MISSION MOVES
일 시: 2013년 11월 26일, 10:00-16:30
장 소: Stuttgart-Germany (독일 슈트트가르트)
행 사: EMS Mission Council Workshop
1. Pertinent questions: What is Mission? What does ‘mission’ mean for you and your church today?
For the PROK, we are trying to participate in ‘missio dei’, God’s mission in the world. We take seriously the instructions from the Prophets about Peace and Justice (Isaiah 2:4 – “They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore”), (Amos 5:24 – “Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream”).
Peace therefore is a major part of our mission, and we will partner with the WCC. The WCC at its Busan Assembly put out Document 02.3 on Peace and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula.
The statement points out, “the North East Asia region still contains the world’s heaviest concentration of military and security threats”.
and, “Increasing arms build-ups in several Asian countries make this one of the fastest-growing regions for military spending in the world, including nuclear arms and high-tech weapons of mass destruction”.
We celebrate the WCC participation in the Tozanso Process, 1984, which enabled North and South Koreans to be together. In the “Spirit of Tozanso” (article a), PROK will strongly support meetings of people of young generation, solidarity visits to churches and provision of common platform for Christians to meet (articles c,d,e). PROK will continue to carry out the Joint Prayer on the Sunday closest to Liberation Day, August 15 (article b).
As to the commitments for action of Statement 02.3: The PROK, through the PCMC, has been actively challenging and encouraging the government of South Korea (and will continue to do so to the best of its ability), to lift sanctions against DPRK, halt military exercises, reduce military expenditures, stop dependence on US military backing, and calls for withdrawal of foreign troops, make the Peninsula a nuclear-free zone, support family reunions, and make the DMZ a ‘truly demilitarized zone’, and looks forward to working with WCC in these initiatives.
PROK also rejoices that WCC, with all its resources, will launch a global campaign for Peace Treaty from Armistice, and commits PROK to continue to collect signatures in its campaign which has been ongoing since 2010.
The PROK declares a new major initiative for Peaceful Reunification: a regular candle light prayer meeting to continue until the day of reunification. This is inspired by the story of Nikolai Church in Leipzig, East Germany. The Monday demonstrations, begining in 1982 at the St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig, became the centre of peaceful revolt against communist rule and initiated the reunification of Germany.
PROK, through PCMC, also commits to educate the future generations for the peace process, reunification and the post-reunification era. We propose an ongoing Peace Academy for this purpose. For a number of years, PCMC has offered a Peace School for the youth of PROK through the PROK Youth Association, which incorporates Peacemaking information and English language practice. More recently, the program has been offered in Korean language to the theological students at Hanshin Theological Seminary to prepare them to be conscious peacemakers in their ministries. PCMC has prepared a manual called Biblico-Theological Perspectives of Peace, used as text for PROK Peace Workshop at the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation in Kingston, Jamaica in May, 2011, as well as our Peace Schools. PROK plans to make this Peace Academy more accessible for many of its members, particularly the youth. We recognize that most of our young people, who did not experience the suffering of the Korean War or its aftermath, do not recognize the reality of the conflicts which led to the division of the Peninsula or the importance of reunification, and so this will inform them and enable them to feel the urgency of reunification and hear God’s call to involvement. So we expect the Peace Academy will raise missionary workers for the field of peaceful reunification, and thus we see it will play a major role in developing vision and direction as well as sustaining the Peace Reunification Movement of PROK.
There are many other issues for us to address with our government as we carry out God’s mission – challenging the National Security Law, labour inequities, humanitarian aid and ecology support to North Korea, supporting North Korean refugees who have come to the South, supporting Gangjeong Village in the face of Military-Industrial Complex.
2. How is Basel Mission Linked with your Church?
PROK has been closely connected with EMS and the German Churches since the 1970’s and the dictatorship days in Korea. Germans saw our vision for democracy and justice, and participated in it strongly.
Presently we receive EMS funding for the years 2014-2016 for a PCMC program called Nurturing, Fostering and Advocating for Tenable Peace, an ECMC program called Innovative and Sustainable Eco Lifestyle and Spirituality, and a PROK Youth Association called Revitalizing Maturation Youth Discipleship Training Course. For 2013 we were able to use Small Project Funding for a program on Migrant Ministry.
3. What are the challenges and what role can EMS play in the future?
The PROK faces the challenge of preparing Christian leaders for the next generation. While the PROK Youth Association is presently receiving an EMS grant called “Revitalizing Maturation Youth Discipleship Training Course”, as well, the Ecumenical Relations Department is devoting time and effort to raising knowledgeable ecumenical leaders. We would like to see exchanges and joint opportunities for study and work experience for young pastors, interns and theological students through the network of EMS member churches and associations.
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