The South African Council of Churches (SACC) is twenty-five years old. We believe we have much to celebrate about the work and witness of the Council over those years. Come celebrate with us!

May 28th 1968, the Congregational Church in Observatory, Cape Town. Item 6 on the agenda of the 17th biennial meeting of the Christian Council of South Africa, “It was agreed that the name of the Council should be changed to THE SOUTH AFRICAN COUNCIL OF CHURCHES.”

The SACC is third in line of inter-denominational organisations in South Africa. First was the General Missionary Conference, founded in 1904 and replaced in 1936 by the Christian Council of South Africa. It was this latter body that decided to change its name and structure. The major discussion for the meeting centred around the constitution and how it best could reflect in practical terms that the Council was a Council of South African Churches.

This was the importance of the decision, to create a Council that BELONGED to the Churches of South Africa. And since that day the story of the SACC has been a story of indigenisation and contextualisation. The gospel remains the gospel, the good news of salvation in Christ, but the way that gospel is expressed does change according to times and situations. The story of the SACC, thus far, is a story of expressing the never changing gospel through the changing scene of South Africa in an era of enforced apartheid and promised reform.

Come celebrate!

"What about you?" he asked them. "Who do you say I am?" (Luke 9:20)

The Council has been at the centre of the development of local leadership and a South African based understanding and exposition of the gospel. Who is Jesus for a twentieth century South African?

Although the Chairman at the 1968 meeting was a black pastor, the Rev S. Mokitimi of the Methodist Church, the vast majority of those present were white clergy most of whom came from overseas. And one lone woman! A very different picture at recent National Conferences where the vast majority are black and there are many women among the delegates. This provides a much more representative picture of the South African Church population.

Come celebrate!

"How terrible will be the Lord's judgement on those rulers who destroy and scatter his people!" (Jeremiah 23:1)

Through the years the SACC has facilitated many theological statements and made pronouncements in the name of the Church and the Church's Lord about the state of the nation and the soul of the people.

In 1968 the MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA was issued. It set a trend and tone of message to place all that happened in South Africa under the judgement of the word of God.

The MESSAGE was the first of many. Most were published in co-operation with other Church organisations. The SACC National Conference and Executive and the SACC General Secretary also made statements on issues as they arose in the society. In recent years the SACC, as well as making statements, has facilitated Church Leader interventions into crisis situations during the period of transition, challenging and assisting all who are engaged in the negotiations toward a new society.

The prophets of old spoke "Thus saith the Lord!" The SACC has tried to follow in that tradition of prophetic ministry for the past twenty-five years.

Come celebrate!

"The Lord has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God." (Micah 6:8)

The ministry of the SACC to the oppressed majority under apartheid is a chronicle of godly service. The SACC became a channel of support and love to the victims of apartheid, a conduit of the practical concern of the Christian fellowship both local and international. Refugees, scholars needing bursaries, families of those detained or imprisoned, the hungry, the displaced, and the unjustly accused all received assistance through the years.

And now, in the days of transition, the SACC emphasises development projects to help a wounded society become whole and a deprived people discover new dignity in creative ways. Practical assistance is also given to those who suffer because of the severe drought and the continuing violence in our land.

Come celebrate!

"Everyone will hate you because of me." (Luke 21:17)

The SACC has suffered attack from many critics during the twenty-five years. Some has been verbal, with government and others using the mass media as a means of attack and others using the phones for verbal abuse and meetings for heckling. Some has been physical with police raids and detention, attacks and gun threat from other members of the public. The most violent event was the destruction by bomb of the SACC headquarters, Khotso House, in August 1988.

In 1983 the government instituted the Eloff Commission to examine the work and witness of the Council. The aim of silencing and being able to find legal cause to close the SACC failed utterly.

There has also been, and still is, attack from those who believe indigenisation of the faith and the particular stance that such indigenisation led the SACC is incompatible with what they understand to be the Christian faith. The sadness is that you can reason in a Commission to show the justness of your position, but you cannot reason with those who believe they and they alone are right and the word of God is their property.

Come Celebrate!

And in all things give glory to God.

One of the departments of the SACC that is basic to the work, even if heard of so little in the media is the Department of Faith and Mission (formerly called Mission and Evangelism) The faith lies behind and is intertwined with and ahead of all that is done by the SACC.