Cottesloe Consultation
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Cottesloe Consultation: The Report of the Consultation among South African Member Churches of the World Council of Churches 7-14 December 1960 at Cottesloe, Johannesburg http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555/AL.SFF.DOCUMENT.ydlwcc2079 Use of the Aluka digital library is subject to Aluka’s Terms and Conditions, available at http://www.aluka.org/page/about/termsConditions.jsp. By using Aluka, you agree that you have read and will abide by the Terms and Conditions. Among other things, the Terms and Conditions provide that the content in the Aluka digital library is only for personal, non-commercial use by authorized users of Aluka in connection with research, scholarship, and education. The content in the Aluka digital library is subject to copyright, with the exception of certain governmental works and very old materials that may be in the public domain under applicable law. Permission must be sought from Aluka and/or the applicable copyright holder in connection with any duplication or distribution of these materials where required by applicable law. Aluka is a not-for-profit initiative dedicated to creating and preserving a digital archive of materials about and from the developing world. For more information about Aluka, please see http://www.aluka.org Cottesloe Consultation: The Report of the Consultation among South African Member Churches of the World Council of Churches 7-14 December 1960 at Cottesloe, Johannesburg Author/Creator World Council of Churches Consultation (Cottesloe, Johannesburg, 7-14 December, 1960); World Council of Churches Date 1960-12-07 - 1960-12-14 Resource type Reports Language English Subject Coverage (spatial) South Africa Source World Council of Churches Library and Archives: Programme to Combat Racism; microfilm created by the Yale University Divinity Library with funding from the Kenneth Scott Latourette Initiative for the Documentation of World Christianity., Yale University Divinity Library, Programme to Combat Racism [microform], 4223.9.4; mf. PCR 148 (from frame 51 to 757) Rights By kind permission of the World Council of Churches (WCC). Format extent 55 pages (length/size) http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555/AL.SFF.DOCUMENT.ydlwcc2079 http://www.aluka.org COTTESLOE COTTESLOE CONSULTATION . N2 4<.~ The Report of the Consultation among South African Member Churches of the J World Council of Churches 7-14 December 1960 at Cot(esloe. Johannesburg I0 Obtainable from P.O. Box 97. Johannesburg Price: 75 cents. LIBRARY Wlordd C WW,'I Chi e CONTENTS F O R E W O RD . .. ......(......i......)...... ...... ...... ....... ......... (i) CHAIRMAN'S OPENING STATEMENT ............ I SUMMARIES OF GROUP DISCUSSIONS Topic I The Factual Situation in South Africa .. 5 Topic II: The Christian Understanding of the Gospel for Relationships among Races .. .. 19 Topic III: An Understanding of Contemporary History from a Christian Standpoint ,.. ..... .. 40 Topic IV: The Meaning of the Current Emergency in South Africa 55 Topic V : The Witness of the Church with regard to Justice. Mission and Co-operation . 58 STATEMENTS A. Consultation Statement ... 73 B. Statement by the Delegation of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk 79 C. Statement by the Delegation of the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerke of the Cape and Transvaal 80 D. Statement by His Grace the Archbishop of Cape Town,theMostRev.Dr.JoostdeBlank 81 E. Reply by the Rev. Dr. A. J. van der Merw , Moderator. Synod of the Cape Nederduitse Gereform eerd e K erk . .. ... .......................... ...... 83 F. Recommendations regarding Future Co-operation 84 APPENDICES 1: W.C.C. Letter of Invitation to the Member Churches in the Union of South Africa . 85 II: The Preparatory Arrangements 88 III: Procedure followed in adopting the Consultation Statement ... .91 IV: Attesdance Register IN) W.C.C. Representatives . 92 (B) Member Churches and their Representatives 92 (C) Observers ... ..... 97 (D) Committees, etc. 97 FOREWORD We met for consultation. and only as a record of a consultation can this report be rightly understood. The eight churches '. to which we South African representatives belonged were all members of the World Council of Churches, and we accepted the invitation of that Council to meet together as Christians so that we might consult with each other about the social and racial !;,o siuation in South Africa. We give our thanks to those who helped us to accomplish our task. The Executive of the World Council of Chutches cal~ed us together. and then gave of its best to lead the sessions of the Consulation. Dr. Franklin C. Fry. presiding over our plenary sessions, was a master of assemblies, gracious, wise and firm: and his colleagues won our admiration and respect for their !1 leadership. Dr. W. A. Visser's Hooft led the daily act of devotion which placed all our meetings in the context of worship. Dr. Robert S. Bilheimer brought us all together. and his contribution to Cottesloe was incalculable. His co-secretary, Mr. F. J. van Wyk. was the hub on which the whole wheel smoothly turned. his zeal matched only by his elliciency. The Executive Committee appointed by the Planning Committee. headed by Dr. J. B. Webb. faced difficulties that at times appeared insuperable, yet they brought the arrangements to a successful conclusion, very largely through the personal efforts of Dr. Webb. the Rev. C. F. B. Naudd and the Rev. Fr. George Sidebotham. C.R. Finally. we thank the authorities of the University of the Witwatersrand for making Cottesloe residence available, and the Editors of the Afrikaans. English and Non-White Press for their patience and restraint which permitted us the undisturbed calm essential to the success of our Consultation. The report which follows must be seen in relation to the preparation for the Consultation. Each of the eight churches submitted a memorandum on the live agreed topics. and these memoranda had been circulated to all representatives at the Consultation before we met. It was decided, however, that the memoranda should not be published, because what happened as we talked together made them out of date- sonic of the things said there we would not say now: and other things we would say differently because we have discussed them face to face. The Report is therefore not a summary of the contents of the -~L (ii) memoranda; nevertheless, it pre-supposes them, for they were basic to our discussions. All the eight churches were represented in each of the four groups into which we were divided. In each group, twenty members talked for about five hours on each of the chosen topics, and it was the task of each rapporteur to present a summary of that discussion to the plenary session, and to do it in fifteen minutes! These summaries were not all discussed by the groups before presentation in plenary session, so that the record of the discussion depended upon the rapporteur's interpretation of what had been said. The groups did not attempt to work systematically through the memoranda presented, but by general consent gave special consideration to certain aspects. The discussion -was therefore not a complete survey of all the memoranda. The report in its turn is not a measured precis of the discussions. The four rapporteurs were as faithful as they could be, knowing full well that others would see things, and say things. differently. If the report gives the impression of a dialogue, it correctly reflects both our disagreements, which we regret, and our agreements for which we are grateful. The Report has ben prepared by one of the rapporteurs. and has been submitted to the other three, the Rev. H. H. Munro. the Rev. A. J. van Wijk. and the Rt. Rev. B. B. Burnett, the Bishop of Bloemfontein. Their suggestions, criticisms and, finally, their approval, have been essential to the completion of the report. Though we cannot claim that it gives a full account of the discussions. we believe that it does make an honest report of the Consultation and where it led us. Again and again during our discussions we were made aware of our need of the factual information essential to the formulation of any sound conclusion. Much of this had, of course, been provided by the memoranda upon which our discussions were based. There were, however, occasions When two conflicting statements were both asserted as fact, and the means of verifying the information was not readily available. In this connection the invaluable services rendered by the S.A. Institute of Race Relations, and by the S.A. Bureau of Racial Affairs (S.A.B.R.A.) were emphasised. It is clearly of the utmost importance that church leaders whem making statements should avail themselves of the services rendered by both these organizations. (iii) The gathering niomentuni oi" events in Africa did not escape our notice. No one who took part in the Consultation could fail to hear the note of urgency which was sounded again and again -all the more impressive because it was never strident. We heard it in the p!enary session when we were told that there was not much time left for us to make the essential decisions; and in reply there was a moving plea not to push church leaders so far ahead of their people that the coupling was broken, and the train ran back down the incline. We heard it in group discussions from both White and Non-White members. Inevitably the question was raised for many: How much tinte have we left'? And the realization came that we shall be given no answer to that question. All the time we have is Now; and all the assurance we need is that Now is the day of salvation. Inevitably the question will be asked: What was the outcome of the December Consultation? What came out of Cottesloe? It is quite true that not all our problems were solved, not all our disagreements .harmonised.