South African Council of Churches

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The South African Council of Churches (English: South African Council of Churches, short SACC) is the umbrella organization of numerous Christian churches in South Africa . He represents around half of the country's Christians. In the past he was against apartheid , today he is occasionally critical of the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Desmond Tutu and Beyers Naudé were among his general secretaries . Apartheid-friendly churches like the Dutch Reformed Church were not represented in the SACC, but were accepted after the end of apartheid.

structure

The South African Council of Churches is chaired by a national conference that meets every three years. The decisions of the National Conference are implemented by a central committee that meets annually and is chaired by the President or the Vice-President of the SACC. The Central Committee elects an Executive Committee that meets at least four times a year. In addition to the President and the two Vice-Presidents, a Secretary General is elected. The SACC resides in the Khotso House (Peace House ) in Johannesburg . In addition, representatives of the SACC are elected in the South African provinces. The North Cape and Northwest provinces share a common administration. In 2018 the SACC had 36 member churches , including the Roman Catholic Church in South Africa. The SACC includes the South African Council of Churches Youth Forum (SACCYF) for young Christians and the SACC Women Ecumenical Conference ( e.g. SACC Ecumenical Women’s Conference). The SACC often speaks out on political issues, such as the fight against poverty and AIDS .

The SACC is in turn a member of the National Church Leaders' Consultation (for example: body of national church leaders), which also represents the interests of other churches.

history

In 1904 the General Missionary Conference (about: General Mission Conference) was founded; In 1936 it was replaced by the Christian Council of South Africa (CCSA). On May 28, 1968 it finally became the SACC. For a long time it was led by opponents of apartheid and repeatedly expressed criticism of government policy. As early as 1971, Abel Habelgaarn became a Black President of the SACC. In 1988 the Khotso House was destroyed by a bomb attack. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) later found out that the then President Pieter Willem Botha himself had ordered the bombing. The then Justice Minister Adriaan Vlok and numerous high-ranking police officers were amnestied by the TRC . The bomb was planted by Eugene de Kock , the then commander of the secret police unit Vlakplaas .

In 1994 Brigalia Bam was the first woman to head the SACC.

The current ANC government is also occasionally criticized by the SACC, for example for the inactivity that the ANC took in 2009 during attacks on an illegal settlement on Kennedy Road in Durban . In 2017, the SACC criticized the government under Jacob Zuma again and stated that South Africa could become a failed state . His general secretary Malusi Mpumlwana disapproved of government policy as a form of seizure of state resources by the current “power elite” around President Zuma. In his view, the government has now lost its “moral legitimacy” and created “organized chaos” in the country. In its critical judgment of the general social conditions in South Africa, the Council of Churches relies on its own position determination from 2015, which is based on a biblical reference in Paul's letter to the Galatians and relates to the specific passage in the text Gal 6.2  EU .

President of the SACC

Mvume Dandala
  • 1968–1971: Archbishop Robert Selby Taylor ( Church of the Province of South Africa )
  • 1971–1974: Reverend Abel W. Habelgaarn (Moravian Church)
  • 1974–1977: Reverend John Thorne ( United Congregational Church of Southern Africa )
  • 1977–1980: Reverend PES Sam Buti (Reformed Church in Africa)
  • 1980–1983: Bishop Peter Storey (Methodist Church of Southern Africa)
  • 1983–1990: Manas Buthelezi ( Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa )
  • 1993: Rt. Reverend Khoza Mgojo (Methodist Church of Southern Africa)
  • 1995: Bishop Sigqibo Dwane (Order of Ethiopia)
  • 1998–2001: Mvume Dandala (Methodist Church of Southern Africa)
  • 2005: Russel Botman (United Reformed Church)
  • 2005–2010: Tinyiko Sam Maluleke (Evangelical Presbyterian Church)
  • 2010–2014: Reverend Johannes Thomas Seoka (Anglican Church of Southern Africa)
  • since 2014: Ziphozihle Siwa (Methodist Church of Southern Africa)

General Secretaries of the SACC

Desmond tutu
  • 1968–1970: Archbishop Bill Burnett (Church of the Province of South Africa)
  • 1970–1977: John Rees (Methodist Church of Southern Africa)
  • 1977: John Thorne (United Congregational Church)
  • 1978–1984: Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Church of the Province of South Africa)
  • 1984–1987: Christiaan Frederick Beyers Naudé
  • 1987–1994: Frank Chikane (Apostolic Faith Mission)
  • 1994–1997: Brigalia Bam (Church of the Province of South Africa)
  • 1997–2000: Charity Majiza (Presbyterian Church)
  • 2001-2006: Molefe Tsele (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa)
  • 2007–2010: Edwin Makue (Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa)
  • 2011–2015: Mautji Pataki (Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa)
  • since 2015: Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana (Ethiopian Episcopal Church)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Structure and objectives of the SACC ( Memento of January 14, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
  2. ^ Provincial representatives of the SACC ( Memento from January 14, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
  3. ↑ Membership sacc.org.za (English), accessed December 7, 2018
  4. ^ Website of the Church of South Africa in South Africa , accessed January 10, 2012
  5. ^ Statement of the SACC ( Memento of January 21, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) (English), accessed on January 21, 2015
  6. ↑ South Africa close to becoming mafia stat, church panel finds. bloomberg.com from May 18, 2017 (English), accessed on May 18, 2017
  7. ↑ Khanyisile Ngcobo: #SACC: 'ANC needs to mend its ways' . Message on www.iol.co.za from May 18, 2017 (English)
  8. ^ South African Council of Churches: The Unburdening Panel . on sacc.org.za (English)
  9. ↑ a b Gallery on the SACC website ( Memento from April 27, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
  10. ↑ Portrait at sahistory.org.za (English), accessed on January 9, 2012