Minute for Mission: World Community Day

November 1, 2024

Forty years ago, the Dutch Reformed Mission Church (DRMC) in South Africa adopted Belydenis van Belhar — the Confession of Belhar — in its first reading. Belhar was an outgrowth of the DRMC’s effort to grapple with the church’s participation in and defense of apartheid and touches prominently on themes of unity, reconciliation and justice. The DRMC adopted Belhar in its final form in 1986.

Although the Confession of Belhar is inextricably connected to its South African context, its message extends far beyond. The PC(USA) describes Belhar as a powerful statement of belief for the Christian faith that, in part, bears witness to the gift of unity and the church’s obligation to it. Interest in Belhar grew internationally around 2006, including among reformed traditions in the United States, where the PC(USA) established the Special Committee on the Confession of Belhar. On the recommendation of this Special Committee, the 222nd General Assembly (2016) approved the inclusion of Belhar in the Book of Confessions because of the clarity of its witness and its capacity to serve as a model for the PC(USA) to “speak and act with similar clarity at a time when it faces division, racism and injustice.”

The Confession of Belhar is a unique voice among the predominantly European and North American confessions. It elevates the witness of Reformed Christians living under different circumstances and serves, even now, as a springboard to discuss its key themes of unity, reconciliation and justice within a wide range of current issues.

For more on the Reformation, visit history.pcusa.org/rs.

Kristen Gaydos, Director of Communications, Presbyterian Historical Society

Today’s Focus: World Community Day

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Flor Velez-Diaz, Manager, Judicial Process & Social Witness, Office of the General Assembly 
David Votta, Housekeeper, Stony Point Center, Presbyterian Mission Agency 

Let us pray

Loving God, thank you for welcoming us to journey with you. Help us to perceive the world through the lens of your compassion so that we are abundantly equipped “to do justice, and to love kindness” as the hands and feet of Christ. Amen.

Weekend Seed Thought: Prayer is the Language of Faith

	Seed Thought for this Weekend Sent weekly to over 100,000 Christian families and growing. Prayer is the Language of Faith In Mark 11:24 Jesus said, “What things you desire, when you pray, believe that you shall receive them, and you shall have them.” In this verse, desire means sincere. And believe means faith. So we see the connection between sincere prayer and faith. Sincere faith is in the heart. The language of the faith is prayer. It takes sincerity to pray well. And without faith no one will pray sincerely. When we pray sincerely we should have confidence that we will be heard. When infants cry when hungry or tired it is natural for a parents to try to figure out what they need. They give them something to eat or put them to bed. And hope that’s why they were crying. When children mature they are more specific and clear with their requests. There is nothing feigned when infants cry when they need sleep or food. Small children have a certain innocent sincerity when they asked for something they want or need. As God’s children, we pray sincerely bringing our specific needs to God. Sincere prayer is the language of faith that God has promised to hear. Sincere prayer is the language that says “I believe.” Listen to Our Devotional Podcast At the Christian Counselor Directory - New Postings Each Week NEW Book!  Nine Fruits of the Vine and Five Little Foxes Resource for Personal Devotions, Discussion Groups, Bible Studies by Joseph Hutchison   Seed Thoughts Sponsored by: Christian Counselor Directory

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