Cottesloe Consultation was a conference held from December 7 – 14 , 1960 in Cottesloe , a suburb of Johannesburg , South Africa . The immediate impetus for the consultation was the international public outcry against the Sharpeville massacre that had taken place the previous March . Prior to the consultation 's convening , Hendrik Verwoerd , who was Prime Minister of South Africa at the time , called the consultation " an attempt by foreigners to meddle in the country 's internal affairs " . The consultation was sponsored by the World Council of Churches ( WCC ) and all of the WWC member bodies in South Africa sent ten delegates to participate in the discussion . One of the delegates was German theologian Wilhelm Niesel , author of '' Die Theologie Calvins '' . The consultation was organized by WCC 's Robert S. Bilheimer
Sharpeville massacre
Sharpeville massacre
Cottesloe Consultation