Message to RCJ Synod – 17 October 2012

9 October 2012

FRATERNAL GREETINGS FROM THE DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH

The Moderator and Delegates

Synod of the Reformed Church in Japan

Dear beloved,

I greet you in the Name of our Triune God: Grace and Peace to you!

We are in our season of synods.

Four of our regional synods meet in the coming weeks. Our leadership need to be there due to important issues like our reunification process. This makes it impossible to be with you in person: please accept our apologies.

Our relationship with the Reformed Church in Japan is a very special one. It was born, we believe, as a gift from God. From the beginning we experienced God’s hand in our journey together. That is what the partner churches in South Africa experience. And that is why there are scores of local churches and members praying for the RCJ on a daily basis. With this message I also want to give you the assurance that you really are part of our ecumenical life – even though we are very, very far away.

We appreciate the wonderful mission co-operation between Shikoku Presbytery and Mission Japan and we thank you for your warm love and support of our missionaries. Thank you for sending your moderator, Rev Yoshida, together with other office-bearers earlier this year to South Africa to share about your ministry and the work in the disaster area. It made a deep impact. We deeply appreciate your support for AIDS projects of our church is SA and invite you to be also physically involved.

Our Moderator, Prof Nelus Niemandt, and I plan to visit Japan during the fourth week of October 2013 (the week of 21^st) as part of visits to the East. We will be in touch regarding detail. Prof Niemandt looks forward to meet the RCJ.

We praise God for your role after the earthquake and tsunami. The witness about the work you are doing sounds around the globe. Please continue on this journey. You also may consider approaching the Partnership Fund of the World Communion of Reformed Churches for some of your projects in the disaster area.

In South Africa we rejoice because our church reunification process is back on track again. We have a lot of challenges, but we believe they are also opportunities. Please pray for the four churches of the Dutch Reformed Church Family. I believe reformed churches can provide direction in a totally fragmented world. We need one another on this journey. Once again we stretch our hand to you because we need you and your insights. And thank you for what we have learned from you.

May God bless this Synod and all the deliberations. May you experience the spiritual discernment the Holy Spirit gives when we meet with the Word open in front of us!

Dr JJ Gerber: General Secretary Dutch Reformed Church