal to the 40 members of WARC’s executive committee to bring justice to the world.

“The world is crying out,” said Kirkpatrick. “Christ is crying out for our Reformed churches to be the vanguard of a movement for justice in the economy and the earth, to live out the missiologies of life, to be the centres of spiritual renewal for a world hungry for the gospel and to be living demonstrations of the unity and fullness of life that God intends for all of humanity.”

Kirkpatrick also voiced strong criticism of the current global climate, saying that the very fabric of the world is being torn apart by the global economic system that makes a mockery of God’s promise that there will be enough for all.

“It is our calling to enable to Reformed churches everywhere to confess our faith in terms of the fullness of life that God intends for humanity and to call our world to repent of the injustice that is creating massive poverty and environmental degradation and to find a new way where we can all live together in dignity and justice,” said Mr Kirkpatrick.

This call to the Reformed churches around the world was reiterated by WARC general secretary Setri Nyomi, who said that the WARC churches had “an exciting opportunity to make a difference”.

|QUOTE|WARC’s financial difficulties also arose on the agenda at the meeting. Mr Kirkpatrick said that the Reformed churches had to face up to the financial crisis facing the Alliance, which has 218 Reformed churches across 107 countries.

He warned: “Unless we take dramatic steps to find new financial resources and to build a new sense of ownership and responsibility for the Alliance in our member churches, we will have no future.”

One of the major difficulties for the Alliance in recent years was operating on a reduced staff, said Nyomi. He remained optimistic of WARC’s future and its continuing ability to make a positive difference to the problems of the world.

“The challenges facing the world are indeed tremendous. Our institutional challenges, especially with regards to finance, are also many. However, we are convinced that with a vision, purpose and clear priorities, we will be able to overcome these challenges.”

The executive council also heard reports on the progress of member churches so far in fulfilling the mandates agreed at the 24th General Council last year in Accra, Ghana.

Reports from Latin America, Northeast Asia and Africa highlighted the difficulties of working effectively to support the needy in a time of increasingly neoliberal economic globalisation.

“In our Latin American and Caribbean countries we are still suffering from the effects of neoliberal policies, foreign debt and the globalised market,” said German Zijlstra of Argentina.

“So these are not easy times for our peoples. Generally, many of them are continuing to experience a situation of social, economic and political crisis, Bolivia being perhaps most recently one of the clearest examples of political instability.”

He also outlined the precarious situation in Columbia where “violence, lack of respect for human rights and devaluation of the meaning of life are continuing” and where, throughout the continent in general, “marginalisation and poverty are situations that are not diminishing”.

The Reformed churches in Latin America were still able to provide immediate assistance to churches in Southeast Asia following the tsunami December 2004, however, despite these ongoing difficulties.

Japan also reported positive developments, including several new projects to assist the unemployed, as well as the opening of numerous shelters and crisis counselling centres. Japan’s Reformed churches have also developed job training for the unemployed, reported Junko Kikuchi.

Africa’s Reformed churches have also set up various programmes aimed at supporting HIV/AIDS sufferers, the alleviation of poverty, economic justice and development.

Members of the executive council will also discuss the proposed shake-up of the organisation and its staff model at the meeting which runs until the 15 October.