November 18, 2003
By Joseph K'Amolo

Yaounde, Cameroon - An Alliance of Reformed Churches has been launched in Africa, the Rev. Dr. Setri Nyomi, General Secretary of the World Reformed Churches announced at the All Africa Conference of Churches' women and youth pre-assembly opening ceremony Wednesday night (Nov. 19) in Yaounde.

He said the launching of the Alliance of Reformed Churches in Africa (ARCA) was chosen to coincide with the women and youth pre-assembly in recognition that women are the givers of life as they give birth to babies, while the youth are the hope of Africa.

He said his organization was not in competition with the AACC as an ecumenical movement for the church in Africa, but rather was to see how they can work together to strengthen AACC in a manner that will reflect theological ways to tackle challenges like injustice, conflicts, exclusions, poverty eradication, diseases and many others.

He affirmed that there was none other than AACC that was prepared to lead the church in Africa and that together, they are all looking at those challenges in Africa. He said there was commitment on the members of the ARCA in the "mission that God has called us to together."

Rev. Nyomi said it was time the continent shouldered its own responsibility and not look to the West. In the past, he said, people talked of "we want to be, we want to be, but now we say, we are."

The idea of having ARCA was the vision of the Rev. Dr. John Gatu from Kenya. The president of the newly born body is the Rev. Dr. Masi Gams from Cameroon. He is supported by four representatives from southern, western, eastern and central Africa regions.

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