Day One of Global Ministries Gathering Explores Nationalism, Identity, and Belonging

The first day of Global Ministries’ cross-regional gathering in South Africa invited participants to explore the complex relationships between nationalism, identity, and belonging in a world increasingly shaped by division and exclusion. Hosted by the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA), the gathering brought together global partners to reflect on how the church can respond to injustice, challenge systems of oppression, and build communities rooted in inclusion and solidarity.

Global Ministries Co-Executive Rev. Shari Prestemon opened the gathering by thanking UCCSA for hosting and acknowledging those who helped bring the event together. Co-Executive Rev. Dr. LaMarco A. Cable connected the gathering to Global Ministries’ 30th anniversary in 2026, celebrated just days after UCCSA’s 59th anniversary. He challenged participants to consider the exclusionary signs of nationalism and reminded them that “belonging is something we not only see for ourselves but something we extend to others.” He called for a renewed commitment to justice.

Opening worship set the tone for the day. Rev. Heidi Peterson, Chairperson of the South Africa Synod of the UCCSA, reminded participants that although Good Friday continues to be a reality in the world, Christians are an Easter people who proclaim that Jesus is alive. The Rev. Conrad Williams, former UCCSA president, preached on Jesus’ promise that where two or three gather in his name, he is present among them. He challenged the church to recognize its responsibility to the world and its people: “As prophets of God, we need to take responsibility for the world and the people in it.”

Participants also engaged in community-building conversations around Global Ministries’ core values, reflecting on how those values shape relationships and shared commitments across cultures and contexts. Discussions encouraged participants to consider how justice must extend beyond the issues that affect us personally.

Examining belonging in the South African context

Rev. Dr. Xolani Maseko and Rev. Peterson introduced participants to UCCSA, a multiracial, multiethnic church serving communities in five countries: South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Namibia. Their presentation explored the challenges of maintaining a shared church identity across national borders while confronting the ways nationalism can divide people.

South Africa’s social and economic realities brought these questions into sharp focus. Presenters highlighted the country’s profound economic inequality, unequal access to employment and opportunity, and the ongoing crisis of gender-based violence. They cited the murders of 957 women in a three-month period in 2024 and the killing of 14 women in the Johannesburg area in the two weeks preceding the gathering, which had sparked protests.

These realities prompted difficult questions about who truly experiences a sense of belonging. Can all citizens claim equal opportunity and protection, or do some feel like outsiders in their own country? Presenters challenged participants to consider how national identity can become a source of exclusion rather than a foundation for shared community.

The conversation also examined the lasting effects of colonialism, imperialism, and the slave trade, as well as the exploitation and vulnerability experienced by undocumented migrants. Participants were encouraged to recognize the humanity of each person before asking for documentation and to ensure that efforts toward social change prioritize the most marginalized.

South Africa’s own history of liberation provided an important lens for understanding global solidarity. Presenters connected the country’s struggle against apartheid with its advocacy for Palestinians, noting South Africa’s proceedings at the International Court of Justice concerning Israel’s obligations under the Genocide Convention. The discussion emphasized how international solidarity played a role in South Africa’s liberation and remains essential in struggles for justice around the world.

Despite these challenges, speakers pointed to hope in the people and institutions that continue to stand for justice and preach a gospel of inclusion. They also recalled the biblical story of Jesus’ family seeking refuge in Africa, inviting participants to consider how migration, hospitality, and belonging are woven into the Christian story.

Global partners share perspectives on nationalism

The day’s first plenary session featured partners from South Africa, Argentina, Palestine, Indonesia, and the United States, each bringing perspectives on how nationalism shapes identity, citizenship, faith, and resistance.

The Rev. Dr. Purity Malinga, a Methodist bishop in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, recalled an experience under apartheid when a white woman crossed out “South African” on her passport application and replaced it with “Bantu.” Her story illustrated how apartheid denied Black South Africans equal recognition and belonging. She also reflected on the church’s role in resisting apartheid, which ended with South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994 and the election of Nelson Mandela as president.

Ms. Gabriela Liguori, executive director of Argentina’s Commission for Refugees and Migrants (CAREF), examined how far-right nationalism and religious fundamentalism fuel exclusion, racism, and xenophobia. She described how migrants are often scapegoated when governments fail to address economic and social crises, while policies increasingly favor wealthy foreign investors over working-class migrants seeking safety and opportunity. Drawing on Argentina’s recent restrictions on migration and refugee protections, Liguori warned that citizenship is becoming a financial privilege rather than a right. She emphasized that migration is a human right and called on churches, civil society organizations, and communities to challenge misinformation, defend human dignity, and resist policies that undermine democracy and social justice.

The Rev. Prof. Mitri Raheb of Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem, Palestine, offered a framework for distinguishing between nationalism that liberates and nationalism that oppresses. He encouraged participants to consider three questions: Where does the power lie? Who is included in the sense of belonging? And how do people understand their relationship to the land?

Drawing connections between South Africa’s apartheid history and the Palestinian Nakba of 1948, Raheb emphasized that identity often becomes most visible when it is under pressure. He cautioned, “When identity becomes a weapon, it kills.” Resistance, he argued, must remain inclusive and must never reproduce the oppression it seeks to overcome. He also challenged Christian Zionism and other forms of religious nationalism that use faith to justify domination, calling for greater attention to Palestinian stories and theological perspectives.

Dr. Suryaningsi Mila of the Theological Seminary of the Christian Church of Sumba in Eastern Indonesia presented on the complex relationship between religious identity, nationalism, and belonging in Indonesia, a country marked by remarkable ethnic and religious diversity. While Indonesia’s national values emphasize unity in diversity, religious minorities, including Christians, continue to face discrimination, intolerance, and violence in some regions. Drawing on examples from eastern Indonesia, Dr. Mila highlighted how local traditions, interreligious engagement, and shared community life can foster tolerance and mutual understanding. She emphasized that Christians can maintain their distinctive faith while learning from other religious traditions through dialogue and encounters, offering a powerful counter-narrative to religious radicalism and promoting pluralism, peaceful coexistence, and a more inclusive society.

The Rev. Michael R. Fisher Jr., Ph.D., of the United States examined white Christian nationalism and its influence on American public life. He discussed how Christian nationalist ideas shape understandings of national identity, government, race, and public policy, including efforts to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and programs addressing racial inequality. He also distinguished Black nationalism, which emerged as a response to white supremacy and oppressive structures, from white nationalism and its exclusionary agenda.

Reclaiming stories and theological traditions

A panel discussion invited participants to reflect more deeply on how churches can respond to nationalism while remaining grounded in the gospel’s call to justice and inclusion.

Speakers distinguished between nationalism from below, which can serve as a movement for liberation, and nationalism from above, which can be used to maintain power and oppress others. The goal of liberation, they emphasized, is equal rights—not greater rights for one group at the expense of another.

The conversation also explored how colonialism has shaped biblical interpretation and Christian theology. Rev. Dr. Malinga challenged the assumption that colonizers alone can claim the Bible, affirming that oppressed communities must also be able to interpret Scripture through their own experiences and struggles. Dr. Mila encouraged the decolonization of biblical interpretation, particularly by listening to questions raised by religious minorities about the ways biblical narratives are understood and applied.

Rev. Prof. Raheb urged participants to return to their own theological traditions and the wisdom of their communities rather than relying exclusively on Western theological perspectives. He encouraged them to listen to the stories of elders and recover narratives that have too often been overlooked or silenced. For Palestinian Christians, reclaiming their stories also means affirming that Christianity began in Palestine and continues to be part of its living community.

Partners shared examples of how churches and organizations are putting these commitments into practice. The Communion of Churches in Indonesia works to encourage interfaith cooperation, influence public policy, and address interreligious violence. CAREF emphasizes working alongside migrants rather than simply providing assistance. Raheb described projects documenting the global reach of Christian Zionism and elevating Palestinian experiences through the work of women artists in Gaza and children whose artwork tells their stories.

These examples reinforced a common message throughout the day: meaningful solidarity requires listening to people whose experiences are often ignored, working alongside communities rather than speaking for them, and addressing the systems that perpetuate injustice.

The day’s conversations offered a powerful starting point for the gathering, challenging participants to consider how national, cultural, and religious identities can either divide communities or help build solidarity. As Global Ministries marks 30 years of connecting churches and communities across borders, the gathering reaffirmed a central commitment: belonging is not simply about claiming a place for ourselves, but about extending dignity, justice, and welcome to others, especially those pushed to the margins.