wfn.org | Church Leaders on Korea Unification

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS" by SUSAN PEEK on Aug. 11, 1991 at 13:58 Eastern,
about FULL TEXT RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (3503 notes).

Note 3502 by UMNS on March 20, 1997 at 15:45 Eastern (5223 characters).

Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
York, and Washington.

CONTACT: Linda Bloom                       148(10-21-35-71B){3502}
          New York (212) 870-3803                   March 20, 1997

U.S., North and South Korea church leaders
to continue advocacy for Korea reunification

     NEW YORK (UMNS) -- An ecumenical group of 75 North and South
Korean and U.S. church leaders have agreed to continue their push
for unification of Korea.
     They were participants in a March 17-19 consultation here on
"The Role of Churches in U.S.-Korea Relations." Sponsored by the
U.S. National Council of Churches (NCC), the event included
delegations from the Korean Christians Federation (North Korea)
and the National Council of churches in Korea (South Korea), as
well as representatives from Canadian churches, the Christian
Conference of Asia and the World Council of Churches.
     Participants reviewed accomplishments since the
implementation of a 1986 NCC policy statement on "Peace and the
Reunification of Korea" and explored the continuing role of
churches in promoting and supporting reunification.
     "We are convinced that our prayers, petitions,
recommendations and solidarity actions have made a difference in
what seemed to be an intractable international situation," the
group's official statement said. "Through churches' engagement and
advocacy, the international community has begun to grapple with
the threat of a divided Korea to world peace and with Korea's
devastating history of conflict and division."
     Mia Adjali, an executive with the Women's Division, United
Methodist Board of Global Ministries, is chairperson of the NCC
committee that helped organize the consultation. 
     "I've been involved in the unification struggle for many
years, but this was my first such conference," Adjali said. "I
expected tension and strong disagreement but instead I found
nothing but the desire for a constructive encounter between the
three countries' delegations."
     The Rev. Kang Yong-Sup, who led the Korean Christians
Federation, echoed the feeling that the consultation was conducted
with a spirit of openness and understanding.
     During a March 19 press conference at the Church Center for
the United Nations, Kang pronounced himself "very satisfied" with
its outcome. "In this meeting, we affirm we are one in Christ," he
said through a translator.
     Another important aspect of the consultation, according to
Adjali, was the visibility of women -- the South Korean delegation
had four -- for the first time on this issue. The NCC and North
and South Korean delegations also endorsed encouraging women to
participate in all reunification activities.
     "We are confident that women in the future will have a much
stronger role in the unification committees in each country,"
Adjali said.
     The consultation statement noted that the churches are "well
placed" to strengthen recent advances toward the goal of peace in
Korea. "Christians value reconciliation, justice and peace and
already have developed friendly and cooperative relations among
themselves across national and ideological boundaries," it said.
     But because obstacles to peace still remain, the consultation
participants recommend new efforts by churches in Korea, the
United States and elsewhere to:
     * urge their governments to honor agreements already made,
including the North-South Agreement on Reconciliation, Non-
Aggression Cooperation and Exchange, and cease hostile policies;
     * promote improved relations between the United States and
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea);
     * advocate the transformation of the Korean Armistice
Agreement into a new peace mechanism;
     * intensify churches' peace education on reconciliation and
reunification;
     * create new worship resources;
     * multiply people-to-people exchanges;
     * intensify sharing resources ecumenically;
     * encourage the participation of women in all activities for
reunification;
     * explore the implications of broadening the ecumenical
dialogue to include churches and organizations that have not been
a part of the institutional ecumenical movement;
     * explore the creation of new institutions to complement the
ecumenical work.
     Methodist participants in the South Korean delegation were
the Rev. Kim Dong-Wan, general secretary of the National Council
of Churches in Korea; Bishop Kim Chang-Soo, East Conference, Korea
Methodist Church, and Elder Park Jae-Hee, a Methodist woman who
presided over the 1997 World Day of Prayer resources, which
focused on Korea and reunification.
     Besides Adjali, United Methodist participants included the
Rev. Michael Hahm and the Rev. David Wu, Board of Global
Ministries; the Rev. Liberato Bautista, United Methodist Board of
Church and Society; Patricia Patterson, coordinator, Japan-North
America Commission on Cooperative Mission; the Rev. Paul Kim,
director, Korean American Peace Institute; and the Rev. Melvin
Luetchens, Church World Service of the NCC.
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