The Structure & Governance of the
World Reformed Fellowship
The leadership of the World Reformed Fellowship is comprised solely of men and women who are individual members as well as fully committed to the Mission and Vision of WRF. They associate freely and understand their service to the World Reformed Fellowship as an integral part of their commitment to the global visible church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
The General Assembly of the World Reformed is comprised of all member denominations, organizations, congregations and individuals. Meetings of the General Assembly are called by the Board of Directors, ordinarily at least once every four years. Besides being a conference that deals with issues relevant to the mission and vision of the fellowship, the General Assembly of the World Reformed Fellowship holds business meetings for the election of the Board of Directors and for a few other items that are the exclusive purview of the full assembly, namely, the reception of final annual financial reports and also board proposed changes to the by-laws pertaining to the Doctrinal Basis of the WRF (Article 4), the Purpose Statement of the WRF (Article 3), changes in the nature of membership (Article 5) and the composition of the Board (Article 6.A.1). General Assemblies of the World Reformed Fellowship have been held in Orlando. USA (2000), Johannesburg, South Africa (2006), Edinburgh, Scotland (2010), Sao Paulo, Brazil (2015) and Jakarta, Indonesia (2019).
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
The Board of Directors of the World Reformed Fellowship is comprised of up to thirty-five men and women, elected by the General Assembly, upon the nomination of the retiring Board of Directors. The Board of Directors supervises all aspects of the ongoing ministry of the World Reformed Fellowship as well as the work of the International Director, the Regional Boards and the Commissions. Following the General Assembly, the new Board of Directors elects its officers, namely, a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, a Secretary and a Treasurer, as well as its Executive Committee.
THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:
The Executive Committee, comprised of the officers of the Board, the International Director and up to five more members chosen by the Board from its ranks, carries out the responsibilities of the Board between meetings. It meets six times per year, works closely with the International Director of the Board in an advisory and supervisory role and may take any actions that the Board of Directors may take except revising the bylaws of the WRF and hiring or dismissing the International Director or the Associate International Director.
THE INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR:
The International Director carries out the decisions of the Board and provides ongoing service and leadership to the ministry of the World Reformed Fellowship. As the Chief Executive Officer, the International Director is the voice of the WRF, being an ex officio member of the Board of Directors and of all regional boards as well as a member of the Executive Committee. Upon the recommendation of the International Director, the Board may appoint an Associate International Director to aid the International Director in providing service and leadership to the World Reformed Fellowship.
The Permanent Commissions of the World Reformed Fellowship
Much of the work of the World Reformed Fellowship is carried out by its three Permanent Commissions and the six Regional Boards. The permanent commissions are chaired by board members elected by the Board, but the commission itself may add to its composition, with the consent of the Board, any member of the WRF who is willing and able to serve. Each commission develops and implements projects and partnerships that address specific needs of the global visible church in such ways as to foster interconnectedness, impact at the local and global levels and ultimately reflect the glory of God that is manifested through His Global Visible Church.
THE COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY:
The Commission on Theology is chaired by Dr. Andrew McGowan, Director of the Rutherford Centre for Reformed Theology, in Dingwall, Scotland. The commission has produced the World Reformed Fellowship Statement of Faith (2011), a consistently Reformed and thoroughly evangelical Statement of Faith for the 21st century. The second major project of the Commission on Theology was completed and receive at the World Reformed Fellowship General Assembly in Jakarta (2019), as the World Reformed Fellowship Statement of Reformed Theological Identity. Currently the Commission on Theology is working on a new study in the area of Reformed Ecclesiology. The Commission on Theology also fulfills a permanent role in advising the Board of Directors of the WRF, as well as its Executive Committee, on matters of theology.
Dr. Andrew McGowan
COMMISSION ON THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION:
The Commission on Theological Education is chaired by Dr. Henk Stoker, who is Apologetics and Ethics professor at the Faculty of Theology of North-West University as well as at the Theological Seminary of the Reformed Churches in South Africa in Potchefstroom. The responsibility of this Commission is to identify theological education resources among WRF members and to develop channels of communication and cooperation among WRF members so that those resources can be shared and the cause of evangelical Reformed theological education advanced around the world. The Commission seeks to connect Theological Educational Institutions, share resources and experiences among them so as to maximize global impact and discuss issues of general concern in the area of theological education. The commission has co-sponsored consultations on theological education and resources to which those involved in ministry to Muslims should have access (2011, 2013), a Consultation on Global Theological Education, with the Lausanne Movement and many other organisations (São Paulo, Brazil, 2014), and is in partnership with the International Council for Evangelical Theological Education (ICETE).
Dr. Henk Stoker
THE COMMISSION ON MISSIONS AND EVANGELISM:
The Commission on Missions and Evangelism is co-chaired by Dr. Steve Curtis and Dr. Hiralal Solanki. Dr. Curtis is International Director at Timothy Two Project International, in the Philippines and Dr. Solanki is the Academic Dean at the Global Leadership Institute / Caleb Institute, in New Delhi, India. The commission works to: (1) stimulate and encourage the members of the WRF in and for the task of Mission; (2) promote the fully Biblical study, discussion and practice of Mission; and (3) provide a useful network for members involved in Missions. The membership of the Commission aims to be representative of the WRF’s whole range of membership and expertise. Each of WRF’s Regional Groups is represented, along with various specialist aspects of Mission, such as urban missions, church-planting, justice and mercy ministries, and Muslim evangelism. Because Missions and Evangelism cover a vast range of issues, our agenda reflects the varying concerns of churches and evangelists in different parts of the world and demands input from the worldwide Reformed family. Some of the big issues that the Commission currently seeks to address are: (1) The nature of the church and church-planting in a globalised world; (2) how Missions and Evangelism shape all theology; (2) mission in word and deed, in conflict situations, etc.; (3) missions & prayer; (4) the changing patterns of society and the shape of mission; (5) missions & other religions, issues of persecution, contextualisation and uniqueness; and (6) missions & methodology, approaches to evangelism, selection and training, etc.
Dr. Hiralal Solanki
Dr. Steve Curtis
The Regional Boards
The Regional Boards are chaired by members of the Global Board of Directors of the World Reformed Fellowship and composed by men and women who have been nominated by the chairperson of the Regional Board, are either individual members of the WRF or members of denominations, congregations, or organizations which are members of the WRF, and whose nomination has been ratified by the Global Board. The Chairman of the Global Board of Directors and the International Director are ex officio members of all Regional Boards. These Regional Boards are responsible for planning and implementing ministry and fellowship opportunities for mmbers within their own regions, promoting the World Reformed Fellowship and membership therein in their regions, urging financial and prayer support for the WRF and communicating regional needs and ministry opportunities to the Global Board as well as global needs and ministry opportunities to their regions.
- The Africa Regional Board is chaired by Dr. Risimati Hobyane (South Africa)
- The Asian Regional Board is chaired by Dr. Benyamin Intan (Jakarta, Indonesia)
- The Australian & Oceania Board is chaired by Dr. John McClean (Australia)
- The European Regional Board is chaired by Dr. Pierre Berthoud (France)
- The Latin American Regional Board is chaired by Pbro. Adolfo Arias Job (Mexico)
- The North American Regional Board is chaired by Dr. Ron Scates