Panel Poses Questions About Belhar

A three-person panel on Tuesday night offered praises and raised concerns, providing historical and theological pros and cons about the Belhar Confession during a 90-minute presentation in the Calvin Theological Seminary auditorium.

The panel discussion was one of several events at which the Belhar Confession, a statement focusing on church unity and racial reconciliation, has been addressed and will continued to be addressed prior to Synod 2012, which has been asked to adopt the Belhar as a fourth confession for the Christian Reformed Church. The presentation was available as a live webcast and a recording will soon be posted to the seminary's Lecture Archive.

Attended largely by CTS students, the panel discussion was polite and low-key, but touched on a range of tough issues. 

"The Belhar was drafted in 1982 and adopted by the Uniting Reformed Church of South Africa in 1986. It addresses the unity of the church and biblical principles of justice—issues that our 16th Century confessions didn't," said Rev. Thea Leunk, pastor of Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., and moderator of the panel discussion.She has preached about the Belhar and her congregation has studied the document.

The Belhar was written in response to the policy of apartheid, which officially separated the races in South Africa.

Tuesday night's panel came a few days after the publication of CTS's Fall edition of the Forum, whose focus was on the Belhar. Written by CTS faculty members, the articles in the Forum generally agree that the Belhar a ringing call for racial equality and justice worldwide.

Where they disagree is on whether Synod 2012 should make it another of the confessions—or standards of unity—of the Christian Reformed Church in North America.

"I believe that the Belhar would enrich us, but it need not be adopted as a confession,” said John Cooper, a CTS professor of philosophical theology and a panelist.

Cooper questions whether the Belhar gives preferential treatment to certain groups, while leaving out others. He said he wonders if the Belhar is a form of social gospel.

Overall, he said, the Belhar raises "the question of how do you read scripture? Just what exactly is salvation? What is the difference between the church and the kingdom, and what is the difference between special and common grace?"

Peter Borgdorff, executive director emeritus of the CRC and a strong proponent of the Belhar, countered Cooper by pointing out that there is nothing in the Belhar that is not already contained in other statements from the church.

"It seems so transparent to me that we should adopt this, since its core teachings are consistent with what we've been teaching and saying for many years," he said.

Should Synod 2012 adopt the Belhar, it would be placed on par with the Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dort, and the Heidelberg Catechism.

Last summer, the Reformed Church in America adopted the Belhar at its annual synod after a majority of classes in the denomination voted in favor of it.

Victoria Proctor-Gibbs, a Christian Reformed Home Missions leader and member of the panel, said there are many compelling reasons to adopt the Belhar

"We see God speak very clearly through his Word in many of the statements made in this document," she said.  "The Belhar gives us lots of reasons to look at the sin of racism. Making this a confession could be a tremendous opportunity to put aside some of the walls that have been built between us."

Cooper said he is concerned how people will interpret the Belhar, possibly using it to address certain topics, such as homosexuality, that are not specifically addressed by the Belhar.

"A confession should clarify what we believe," said Cooper. "This could be read several ways. What is the right way to read it?"

Despite his reservations, Cooper said he hasn't made up his mind on adopting the Belhar as a confession, especially if the document is approved carrying a proviso that helps explain how the Belhar is to be used and interpreted.

Borgdorff said the document can help the CRC face its own history in relation to racism.

"Racism has been very real in the CRC over the years as we have adhered to the three confessions. Until we are willing to say it (racism is a sin that divides the church) as seriously as we can and should, it hardly matters," he said. "The seriousness with which we take this is being watched by the broader church."

Borgdorff said the Belhar is not a perfect document "and it is not written in the way that we would have written it about these issues."

But it is important to note that the CRC, as well as other Reformed denominations, have been asked to adopt, and not to adapt, the confession as written by church representatives in South Africa.

At the same time, he said, it is crucial that the wider church discusses and "challenges each other with their viewpoints on this . . . Synod must adopt it or not with its eyes wide open. There will be consequences either way."