The WRF seeks to mobilize the global church in support of the work of organizations and agencies seeking to eliminate gender-based violence and sexual abuse in Christian environments. This effort was highlighted at an international conference held in Potchefstroom, South Africa in 2013. Here is more on that conference, as well as the videos of the talks:
With Hearts, Hands, and Voices in God’s Global Mission
A Conference Sponsored by
Northwest University (Potchefstroom, South Africa)
and
The World Reformed Fellowship
October 16 – 19, 2013
Dr. Phil Monroe, Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse Allegations in Christian Contexts
Dr. Monroe explores how churches can better prevent child abuse and respond well in the face of abuse allegations. By understanding common practices of predators, church leaders can develop policies to lower risk. When allegations do arise in the church, leaders can avoid compounding injuries with pastoral responses that care for the congregation and all parties involved. Dr. Monroe explores some of the common mistakes made by church leaders including the failure to recognize false repentance. He concludes by describing a spiritual car Pumpernick’se team approach for ministry to victims, offenders, and their families.
Dr. Monroe is professor of counseling and psychology at Biblical Seminary in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, and directs both the Master of Arts in Counseling and the Global Trauma Recovery Institute. He blogs regularly at www.wisecounsel.wordpress.com.
Dr. Phil Monroe, The Mission of Trauma Recovery in the Church: Making the Church a Safe Place for Trauma Recovery
Dr. Monroe argues that true Gospel ministry requires the care of the most vulnerable—victims of child sexual abuse. Church leaders can improve their care for victims of sexual abuse by first understanding the spiritual, physical, and relational impact of abuse. Dr. Monroe concludes with three specific ways to encourage growth and to make the church a safe place for victims.
Dr. Mauro Meister, Missio Dei and Theological Education
Dr. Meister explains the urgent need to have an encompassing view of Christian Education in order to understand that theological education is part of Missio Dei. 2 Timothy 3:14-17 is analyzed as a theology of education, it's source, it's purpose and it's finality, showing that Scripture was given to educate men of God for good works. An example from the structure of the book of Romans is given to demonstrate that good theology leads to doxology and doxology leads to relational service. In the end three statements from the Capetown Commitment on theological education are briefly evaluated.
Mauro Meister is a minister in the Presbyterian Church of Brazil, São Paulo, planting a church, and is the president of Andrew Jumper Graduate Center (cpaj.mackenzie.br). He also volunteers as president of the Association of Christian Schools International in Brazil.
Dr. Derrick Mashau, Urban Harvest in Africa: Challenges of Exploding Cities in Africa
Dr. Mashau deals with the issue of urban explosion in Africa which is taking place at a rapid rate, with the projection that 55 per cent of the African population will be living in cities by 2030. Migration, economic globalization, and other socio-economic factors count among others as ‘push and pull’ factors towards urbanization in Africa. It is clear in his presentation that urban faces in Africa are diverse and complex, i.e. the inner city, sub-urban, townships and the slums with the gap between the rich and the poor is widening by day. In his conclusion, Dr. Mashau unmasks the fact that urban explosion in Africa is not only a present reality, but a phenomenon that constitutes a major mission frontier for the Christian church. He calls members of the Christian church globally to open their eyes and see what God is doing in African cities and follow his footsteps as they seek the shalom of these cities.
Dr. Derrick Mashau is a professor of Missiology at the University of South Africa, and serves as a church planter of a multi-ethnic Reformed church, New Life City Church in the Capital City of South Africa, Pretoria. Dr. Mashau also serves as a Secretary of the World Reformed Fellowship African Region.
Dr. Diane Langberg, Radiating God’s Compassion in the Midst of Sexual Trafficking and Trauma
God has called his people to come watch with him and enter into the suffering of others. He has made it clear that turning a blind eye or silence in the face of the anguish of others means to be complicit with the perpetrators of that suffering. In this presentation Dr. Langberg helps us to see some of the great sorrow of this world due to atrocities such as rape, child sexual abuse and trafficking. Stating that trauma is one of the primary mission fields of the 21st century, she calls us to look and see, reflecting the God who sees and then like him move into God’s groaning creation to serve as his body assuaging grief and healing wounds by the presence of his life in us.
Diane Langberg, Ph.D. is a psychologist in Jenkintown, PA with decades of clinical experience with rape, violence, abuse and war. She also travels and trains others to help equip the church to minister effectively in these areas. She is a member of the Board of Directors of The World Reformed Fellowship and the American Association of Christian Counselors. She can be found at www.dianelangberg.com
Mr. Jim Gamble, ThinkUKnow
Mr. Gamble describes the worldwide scope of the problem of sexual abuse and human trafficking and, based on expertise and intelligence gathered in the successful prosecution of many criminals, he provides in-depth insight into the strategies used by these criminals to target children in the church community and at risk young people in many of the organizations the church supports.
Mr Jim Gamble currently serves as CEO of Ineqe, a specialist security group. After a long and distinguished career in the Police Force of Northern Ireland, he was appointed by the Home Secretary of The British Government to be the first Chief Executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Center (CEOP) in the United Kingdom. During his time at CEOP, Mr. Gamble developed an organization that brought together, teams of police, industry, government, and experts from specialist charities to build what is now recognized as a world leading child protection center. He is a frequent and much- sought- after television commentator on child abuse and sex trafficking issues and he is a regular columnist in the national press in the UK. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II awarded Mr. Gamble the Queen’s Police Medal for his work in these areas.
Dr. Ron Scates, The Mission of God’s People in Light of God’s Mission
Dr. Scates focuses on the larger umbrella of missions, particularly as to how, in the Incarnation, God sets the paradigm as to how the Church is to be intentionally moving toward pain if it is to truly follow where Jesus is leading. God's mission always involves entering into the pain of others in this broken world…….therefore the people of God must develop an authentic, Biblical "theology of suffering" if they are to truly to carry out God's mission in God's way.
For the past 13 years, Dr. Scates has served as the Senior Pastor of the Highland Park Presbyterian Church of Dallas, Texas. He is a graduate of Trinity University, San Antonio, TX ( BA in pre-veterinary medicine, MS in cell biology) and Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA ( D.Min. ). He and his wife, Anne, are the parents of five children…..and two black labs. Dr. Scates is currently on sabbatical at Redeemer Seminary in Dallas while seeking a call to another congregation. He is a member of the WRF board and serves as a liaison between the WRF and the Lausanne Movement and the new Evangelical Covenant Order Of Presbyterians ( ECO ).