11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC)
The “Monday Peace Prayer for Peaceful Reconciliation and Reunification of North and South Korea” was held by the PROK (Moderator Rev. Kim Eun Kyung) to mark the 11th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC). On September 5, praise music played by the Seoul Hyangrin Church’s traditional orchestra, “Yehyang,” rang out at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Karlsruhe, Germany. The harmony created by the traditional Korean musical instruments spread to every corner of the cathedral, surrounding all those in attendance and leaving a long, lingering impression. Christians from all over the world gathered to participate in the worship in a solemn atmosphere.
The PROK General Assembly has been helping to organize Monday Prayers since 2014, based on the small prayer meeting that began in 1982 in Leipzig, East Germany, to raise hopes for reunification. The Monday Prayer that took place during the 11th WCC General Assembly was the 269th gathering for peace and reunification of North and South Korea. Holding the prayer meeting in Germany, a country that experienced both division and reunification, held great significance for those in attendance.
Rev. Na Haek Jip of Yulrim Church delivered a sermon titled, “Let Us Be One.” In his sermon, Rev. Na spoke of the “sorry and shame in the reality of North and South Korea that are still in an armistice,” adding, “the PROK prays and holds the dream of going beyond the armistice agreement and the end of the war to achieve peaceful reunification… We must work to accept and love others as one body… Please pray for the church, the divided brothers and sisters of North and South Korea, and the ability to achieve peaceful reunification.”
PROK Moderator Rev. Kim Eun Kyung led communion for the worship. The bread was broken into four pieces to represent “the brothers and sisters in North Korea,” “the people of Ukraine and Myanmar,” “the groaning ecosystem,” and “the Holy Spirit of Christ.” To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the bread and wine were not passed out to the congregation.
Dr. Agnes Abuom, the moderator of the WCC Central Committee, was also in attendance for the prayer meeting. “I could feel the pain of the Korean Peninsula at the 2013 WCC General Assembly in Busan, South Korea,” Dr. Abuom shared. “The WCC will actively support the Korean Peninsula in the journey for peace and reconciliation.” Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, vice-moderator of the WCC Central Committee, and Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, the previous general secretary of the WCC, were also in attendance.
Rev. Lee Hong Jung, NCCK General Secretary, also provided greetings. He shared the importance of the peace process to overcome the divided system on the Korean Peninsula and that we must “continue the ecumenical prayer movement for healing and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula, and bring awareness to practicing positive peace education.”
The Monday Prayer Meeting closed with participants gathering their hearts and joining hands to sing “Our Hope is Reunification” in prayer and hope for reunification of the two Koreas.
