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1. 92nd General Assembly
The 92nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK) was held _?xml_:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />September 11-14, 2007 in the historic city of Kyeongju under the theme “Jesus Christ, Sustainer of Life and Creation”. About 700 delegates and 200 guests including 11 representatives of overseas partner churches and organizations gathered to review the life and mission of the PROK and articulate its future mission priorities.
In the opening worship, featuring Korean traditional music, outgoing Moderator Rev. Yang Tae-Yoon delivered the sermon highlighting the pioneering role of the PROK in seeking reconciliation and healing for the church and society. On the first evening the delegates elected the new leaders of the church: Rev. Im Myung-Kyu as Moderator, and Rev. Seo Jae-Il and Elder Hong Choong-Il as ordained and lay Vice-Moderator respectively.
On the second day, General Secretary Rev. Yoon Kil-Soo urged in his report that the PROK must continue to work for peaceful reunification, a sustainable economy and ecological justice in order to transform the Korean churches, including the PROK, into a faith community of peace and life. In the afternoon the overseas guests brought the greetings of their churches and ecumenical bodies, all of them urging the PROK to continue its prophetic role in the Korean church and society as well as in the global society. In the evening the participants gathered again in plenary for an “Ecumenical Conversation” to gain a deeper theological understanding on the Assembly theme (see item # 2).
On the third day, through the reports of the various working committees the delegates reaffirmed the ongoing PROK mission priorities: articulating a theological vision of peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula; creating life-centered communities within the PROK, such as the Peace Community Movement Center; and empowering local churches to fully engage in the life and mission of the PROK. Of significant note was the passage of the newly-drafted by-laws of the Gender Justice Committee and acceptance of the slate of members; the 91st General Assembly a year ago had taken the milestone step of approving the formation of the Committee.
At the end of the closing worship the delegates unanimously accepted a PROK statement of repentance and apology for worshipping at shinto shrines during the Japanese colonial regime. This is the first official apology among Korean church denominations for acts of collaboration with the Japanese colonial regime. In this year 2007 when Korean Protestant churches are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Korean Great Revival, the PROK, having long reflected on the Korean church’s difficult history under Japanese colonial rule, wished to mark this milestone not only with celebration but also with true repentance.
The Assembly closed with the reading and adoption of the Declaration of the PROK 92nd General Assembly which affirms a new commitment to working for 1) sustainable development that protects life and environment; 2) economic justice that protects the marginalized sectors of society; 3) justice for irregular workers who are being deprived of various human rights; 4) gender justice; 5) peaceful reunification in the Korean peninsula; 6) peaceful cooperation with other cultures and religions, particularly with those of the Islam faith.
2. Ecumenical Evening
On the evening of the second day of the PROK 92nd General Assembly, always reserved for highlighting the theme of the Assembly, the delegates and overseas guests participated in an “Ecumenical Conversation” led by specially invited keynote presenter and responders. Rev. Dr. Setri Nyomi, General Secretary of the World Alliance of Churches (WARC) delivered a powerfully inspiring and challenging message on the theme “Jesus Christ, Sustainer of Life and Creation”. Dr. Prawate Khid-arn, General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) responded from the Asian perspective; Rev. Bernhard Dinkelaker, General Secretary of Evangelisches Missionswerk in Sudwestdeutschland (EMS) from a European perspective; and Rev. Lee Moon-Sook, General Secretary of Korea Church Women United, from a Korean perspective.
Quoting from John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full,” and Deuteronomy 30:19,20 “Now choose life…” Dr. Nyomi stirred us to full alert with his opening observation that not only are many people today choosing death rather than life, but “Even many Christians are often uncritically choosing death.” Pointing to such evidence as the world’s economic systems “which benefit a few and impoverish so many”, privatization of water, inaccessibility of health care to millions, and our uncaring destruction of creation, Dr. Nyomi asked, “Are we satisfied with how things operate in the world today?” “Is life in our communities sustainable?” Drawing on the shared root of both “economics” and “ecumenics”, Dr. Nyomi told the gathered listeners that “oikos”, the household, must be managed “so that all may live in peace”. “How can we stay silent when the way the household is managed leads to death for some people in the household? Are we choosing life or death?” he challenged. “The church which believes that Jesus Christ sustains life and creation should be at the forefront of managing the household of God in a manner that sustains life and justice for all.” Outlining the WARC Accra Confession* as “an example of what together we can confess as a people who believe our Lord Jesus Christ sustains life and creation,” Dr. Nyomi challenged the gathered Assembly: “Can [the PROK], which has courageously lifted its voice for justice, also dare to adopt the Accra Confession, with all its demands on us?” He ended with the imperative that we “make a clear choice of life over death, so that with Jesus in us, we can be God’s instruments in challenging and exposing the forces of death… Whatever we do,” he urged, “let us demonstrate our belief in the Lord who came so that we may have life in fullness.”
The three responders were equally challenging. Dr. Prawate Khid-arn highlighted the connection made by Dr. Nyomi between faith and economics. “It is not enough,” he urged, “to reject the current world economic order… Churches in Asia need to rethink and review their responses to issues of injustice within our own contexts. We are called to pro-actively come up with concrete action on how we deal with and resist the forces that deny the household of God its basic right to fullness of life. We must look at creative ways of how we can be in the forefront of managing the household of God in a manner that sustains life and justice for all.” Referring particularly to Dr. Nyomi’s emphasis on the Accra Confession as “a move in which we covenant in obedience to God’s will as an act of faithfulness in mutual solidarity and in accountable relationships,” Rev. Bernhard Dinkelaker highlighted aspects of the partnership between the EMS and the PROK, and EMS and other churches, that illustrate the image of covenanting in obedience to God’s will, “choosing life as friends with all the risks involved”, journeying together in the “worldwide fellowship of friends choosing life over death.” Building her response particularly on the image of “house”, Rev. Lee Moon-Sook urged that “In order for the world to become a house for the whole creation, the members need to make a new contract on the basis of just relationship, and fulfill the promise… Only when the house puts down its roots into the realities of life and is built on equal and just relationships, is it sustainable.” Ending with several specific proposals, she urged that the PROK “create new relationships on the basis of a just contract, departing from the established patriarchal, hierarchical and dualistic structure; …envision global peace beyond national security; …and form a committee of faith and economy to define the church’s position on today’s economy and develop programs to realize a just economy in the world.”
All four presenters, urging the integration of faith and life, agreed that, in Dr. Nyomi’s words, “If we believe in Jesus, then we have a clear calling to choose life rather than death.”
(*Note: The Accra Confession, adopted by the WARC 24th General Council in Accra, Ghana, in 2004, may be found through the WARC website www.warc.ch The full text of the above presentations may be received from the PROK.)
3. PROK sends humanitarian aid for flood victims in North Korea
The ongoing cooperation for peace and sustainable social development between the Korean Christian Federation (KCF) in North Korea and the Christian churches in South Korea, particularly the PROK, has been bearing positive results for the last few years. This cooperation and solidarity is being tested again in the wake of recent widespread flooding in North Korea where 600 people died and more than 240,000 homes were destroyed, dislocating hundreds of thousands of farmers from their communities and rendering them homeless. The damage to life and property is far more extensive than was that of the great flood of 1995 when 69 people died and 36,000 homes were destroyed. Even then, humanitarian support from all over the world provided relief and rehabilitation to the affected people in North Korea. Now, once again, the PROK and other churches are responding to the call for humanitarian aid to the flood victims in the North.
After confirming the facts about the massive flooding and the extent of resulting damage to lives and agriculture in the North, on August 17, 2007 the PROK Peace and Reunification Committee called through its official website for all local churches to pray for and to extend humanitarian support to the flood victims. The PROK sent a letter to the KCF expressing the church’s sympathy and solidarity with the families of those who perished and those who are homeless, promising that the church is praying for our brothers and sisters in the North and for a speedy process of relief and rehabilitation for the flood victims.
On September 5th the PROK sent a letter to all its local churches asking church members to give financial support as a Christian response to the need for food and other basic necessities, and encouraging them to continue to pray for the rehabilitation of the flood victims.
On September 3rd the PROK Church in Society Committee and the Peace and Reunification Committee held a joint meeting, pledging funds in the amount of 100 million Korean Won (approximately US$110,000) as initial support to the suffering people in the North. The two committees hope to be able to increase the financial support after local churches have remitted their donations to the PROK General Assembly office. This financial support will be sent to the KCF before the end of September, through the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK)..
Overseas partner churches are also extending their financial support to the flood victims in the North through the PROK; these include the Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau in Germany; a congregation of the United Church of Christ in the USA; and The United Church of Canada. Others wishing to donate may obtain detailed account information from the PROK at prok3000@chollian.com.
ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT IN FOCUS
The ecumenical community mourns the recent passing of Rev. Kim Dong-Wan on September 12th, at the age of 65. General Secretary of the National Council of Churches (NCCK) from 1994 to 2002, he was a deeply committed activist for human rights, democracy, and peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula, paying the high cost of imprisonment under the Park Chung-Hee regime. After Jeon Tae-il killed himself in 1970 to protest the unfair treatment of workers, Kim organized campaigns for justice for workers and others in difficult economic circumstances. Respected not only by the church and secular community, he was awarded special recognition also by the Korean government for his contributions to social development.
At the funeral service on September 15, leading figures paying tribute to this honoured leader included Rev. Toshimasa Yamamoto, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in Japan; Dr. Prawate Khid-arn, General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia; Korean poet Mr. Yang Seong-Woo, outspoken critic of injustice during the Park Chung-Hee regime; and Mr. Kim Keun-Tae, Korean parliamentarian and a former youth activist for justice and democracy.
PROK E-News is a publication of The Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK).
Editor: Rev. Yoon Kil-Soo, General Secretary