Christian Conference of Asia sends letters of concern to both North and South Korea

[The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) is a regional ecumenical organization representing 17 National Councils and 100 denominations (churches) in 21 countries throughout Asia and the Pacific. Henriette Hutabarat Lebang, CCA General Secretary, sent a letter regarding the crisis on the Korean Peninsula to its member churches on 12 April 2013. In addition, she addressed both the (North) Korean Christian Federation (KCF) and CCA member churches in South Korea. We reproduce the CCA letter to the KCF below. All three letters may be accessed by following these links: Letter to CCA Members, Letter to Member Churches in South Korea, Letter to KCF. –CanKor]

April 12, 2013

From Christian Conference of Asia

To Korean Christian Federation (KCF)

Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

Greetings of Peace!

It is with a great anxiety and concern that we receive the news these days on the increasing tensions in the Korean peninsula. As this time of uncertainty for an immediate solution to reach the goal of a more peaceful atmosphere in the Korean peninsula, the Asian churches uphold all our brothers and sisters in the Korean peninsula in our prayers. We pray to God almighty for divine intervention in overcoming the tensed situation, the suffering of the people and the threat of war.

National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) organize peace workshop

The National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) organized a workshop for the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC) held in Kingston, Jamaica. The workshop was held Thursday, 19 May. Press release below:

Dr Samuel Lee, Dr Mathews George Chunakara, Bishop Dr Martin Schindehütte, and Vakhtang V. Kipshidze

Realizing a peaceful reunification of Korea would not only be a gift for the Korean people but also for the people of Asia and the world as a whole. For the church, both in and outside Korea, realizing a unified Korea will also mean the church being unified in their efforts.

With this background the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) organized a workshop for the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC) being held in Kingston, Jamaica 17-25 May. The workshop was held Thursday, 19 May.

Titled “War or Peace? – Ecumenical Cooperation on the Korean peninsula” the workshop was intended to raise awareness about the need for a peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula and the role the church has played in this process.

“The NCCK has been cooperating closely with the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) and the World Council of Churches (WCC) to contribute to the peaceful reunification in the Korean peninsula since the 1984 Tozanso consultation in particular,” said the moderator of the workshop, Dr Samuel Lee, vice-chairperson of the NCCK Committee of Reconciliation and Reunification.