WCC news: As National Council of Churches in Korea celebrates 100 years, WCC recognizes “exemplary courage”

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, attending an international conference commemorating the centennial of the National Council of Churches in Korea and 40 years since the Tozanso Process, offered a keynote address on the theme of the gathering, “God of Life, Renew All Creation in Your Love.” WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay speaks at the International Conference for the 100th Anniversary of the National Council of Churches in Korea. Photo: Kyu Hee Choi/NCCK 20 September 2024 “The theme is of particular significance to the Korean context given the long quest for peace and reconciliation over so many decades,” said Pillay. “It recognises that God is the God of life.” Pillay especially recognizes the exemplary courage of the National Council of Churches in Korea’s faithful and persistent witness for peace, justice, and human dignity and rights through extremely difficult periods in Korea’s history. “This has been – and continues to be – a costly witness, often unpopular and in opposition to the prevailing political and social climate, and resulting in real hardships for those proclaiming it,” he said. “It is a sobering context in which to recall the history of the Tozanso Process.” Pillay offered an historical overview of how international ecumenical solidarity for a sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the region has been repeatedly expressed in word and deed.  “The apparently insurmountable obstacles to peace, reconciliation and justice in this region and around the world today all too easily engender feelings of despair and helplessness,” Pillay. said. “Prayer puts us in touch with the God of life and the root of our ultimate values.” In a message from the WCC sent to the National Council of Churches in Korea in commemoration of its centennial, Pillay pledged the WCC’s untiring commitment to just peace in Korea.  “Today, with recent changes in the Korean government and in the larger geopolitical context, momentum toward dialogue, cooperation, and improved relations has largely stalled,” the message reads. “We lament the deterioration of relations and the stubbornness of the parties, we decry the military gamesmanship, we grieve for the separated families, and we regret the economic hardship inflicted on Koreans.” Pillay reiterated the need to stand tall for peace. “All of us must remain deeply committed to inter-Korean leadership for peace and reunification of the divided Korean people,” the message reads. “We must recall and re-capture the spirit of Tozanso to help break through the current deadlock on the Korean Peninsula and bring an end to the cyclical escalations of tensions and the concomitant risks of nuclear conflict in the region.” Photo gallery WCC general secretary will visit Korea to pray and work with churches - WCC news release, 18 September 2024 See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland