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Rev. Dr Setri Nyomi,
General Secretary,
World Communion of Reformed Churches
PO Box 2100
150 Rue de Ferney
1211 Geneva 2
SWITZERLAND
1 December, 1010
Dear Setri,
It is good to be in contact again. I hope all is well with you.
We want to further the conversations we began with you at the Conference on Peace and Reconciliation at the Youngnak Church in Seoul last month. Unfortunately our reason for writing arises out of the extremely regrettable events that have occurred in the Yellow Sea around Yeonpyeong Island recently. At the time of writing the situation on the Korean Peninsula, seems to be very tense and fragile, although stable.
Perhaps it is timely to move beyond condemnation of the shellings and look closely at the background reasons as to why this situation has occurred. We would like to suggest that the World Communion of Reformed Churches commission a comprehensive report into the background that has caused this tension.
We would anticipate that this report would include factors that are immediately evident as relevant, such as the dispute over the Northern Limit Line, which was unilaterally imposed in 1953 by the United Nations, and the naval exercises that the US and South Korean navies have held recently. No doubt this will draw in wider issues, such the effectiveness or otherwise of sanctions. This report might examine the implications of the fact that no peace treaty has been signed since the Korean War, which ended only with a ceasefire.
There are apparently no mechanisms by which such disputes as we have seen in resent days can be resolved.
We suggest that a small team be established, the members of which would come from a variety of member churches of WCRC. It would be important to have the Presbyterian Church of Korea and the Presbyterian Church of the Republic of Korea involved, along with substantial dialogue with the Korean Christian Federation of the DPRK. As a church that has links already with the Christian churches in North Korea and relationship with the PCK and the PROK, the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand would be very happy to support this project, for instance by offering to support one of our ministers, the Rev Richard Lawrence to be included in such a team. Richard has experience and expertise in the Korean Peninsula and a well-developed theology of peace and reconciliation.
We wonder if the report could eventually be submitted or even presented to the UN. In New Zealand we would certainly appreciate the opportunity to present such a document to our New Zealand Government. It could have a significant impact due to having such a strong international participation, including churches in both North and South Korea. Perhaps it could also be presented in a range of other international fora.
It is our hope that through the WCRC we can make an important contribution to peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula.
I write on behalf of the Moderator of our Church, the Rt Rev Peter Cheyne.
Greetings for the season of Advent – as we celebrate the coming of the Prince of Peace.
Yours sincerely
Pamela Tankersley
Global Mission Coordinator
Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.
