From the Worldwide Faith News archives www.wfn.org
Syngman Rhee Endorsed as 3rd Candidate for GA Moderator
From
PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>
Date
07 Dec 1999 20:09:42
7-December-1999
99410
Syngman Rhee Endorsed as 3rd Candidate for GA Moderator
Two Koreans, one African-American now in the race
by Jerry Van Marter
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Rev. Syngman Rhee, a native of Korea whose family was
torn apart by the Korean War and who has worked tirelessly for many years
for Korean reunification, was unanimously endorsed on Dec. 7 by Atlantic
Korean-American Presbytery as the third candidate for moderator of the
212th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
He joins another Korean, Elder Youngil Cho, of Raleigh, N.C. (New Hope
Presbytery), and an African-American pastor, the Rev. John L. Herndon III,
of Huntsville, Ala. (North Alabama Presbytery), as candidates for the
Assembly's top elected post.
The election will take place next June 24 in Long Beach, Calif., the
site of the 2000 Assembly.
Rhee, a native of Pyongyang - now the capital of North Korea - fled to
the south with his younger brother in 1950 after his father, a Christian
minister, was killed by communists. An older brother died during the U.N.
bombing of North Korea. Rhee served in the South Korean army before
emigrating to the United States in 1956. It was not until 1986 that he was
able to return to North Korea to visit his sisters and mother, from whom he
had been separated since 1950.
Rhee graduated from Davis & Elkins College in West Virginia and from
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He worked as a pastor in
Louisville, then served as campus minister and professor of sociology at
the University of Louisville for 13 years before joining the national staff
of the former United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America in
1973.
In 1998, Rhee retired as associate director for the Worldwide
Ministries Division of the PC(USA) to become a visiting professor of
mission and evangelism and director of the Asian American Ministry and
Mission Center at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Va.
Rhee is married to Haesun Rhee, a medical doctor and who also is a
native of Korea. They have three grown children - Anna, Mina and Peter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This note sent by Office of News Services,
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
to the World Faith News list <wfn-news@wfn.org>.
For additional information about this news story,
call 502-569-5493 or send e-mail to PCUSA.News@pcusa.org
On the web: http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/
If you have a question about this mailing list,
send queries to wfn@wfn.org
Browse month . . .
Browse month (sort by Source) . . .
Advanced Search & Browse . . .
WFN Home