Report on the Regional Council

by John-Peter Gernaat

(This report contains the general information about the Regional Council. The specific details have not been reported here but are available to congregants to request.)

When a person or a community is alone in the world the full burden of one's existence in the world is placed upon one's own shoulders. It is for this reason that human beings seek support from other like-minded individuals or communities. As a congregation of The Christian Community, we carry the full financial burden of our physical presence in Johannesburg. However, there is another reality, that our priests are sent to our altar by a central body within The Christian Community. As a congregation we accept a priest that is sent to our altar and in accepting the priest and, very often, their family we accept the financial responsibility that accompanies the sending of a priest. We can count the number of priests who have been sent to our altar in Johannesburg, some for a few years and some for a more extended period of time. When the sending of a priest ends and they move to a new congregation, a certain financial responsibility remains towards their care in their retirement years as a result of the time that the priest has spent in our congregation. When we add up the total responsibility for all the priests that have been in our community and think forward to all the priests that will still be sent to our community, it can become quite overwhelming if we think that we are alone in the world. Being part of a Region that is also connected to the worldwide body of The Christian Community makes a difference in this regard. This is one of the reasons that the Regional Council was birthed here in Southern Africa. The Regional Council for Southern Africa brings together all the congregations of Southern Africa to jointly carry the consciousness that accompanies the sending of priests to our congregations. The financial responsibility of providing a stipend for the daily needs of the priests and their families remains in the realm of the specific congregation, but the financial responsibility that arises when priests are no longer active in a sending to a congregation and the financial responsibility that may arise as a result of unexpected and unforeseen circumstances are supported by the Region as a whole, and is connected to the support of the worldwide body.

The Regional Council is a public benefit organisation (PBO) in its own right and represents the communities in Southern Africa. It is therefore the communities that are responsible for the decision-making of the Regional Council. These decisions provide a mandate for the executive of the Regional Council to carry out their work. In order to make these decisions the Regional Council meets annually.

A part of this work is to conduct an annual general meeting (AGM) as is required in law for a public benefit organisation. Another part of the work is to come to a deeper understanding of the needs of the individual congregations and see if there is a way that the Regional Council can support one or more of the congregations in a specific manner. It is for this reason that the community representatives that attend the Regional Council, and through their attendance at the Regional Council, are considered part of the Regional Council, playing a vital role for the congregation that they represent. It is also for this reason that the Regional Council meets in the various congregations on a rotational basis, so that the local congregants can also participate at times and feel connected to the greater picture.

The foresight that has gone into establishing the Regional Council is highly praiseworthy and our Lenker and the synod of priests who have supported this endeavour together with the community representatives have placed our Region on a more secure footing as we enter the second century of our existence.

As the Johannesburg congregation we must not lose sight of the fact that now the Hillcrest congregation is our affiliate.

​I cannot end this report without expressing gratitude for the hospitality received in the Windhoek community and the manner in which the Windhoek community supported the meeting of the Regional Council. We were treated to wonderful meals, and we were very graciously hosted by members of the congregation. It was also wonderful to experience and participate in the celebration of the Act of Consecration of Man in the magnificent church in Windhoek.