Christmas Letter

The following letter has been sent out to all the ministers and congregations within the UPCSA:

Good Friends in Christ                                                                                                 

I greet you in the name of the “peace child”, Jesus Christ.

Over these last three months, I have had the privilege of meeting with many members of the UPCSA. I have had one-on-one meetings with the Moderators and Clerks of a third of the Presbyteries, visited two congregations on invitation, attended countless meetings and opened an annual conference of the IYZAs.  The Church is alive and strong, healthy but not without profound challenges.  Every now and then, when the challenges seem almost overwhelming, I find myself longing for a bit of “peace and quiet”. I don’t think that the UPCSA is any less healthy than it was at union. I don’t believe that the challenges we face are any larger or smaller than at any other time in our history but often this does not seem like the case.  Sometimes our burdens seem too heavy!

Recently I came across this extract of what someone had written about what it would be like to live in a perfect world:

“In a perfect world a person should feel as good at 50 as he did at 17 and he would actually be as smart at 50 as he thought he was at 17.  In a perfect world you could give away a baby pram without getting pregnant.  In a perfect world, professional soccer players would complain about teachers being paid contracts worth millions of Rand.  In a perfect world the mail would always be early, the cheque would always be in the mail and it would be written for more than expected.  In a perfect world potato chips might have calories but if you ate them with dip, the calories would be neutralized.  In a perfect world every once in a while at least, a child who always closed the door softly would be told, “Go back and slam the door.” ”

What do you hope for?

Our sister church in Korea is hoping for peace. In a recent press release, the National Council of Churches in Korea called upon North Korea to stop “using powerful weapons against the civilian community on Yeonpyeong island” but also called upon the government of South Korea and the USA to stop their provocative “war games”. Our sister churches in East Asia are collaborating in a programme to that seeks to address the huge prevalence of teen suicide. I suppose that is a kind of peace making too.  In the Pacific, it is really our ‘war’ with nature that is the issue.  The people of the islands of Tuvalu believe that they will become the world’s first ever ‘environmental refugees’. Pretty soon, because of the rise of the sea level, their home will be uninhabitable.

The world seems pretty hopeless, doesn’t it?

But it wasn’t very different for God’s child: born under Roman occupation, an enforced census, terrible poverty, no safety, Herod’s infanticide and danger all around.  The world into which the Saviour was born was not in harmony but a world at war!

The people of Israel hoped for a Messiah and they hoped for release from the Roman occupying power. When Jesus came, he was far more interested in the condition of their hearts that in the Roman occupation.

Israel hoped for peace. We hope for peace. Peace – just a little peace. That’s our perfect world – no more mourning or crying or pain … No more violence! The perfect world we seek has a name.  It is called the “Kingdom of God”.

Christmas is the hope of all ages born among us.

I once read about a missionary called Don Richardson who served for many years among the primitive tribes in Papua New Guinea. He  wrote a book entitled “The Peace Child”. He wrote about how in translating the Scriptures into the native tribal language, he could find no words to express how Jesus Christ came to give his life that we might have peace with God. In his book he relates how he finally found the answer in the culture of the native people themselves. He tells the story of two tribes in Papua New Guinea who maintained a blood feud between themselves for several generations. Each generation fought and nursed their wounds only to fight again killing and maiming more and more people. Finally after years of struggle the two tribes realized that they must stop fighting or nothing would be left of their people. But what could they do to end years of warring between the two tribes? Don Richardson goes on to tell that the chiefs of the two tribes came together and brought with them a child they called “the Peace Child”. This child was the son of one of the chiefs which was then adopted into the family of the opposing chief. They made an agreement that as long as that child lived, the two chiefs promised to cease their fighting so that all could live. Don Richardson had finally found a perfect picture of God’s love for us in sending us His Son, the Prince of Peace to die for us.

Jesus, our peace child has been born to us. At Christmas, we remember.

And our remembering must surely propel us to be peacemakers in this warring world (denomination, congregation, family) of ours. Peace is made. Peace is work. Peace requires forgiveness. Peace is hard but the Prince of Peace propels us to become peace makers.

“The peace of God,

which is beyond all understanding

guard your hearts and thoughts in Christ Jesus”. (Phil 4:7)

George Marchinkowski

Moderator of the General Assembly

Visit with the Moderator & Clerk of Thukela Presbytery

Good Friends in Christ

On Wednesday 8^th December 2010, I took a drive from Johannesburg to Vryheid in Northern Kwazulu Natal to meet with the Revs Dumisani Mchunu (Moderator) and Shona van der Lingen (Clerk) of the Presbytery of Thukela.                    

Thukela is a Presbytery covering northern KZN. It stretches from Paulpietersburg and Newcastle in the north to Ulundi and Mathubathuba on the East. The Presbytery of Thekwini is its neighbour on the Indian Ocean, stretching from Richard’s Bay southwards. It’s western border is the provincial border from Newcastle southwards to Ladysmith and down to Colenso and Weenen. In the south, it borders Drakensberg Presbytery and in the West, Free State.  The Presbytery is very rural and all Presbytery meetings take place in Dundee which is about the centre of the Presbytery. The Presbytery has 15 congregations with 9 ministers, 1 probationer, 2 stated supply appointments and 3 vacant congregations.

Recently,the General Secretary, the Rev Dr Jerry Pillay conducted a workshop for the Presbytery which was very well attended. The Presbytery identified that it had committed and competent people, the benefit of a convenient meeting venue, a good spread of ages among Presbytery members and no conflict in its associations. Challenges include vast distances between congregations, poor communication within the Presbytery and poverty. Knowledge of the procedures of the UPCSA and the possibility of sharing a court/ARP with Thekwini and/or Drakensberg are also in the Presbytery’s thinking. We spoke about various matters including the possibility of having probationers in the vacant congregations next year.

I am grateful for the work of these two servants of the Church.

IYZA Conference

Dear Friends

On Friday 3^rd December, I travelled to Limpopo university in Turfloop, just north of Polokoane to officially open the annual IYZA Conference. The IYZAs are the Association of young women of the Church. The service for the opening of the Conference took place at 09h30 in one of the university auditoriums and I preached on the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15.  The ladies kindly presented me with a beautiful cross which I will put up in my Vestry in Edenvale.  I don’t know who told them but I collect crosses and I don’t have one similar to the one they gave me. What a lovely gift!

Thank you to “the flower of the Church” (Rev. Obose’s words) for this lovely opportunity and lovely gift.

Some hae meat and canna eat, And some wad eat that want it, But we hae meat and we can eat, And sae the Lord be thankit. Robert Burns

Good Friends in Christ

A few weeks ago, I was invited to participate in the St Andrew’s Day services at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Hillside, Bulawayo.  This congregation chooses to celebrate its anniversary and its connection to Scotland on the Sunday nearest to 30^th November, the feast of St Andrew.  St Andrew was, of course, one of the first disciples Jesus called (John 1: 40) and the brother of St Peter the fisherman. Andrew was the one who brought the boy with the fish and bread to Jesus so that he could feed the 5000 (John 6: 8) and when the Greeks came to see Jesus (John 12: 22), it was Andrew who together with Phillip brought them to Jesus.

What a wonderful celebration we had on Sunday 28^th November! It began with a service at 9am at which I was invited to preach and then, at 3pm, a celebration including good food and Scottish country dancing. 

The Very Rev. John Miller, a retired minister (and former Moderator) of the Church of Scotland was present, as was Margaret Fogie and Bill Wishart, members of the Presbytery of Greenock and Paisley.

Many members of the congregation came in Scottish traditional dress, including the minister, the Rev Stan Chatikobo who wore a kilt. When asked why I was not wearing a kilt, I explained that sadly, the ‘Marchinkowski tartan’ had never been found! Bill Wishart ‘addressed’ the haggis in true Robbie Burns fashion and a wonderful afternoon was enjoyed by all.

                                                 

Victoria Chatikobo & Sascha

George and Stan Chatikobo

Thank you St Andrew’s for a lovely experience.

Council for World Mission - Malawi

Good friends in Christ

From Monday 15^th to Friday 19^th November, I am writing to you from Lilongwe, Malawi, where representatives of five churches in southern Africa are meeting:

The Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar;

The Churches of Christ in Malawi;

The United Church of Zambia;

The United Congregational Church in Southern Africa

(Nambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique); and

The Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa).

John Vieira, Marcia Tleane and I are representing the UPCSA at the Africa region of the Council for World Mission.  The five member denominations were all in some way initiated by the missionary activity of the London Missionary Society (LMS). In 1973, the LMS became the Council for World Mission (CWM) and sought to assist it’s member churches in becoming more mission focussed. In 1994, CWM sold a property in Hong Kong and the organisation’s assets rose by GB£100 million. This “gift of grace” changed the scope of opportunity available to CWM and its 31 member churches.

The African region meeting held this week will receive inputs from the five southern African denominations about the projects each church has undertaken in the last two and a half years. We are hearing stories about these churches’ response to the AIDS pandemic, how they are addressing Africa’s great challenge – poverty. It’s our way of peer review. We use the time to encourage one another and to check that our colleagues are keeping good books and assuring checks and balances.  On Wednesday, our hosts (the Churches of Christ in Malawi) took us around to see some of their projects. It is exciting to see Churches doing things well, ministering in difficult circumstances.

Mr John Vieira and myself

Visiting a church in Lilongwe

Mid town of Lilongwe

Lots of love to all of you

Meeting with new Presbytery of Zimbabwe Leaders

Good Friends in Christ.

On Wednesday 10 November, I was privileged to spend an afternoon with the Rev. Stan Chatikobo and Mr. Kwenje (respectfully Moderator and Clerk of the Presbytery of Zimbabwe).

Mr Kwenje, George, Rev Chatikobo

The Presbytery of Zimbabwe spans the entire territory of the Republic of Zimbabwe. There is a shortage of ordained ministers, many having emigrated to South Africa and other countries around the world.  Readers of this letter will remember the terrible economic crisis that Zimbabwe has experienced over the last eight years or so.  Farm seizures, subsequent sanctions imposed by Western countries, political turmoil, etc resulted in hyperinflation and the “crash” of the Zimbabwean currency.  South African churches responded by sending money and groceries to our ministers and schools.

Today, Zimbabwe is recovering.  The US dollar is used in shops as legal tender, shops are well stocked and people are gradually putting their lives back together. The worst off, as always, are the poor.  They lack not only resource but also access to currency.

The newly elected Moderator and Clerk of Zimbabwe Presbytery are very positive about the life of their Presbytery.  Zimbabwe has the highest number of Church Development Evangelists (CDEs) in the UPCSA. CDEs are laypersons working to plant and nurture new congregations.  Earlier this year, the CDP committee conducted a training seminar for 26 of the evangelists. The participants were given an overview of the Bible in three days.

The CWM Mission Support Fund has had a wonderful impact within the Presbytery.  Projects undertaken include youth capacity building, the construction of a clinic in Presbyterian High School and numerous other income generating projects.

Zimbabwe Presbytery also has two significant international partnerships – one with the Presbytery of Denver (PCUSA) and the Presbytery of Grinock and Paisley (Church of Scotland).

Zimbabwe has a long way to go and but we have good leaders who are committed to building the UPCSA there.  It has been a privilege to engage with these two Church leaders.

Warm regards

Moderator's Tour

Good friends in Christ

One of the things one has to learn when one becomes Moderator of the Assembly is what a “Moderator’s Tour” is. It is one of the Moderator’s duties (para. 12.28) but what should it contain? Does one move in for 6 weeks or does one visit regularly over the course of a year? Should time be spent with ministers or congregations? Should one preach or visit projects? It seems that the Presbyterian Church as an unwritten part of its constitution and that this contains guidelines for Moderator’s tours.  My predecessor suggested that I should be actively involved in the planning of my tour and not simply arrive in the Presbytery and expect them to know what to do. So – that is what I have done.

First – there was a choice of where to go.  The field, however, was not wide open. Only 4 Presbyteries had not been visited since the time of union. I chose Lekoa. Lekoa hosted the ninth General Assembly in September and I got to know many of their ministers and elders. I met with Hugh Grant and Shadrack Modise (Moderator and Clerk of Lekoa) in August to talk about what the Moderator’s tour should entail. We agreed that the tour should have three parts: First, a three day retreat with ministers and office bearers, Second – attendance at the November Presbytery meeting and Third – a two week visit in March 2011.

On Wednesday 27^th October, the ministers and office bearers of Lekoa Presbytery travelled (over water) to the island in the middle of the Vaal Dam. No one could ‘pop’ home or into the office. I had a captive audience. We spent time in fellowship and prayer. I was asked to do a few inputs on the life of faith (Christian Spirituality) and we did some strategic planning. By all accounts, it was a valuable time for those who attended. Relationships were strengthened and a fresh sense of direction and purpose for the Presbytery emerged. I am very grateful to these colleagues who gave the time to be with me. I learned a lot about Lekoa and got to know the individuals better.  On Friday, we again boarded the ferry and went our different ways.

On Saturday 6^th November, I travelled to Vereeniging, to St Luke’s, to attend the quarterly meeting of the Presbytery of Lekoa. Presbytery meetings have similarities – there is a Moderator and a Clerk and a ‘top table’. They use a common order and we have similar challenges. If one listens to the business, though, one gets a sense of what the Presbytery is all about. One is able to discern God at work and give thanks. Lekoa is a place in which God is at work.  It stretches from Kuruman and Mafikeng in the west to Vereeniging, Sebokeng, van der Bijl Park and Sharpville in the east. There are congregations in Denysville (next to the Vaal dam), in Carltonville and Westonaria and in Klerksdorp and Stilfontein.  It takes 6 hours to drive from the furthest congregation on the east to Kuruman in the west. Lekoa has only six full-time ordained ministers! Three retired ministers work full-time in Stated Supply positions. There is one probationer and one elder acting as State Supply as well. The Rev. M Matli, spends one month in Kuruman and then one month in Mafikeng, alternating right through the year. These are great challenges. Pray for Lekoa. At the same time, they are proud and enthusiastic and there are new opportunities for church growth such as in Kokosi.

I look forward to the next part of the tour in the first two weeks of March.

The Rev Brian Woods, Minister Emeritus, has died.

The Rev. Brian Woods, minister Emeritus who was Moderator of the General Assembly of the former PCSA in 1980, has died in Port Alfred aged 84.

Our deepest sympathies to his children, David, Patricia, Lynette and Billy. Brian was a great minister of the Church and in his retirement he and his late wife, Ruth and son, Billy, moved to Bathurst near Port Alfred in the Presbytery of Central Cape. Ruth died very recently and Brian had been deteriorating in recent months.  My earliest memories of Brian are from the time I used to go down to Port Alfred from Grahamstown to preach (as a Student for the Ministry). Brian Woods and Edwin Pons were members of the congregation. It was a daunting task, to preach in a congregation in which two former Moderators of the General Assembly worshipped.  Brian was always generous with his praise and constructive with his criticism.

One of Brian’s great vocations was to send a short letter of encouragement to newly elected Moderators of Assembly. I received a monthly letter from him beginning in September 2008 when I was elected and the last one came this September.  Like Barnabas (known as the son of Encouragement), Brian encouraged me (and my predecessors) to lead the Church with grace.

Funeral arrangements will be made today and communicated through the Assembly office.

With love to all who read

Church Associations Committee Meeting

Good Friends in Christ

On Friday 22 October, I travelled to Mdantsane in Amatola Presbytery to attend the Church Associations Committee meeting.  The Convener, the Rev. Lulamile Obose, welcomed me and all the delegates to the meeting which was held in Auld Memorial Church.  The Men’s Christian Guild, The Presbyterian Women’s Fellowship, the Youth Fellowship, the IYZAS ad the Guild of Church choirs and musicians were all represented in the meeting. Also present were Church Association Conveners from several of the UPCSA’s Presbyteries.

Friday night consisted mainly of formalities and going through the minutes of the previous meeting (June 2010) with report backs etc. We enjoyed a late supper before turning in for the night.  On Saturday morning, the Committee invited me to address them on Article 13 of the Basis of Union which expresses the intention of the former RPC and PCSA to amalgamate their separate Church Associations at the time of union. I expressed the desire for paths toward unity to be found as I believe this is what Christ wants for the Church. Also, my view that legislation is always a poor motivator toward unity when relationships are in question. Paul’s injunction that we make every effort to maintain the unity of the body motivates me to work hard toward that eventuality.

The MCG especially indicated that they were always ready to come to the negotiating table.

I suspect that the challenges faced by the associations will be one of the priorities in these next 21 months. I want to record my thanks to the committee (and especially my friend, the Convener) for the invitation to attend and offering me an opportunity to learn about this important part of the Church’s life.

Warm Greetings to you all

Midrand Celebrates 25 Years!

Good Friends in Christ

On Sunday 17^th October 2010, I visited the congregation of Midrand. This is one of the UPCSA’s strongest congregations which meets in the reconstructed (brought up from Pietermaritzburg) St Saviour’s building in Randjesfontein. Midrand is a big healthy congregation served by two ministers, the Revs Chris Judelsohn and Gavin Lock. The congregation was planted 25 years ago by Trinity, Edenvale together with the Church Extension committee of General Assembly.  The Rev. Tim Sawyer was its first minister. Midrand has itself planted a thriving congregation in Fourways (inside the Indaba Hotel).

I was invited to preach on the occasion of Midrand’s Silver Jubilee (25 years). There were two services in the morning, both packed with members. The old St Saviour’s building is a beautiful stone building reminiscent of a bygone era. Inside, a tactfully designed sound and projection system facilitates a modern worship service which includes a blend of the great hymns of the church together with contemporary Christian songs. A choir delivered an item and two saxophonists played an item during the taking of the offering. Beautiful banners hung to the sides of the sanctuary, each illustrating a part of the 25^th anniversary logo, created especially for the occasion.

I have included a picture of the central banner which hangs in the sanctuary. It contains the new logo at the centre, surrounded by the faces of Midrand’s members. All kinds of commemorative pieces (glasses, mugs etc) were on sale and I was presented with a beautiful commemorative magazine featuring photos from across their history.

A Big Happy Birthday to you, Midrand from all of us in the UPCSA.

Lots of love

The Presbytery of East Griqualand

Good Friends in Christ

On Thursday 14 October, I travelled from Durban to Kokstad to meet with the incoming Moderator and Clerk of East Griqualand Presbytery.  Mike Craig, minister of St Columba’s, Kokstad, will be inducted as Moderator in early November and Thembeka Pitoyi, of Gillespie congregation, as Clerk. Both of these ministers were ordained in the UPCSA and not in either of the former denominations. I get a good feeling about this, it seems to be an opportunity to start afresh.

There are 16 congregations in East Griqualand. The Presbytery is very rural and some congregations have as many as 39 outstations. Thembeka told me that he recently held a baptism service in which 147 children were baptised. He borrowed the fonts from surrounding churches and the service went on for a long long time. 132 people were confirmed in another service. Ministers with many outstations have to train up lay preachers to preach in these. This becomes a major facet of their work.

According to Mike and Thembeka, the Presbytery enjoys unity within its Church Associations and Presbytery wide Consultations have been called on issues to be discussed. Sadly, Presbytery meetings have not always been pleasant with egos clashing and commissioners sometimes disrupting proceedings. They mentioned the need for workshops on Presbyterian polity and meeting procedures. Resources in such a rural Presbytery are always a challenge especially where there are such long distances to travel. There are two retired ministers resident in the bounds – the Revs JV Mdlalose and K Makiwane . The Presbytery has one probationer, Outon Ngxiya, placed at Stirling Memorial.

East Griqualand Presbytery lies south west of Thekwini and Drakensberg and North of Mthatha with Port Edward on its East and Lesotho forming its western border. It takes in Kokstad and Mout Ayliff, Mount Frere and its surrounding areas up to the Drakensberg range in the West.

We celebrate what God is doing among the brothers and sisters of East Griqualand.

Warm regards

The Presbytery of eThekwini

Good Friends in Christ

On Wednesday 13^th October, I travelled down to Durban to meet with the Moderator and Clerk of the Presbytery of eThekwini. This was the first visit in the series I will be undertaking to begin the programme of strengthening the UPCSA’s Presbyteries.

The Presbytery of eThekwini is a long narrow Presbytery, stretching from Richard’s Bay to Port Edward on the Kwazulu Natal coast. It only goes westward as far as Hammarsdale and borders the Drakensberg Presbytery there. Of its 33 congregations, four are in the south, three in the north and all the others in and around the city of Durban. Thabani Masikane, minister of KwaMashu, is serving in his second term as Presbytery Moderator and Mark Boshoff, minister of St George’s, Bluff, is the Clerk. Both of them struck me as committed to the growth of the Presbytery and appropriately proud of eThekwini’s achievements.

eThekwini boasts a good attendance at Presbytery meetings, a fair level of racial harmony and a boldness in governing within their bounds. They seem to have unity in the life of Church Associations and although they have challenges in various areas, there seems to be the will to work at these until resolution is achieved.  Some of the denomination’s strongest congregations, namely Frere Road, Kwa Mashu and North Durban are in this Presbytery. Almost a third of eThekwini’s congregations are vacant. eThekwini also has a large group of retired ministers – there are nine.

Berea Presbyterian Church will celebrate its 125^th Anniversary in February and I have been invited to participate in this.

I wanted to share all this with you so we may celebrate what God is doing in eThekwini and pray for them in their challenges as well.

Warm regards

(Just) George

Professor Alistair Kerr

Good Friends in Christ.

Ian Wilson and Sascha (my wife) have very kindly set up a blog for me. This (for the un-technological like me) is a facility that will enable me to write about what is going on in the Church as I visit Presbyteries and congregations etc. These messages will be available to you to read on the website of the UPCSA. I will try to keep these as current as I can.  But first, I need to backtrack a little and tell you some of the things I have been doing since the General Assembly.

Tuesday 5 October 2010

 

Sheila (my chaplain) and I travelled down to Grahamstown to attend the funeral of Professor Alastair Kerr. I was invited to say a eulogy at the funeral and chose to share memories from the fifteen years I had known ‘Prof’.

Alastair Kerr was born in Biggar, Scotland, the second son of Dr. Alexander and Mrs Mary Kerr. His father was the first principal of the South African Native College which later became Fort Hare university. Dr Kerr was also one of the handful of elders to become Moderator of the General Assembly. Alastair grew up at Fort Hare and was sent to Grey High School in Port Elizabeth for his high school education. In 1941, he graduated with a BA at Rhodes whereafter he spent the remainder of the war years on board a submarine in the Royal Navy and later as a meteorological officer in South East Asia. After the war, he enrolled at Wits university for the LLB degree because it was felt that those who sought to work for the upliftment of Black South Africans really needed trainer lawyers. He worked for  5 years in the department of Native Affairs and even acted as a magistrate before jointing Rhodes in 1954.

Professor Kerr distinguished himself in two main areas of law, namely customary law and the law of contract. The former became the subject of his masters degree (achieved in 1960) and the later his doctorate in 1972). His books ranged from customary law to the law of Agency, the law of Contract and the law of Sale and Lease. He served as head of department of law and as dean of the faculty on many occasions.  In 1993, he was appointed honorary Senior Counsel by State President FW de Klerk (there are only 10 academics ever to receive this honour) and awarded the honorary Doctor of Laws by Rhodes university in 1995.

In the Church, the Alastair Kerr we knew was always a humble servant with not a hint of arrogance. The Manual of Faith and Order of the UPCSA will stand as a monument to his work.  He served on the Manual committee of the former PCSA since 1974 and in the UPCSA since union.  He was Presbytery Clerk in the former PCSA for 10 years before union. He was a member of the Committee negotiating union and worked tirelessly in creating the Court of Assembly system. He was an elder of Trinity, Grahamstown for more than 50 years.

I have seen him ‘ruled out of order’ a few times and every time, he sat down saying “thank you, Moderator”. I wonder whether they still make elders like that.

The UPCSA has lost one of its great fathers and faithful servants. We say “Farewell old friend!”

The funeral was well attended by members of the Presbytery of Central Cape and by ministers from far and wide, also by members of the Rhodes university fraternity.

(Just) George