MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE DENOMINATION

THE CLERK OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UPCSA MCG AND THE EXECUTIVE THEREOF

EXECUTIVE MEMBERS FROM OTHER ASSOCIATIONS OF THE UPCSA

MEMBERS OF THE MCG

GUESTS PRESENT (IF ANY)

  1. I GREET YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD AMEN. I BRING GREETINGS FROM THE UNITING PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP.
  1. THE PURPOSE AND FUNCTION OF THE BIGGER CHURCH (TO WHICH WE BLONG)IS TO BEAR WITNESS TO THE SAVING GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST TO ALL WHO DO NOT YET BELIEVE IN HIM, TO BUILD UP IN FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE THOSE WHO ALREADY BELIEVE, AND TO PROCLAIM HIS SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE WORLD.
  1. SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ASSOCIATIONS; BEFORE AND AFTER UNION; MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATIONS HAVE ALWAYS VIEWED THEMSELVES AS THE EXTENSION OF THE BIGGER CHURCH; AND THEREFORE WHAT I HAVE OUTLINED AS THE PURPOSE AND FUNCTION OF THE CHURCH BECAME THE PURPOSE AND FUNCTION OF ASSOCIATIONS. I.E. BEARING WITNESS, BUILDING UP ONE’S FAITH AND PROCLAIMING GOD’S SOVERIGNTY.
  1. IN THIS WAY ASSOCIATIONS BECAME EXTENSIONS OF THE BIGGER CHURCH; ENABLING THE BIGGER CHURCH TO ACHIEVE ITS GOALS. IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE BLACK PRESBYTERIANS FIND THEIR SPIRITUAL HOME WITHIN ONE OR TWO OF THE ASSOCIATIONS OF THE DENOMINATION.
  1. IT IS NOT BY MISTAKE ALSO THAT OUR MANNER OF PRAISE, WORSHIP AND WITNESSING AS MEMBERS OF THESE ASSOCIATIONS TAKES THE FORM IT USUALY TAKES, ACCOMPANIED BY THE INSTRUMENTS THAT WE NORMALY USE; WHICH ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE PIANOS, ORGANS AND THE VIOLINS. AARON LEWIS STATES THAT AS WE UNLOCK THE KEYS TO OUR DESTINY; WHICH IS TO BEAR WITNESS TO THE SAVING GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST;
  1. WE SHOULD NOT ALWAYS DEPEND ON ASKING OTHERS TO DO WHAT WE ARE CAPABLE OF DOING OURSELVES. AARON LEWIS SAYS WE SHOULD LEARN HOW TO USE WHAT IS OUR GOD-GIVEN GIFT EFFECTIVELY (BE IT OUR STYLE OF PRAISE, WORSHIP OR PRAYING).
  1. PART OF THE VISION OF THE DENOMINATION DOES NOT EXCLUDE THE TRUTH THAT OUR DIFFERENT CULTURES WITHIN THE UPCSA ARE TO BE USED AS A UNIFYING FACTOR TOWARDS THE REALISATION OF THE SAME VISION AND THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH.
  1. THE UPCSA VISION IS THAT OF A CHURCH THAT IS ONE IN CELEBRATIONG ITS LIVING HERITAGE AS A REFORMED CHURCH IN SOUTHERN AFRICA; AND A CHURCH THAT IS ONE IN CELEBRATING ITS CULTURAL DIVERSITY. OUR MANNER OF PRAISE, WORSHIP AND WITNESSING AS MEMBERS OF THESE ASSOCIATIONS IS THEREFORE PART OF OUR HERITAGE AND THE EVIDENCE OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY WITHIN THE UPCSA; THAT MUST BE RESPECTED.
  1. IT IS REGRETABLE THAT OUR EARLY YEARS IN THE UPCSA AS ASSOCIATIONS WERE SPENT IN EXTINGUISHING FIRES AROUND UNIFORMS AND CONSTUTUTIONS ETC; SUCH THAT THE REASON FOR OUR EXISTENCE SUFFERED; AS DURING THOSE YEARS OF CHALLENGES; LITTLE WAS DONE IN TERMS OF OUR OBJECTIVES AS ASSOCIATIONS. IT WAS TENTIONS! TENSIONS! TENSIONS! AND WE HAD VERY FEW OR NO PROGRAMMES AT ALL.
  1. THIS HAS RESULTED IN SOME MEMBERS OF THE UPCSA WHO HAVE VERY LIMITED UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE ASSOCIATIONS; TO ADVANCE AN ARGUMENT IN SOME CIRCLES OF THE DENOMINATION THAT THE ASSOCIATIONS SHOULD BE DISCONTINUED IN THE UPCSA AS THESE (ASSOCIATIONS) ADD NO VALUE TO THE UPCSA.
  1. SADLY! THERE ARE ALSO BLACK MEN AND WOMEN; WHO FOR THEIR OWN SECRET AGENDAS SING THE SAME TUNE WITH THOSE WHO LACK CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF ASSOCIATIONS. AND THE ATTACK ON THE ASSOCIATIONS KEEPS ON MOUNTING.
  1. IF THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING DECISIONS WITHIN THE UPCSA DO NOT UNDERSTAND BY NOW THAT THE THOUGHTS OF DISCONTINUING ASSOCIATIONS WITHIN THE UPCSA WOULD BE DOING DISFAVOUR AND BEING INSENSITIVE TO THE BLACK SECTION OF THE UPCSA; THAT WOULD BE A GREAT PITY.
  1. AS ASSOCIATIONS OF THE UPCSA; LET US UNITE AND CHANGE GEARS NOW; WE HAVE NO CONFUSION ABOUT OUR EXISTENCE AND ABOUT OUR ALLEGIENCE TO THE VISION AND MISSION OF THE DENOMINATION, AND TO THE DECISIONS OF THE HIGHEST COURT OF THIS CHURCH (I.E. GENERAL ASSEMBLY); FOR THE SAKE OF THOSE WHO HAVE ISSUES; WE HAVE BEEN PATIENT ENOUGH TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE WORK OF THE LORD WHO HAS COMMISSIONED US.
  1. IT IS TIME NOW TO MOVE TO THE NEXT LEVEL AS ASSOCIATIONS. WE ARE USED IN SUPPORTING THE PROJECTS OF THE CHURCH (E.G. THEOLOGICAL TRAINING, MINISTERS PENSIONS,OFFICE EQUIPMENT ETC) THROUGH OUR ANNUAL DONATIONS AS ASSOCIATIONS. AND THOSE WHO USHERD US INTO UNION; IN THE WORDS OF EXODUS 12:25 THEY SAID TO US:
  1. “WHEN YOU ENTER THE LAND THAT THE LORD WILL GIVE YOU AS HE PROMISED (POSSIBLY THE UPCSA), OBSERVE THIS CEREMONY.” NOTHI NAKUFIKA EZWENI AYA KUNINIKA LONA U-YEHOVA (NOKUBA LILIZWE ELIYINKONZO I-UPCSA) NIZEZI MANYANO; NJENGOKO WATSHOYO U-YEHOVA; NIYIGCINE LE NKONZO.” NOW THIS IS THE TIME AS ASSOCIATIONS TO START DOING THOSE THINGS THAT WE EXCELL IN.
  1. WE KNOW WHAT OUR WORTH IS IN THE UPCSA. IYANLA VANZANT IN HER BOOK TITLED “UNTILL TODAY” WARNS US THAT WE SHOULD NOT CONFUSE THE PRESENT EXISTING CONDITIONS WITHIN THE UPCSA AROUND ASSOCIATIONS WITH THE TRUTH ABOUT WHO WE ARE.
  1. SHE GOES ON TO SAY WE ARE NOT WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND US; BUT WE ARE HOW WE GO THROUGH ALL THE THINGS GOING ON AROUND US. WE ARE NOT WHAT HAPPENS TO US BUT WE ARE HOW WE HANDLE WHAT HAPPENS AROUND US. FINALY SHE SAYS WE ARE NOT BOUND TO OR STOPPED BY ANY CONDITION OR CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MAY CONFRONT YOU.
  1. LET US UNITE AS WE PREPARE FOR THE MANUAL IMBIZO; AND START WORKING TOGETHER NOW; TO ENSURE THAT DURING OUR LIFE TIME IN THE EXECUTIVE OF THE ASSOCIATIONS; AN ATTEMPT IS MADE TO INCLUDE A CHPATER THAT PURELY SPEAKS ON ASSSOCIATIONS IN THE MANUAL OF FAITH AND ORDER. NOBODY ELSE WILL PREPARE THAT CHAPTER FOR US EXCEPT OURSELVES. THERE WILL BE NOTHING FOR US WITHOUT US.
  1. ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CADRES OF THE UNITING PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST FOR THE CONFERENCE.
  1. I THANK YOU.