On 31 October 1517 – 500 years ago – the Reformer Martin Luther pinned his 95 theses on a church door in Wittenberg, Germany, and insisted that the church of that day should reform. Exactly 500 years later, on Tuesday 31 October 2017, the churches who train their students at the University of Pretoria, came together in the Musaion on the Tukkie Campus. During a beautiful ceremony they expressed their unity, and together signed a document “A United Christian Witness in Southern Africa: Let Us Be One”.

URCSA was one of the churches who attended and signed the declaration. We were represented by the Moderator, Prof Leepo Modise. He was the one who signed on our behalf. Also present from our church was the Actuarius, Rev DP Carelse, and Prof C Landman.

This document makes profound statements. One of the things the churches promise is “to speak out on intolerance, hate speech, injustice and the abuse of religion”. They also agree to work in unity “to demonstrate the love of Christ by reaching out to those who are living without hope.”

This was indeed a day on which history was made anew. The church divided 500 years ago, and for good reasons the Reformed churches came into being. However, now is the time to unite, and restore  the body of Christ.

This was the message on 31 October 2017.