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2015 – A Year of Great Significance
Interestingly, for the NCCK and its 4 original member churches, 2015 is simultaneously a year of historical significance. The NCCK itself, under the name of Chosun Christian Joint Council, held its inaugural meeting on Sept. 24, 1924, and so has celebrated its 90th year, and in October of 1925, brought about a cooperative mission of Presbyterians and Methodists in Korea, which operated for several years.
Methodists
Earlier this year, the Korean Methodist Church celebrated its 130th anniversary. The Methodist roots in the country go to Rev. Henry G. Appenzeller, the first Methodist missionary to Korea, who arrived at Incheon port with his wife, on Easter Sunday in 1885. One year later, Mrs. Mary F. Scranton became the first female missionary in Korea with her son, Dr. William B. Scranton (who was appointed to the Methodist Medical Mission in Korea). Appenzeller, in addition to founding one of the first Methodist Churches in Korea, also founded a boy’s school, and helped to translate the Bible into Korean. Mary Scranton was the first Women’s Foreign Missionary Society (WFMS) representative to Korea and the founder of the Ewha Girls School. During Easter week, 2015, the Korean Methodist Church honoured Henry Appenzeller and Mary Scranton on this special anniversary with various commemorative events: a Commemorative Service on 5 April at Naeri Methodist Church in Incheon, which was built by Appenzeller; an International Seminar on Peace and Reconciliation on 6 April at Jeongdong First Methodist Church; and a Missionary Pilgrimage on April 6 to 10 to historical sites related to early Methodist Missions in Korea. Bishop Ivan Abrahams, General Secretary for the World Methodist Council, participated in several of these gatherings and commemorations, bringing greetings from the Council and giving insight into the topic of peace and reconciliation.
Presbyterians
The PCK (Presbyterian Church in Korea) and PROK (Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea) also have roots extending back to1884 and 1885 when the first Presbyterians came from the US, but this fall their celebration was for their respective 100th General Assemblies. Until 1953, they were the same church, so count their annual assemblies from the first Assembly held in the year 1912, in which 52 Korean pastors and 125 elders, with 44 foreign missionaries gathered for worship and deliberation. For a couple of years during the Second World War, the occupying Japanese authorities would not allow Assemblies to be held, and then the Korean War interrupted the holding of Assemblies: this makes 2015 the 100th.
As they share the same roots, PCK and PROK cooperated to host an International Peace Forum, Sept. 11-13 in Seoul. Sixty overseas partner churches and organizations, including the President and General Secretary of World Council of Reformed Churches, Rev. Dr. Jerry Pillay and Rev. Chris Ferguson, and the Moderator of the World Council of Churches, Dr. Agnes Abuom, along with an equal number of Korean participants, were in attendance. The Forum culminated with a Peace Pilgrimage to the Odu Mountain Observatory, where prayers were sincerely offered for peaceful reconciliation and the well being of all Koreans.
This was followed by the foreign partners participating in the PCK and PROK Assemblies, held at Cheongju and Wonju respectively.
The PROK made appreciation presentations to the United Church of Canada, the EMS, and the joint Global Ministries of United Church of Christ and Disciples of Christ, USA for their strong support over the years. They also presented PC(USA) and UCCanada appreciation plaques for the work of former missionaries Frederick S. Miller and William Scott , both significant figures during the growth of the church in Korea.
Anglicans
The Korean Anglican Church also celebrated a major anniversary – the 125th year since Bishop Charles John Corfe arrived with other colleagues at Incheon Port on Sept. 29, 1890, beginning their work in the Seoul area, opening schools and medical facilities and other institutions such as orphanages as well as churches. The year 2015 is a significant one, coming 100 years after the ordination of the first Anglican Korean priest, the Rev. Hee Jun Mark Kim, and 50 years after the ordination of the first Korean bishop, the Rt Rev. Chun Hwan Paul Lee, both defining moments for the church.
To mark the occasion, the Episcopal Asiamerica Ministries International Consultation took place in Seoul beginning on Sept. 30, with keynote speakers including the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church (USA); the Most Rev. Nathaniel Uematsu, primate and archbishop of Nippon Sei Kokai (Japan); the Rt. Rev. Allen Shin, bishop suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of New York; and the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Yang, former president of the Sungkonghoe University in Seoul. A concluding worship took place at the Cathedral in central Seoul on Oct. 3. Greetings for this auspicious occasion came from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rt. Rev. Justin Welby, on behalf of the world-wide Anglican Communion,.
For these 4 churches, reconciliation and reunification of Korea is a major topic, as there is a definite longing for the country to be made whole. At the Anglican worship, the opening collect prayed for the unification and reconciliation of the Korean peninsula and all worshippers were given a symbolic cross. It is both a representation of the South Korean flag with the ying and yang, and also meant to be the map of Korea itself with the north and the south being split apart. Yet hope is symbolized in that the cross is one.
Christians understand the Cross of Christ is the place where unification may happen, and so this becomes their constant prayer.
As 2015 also marks the 70th year of the division of Korea by competing international powers, it is a time to consider the hopeful future of the Korean Peninsula. As the Israelites were 70 years in Babylonian exile, and returned to their homeland, we Christians of NCCK pray that soon the whole of Korea will return to unity, mutual respect and peace. The PCK, in particular, has published a book of 70 Prayers to symbolize this hope – “70 Days of Prayer for Healing, Reconciliation and Peaceful Reunification”. The Prayer for Day 50 says, “God, you love our nation. Through the long years of division we are gradually losing our sense of unity. We are concerned that it may be difficult to live in harmony even if we are unified as a nation. Hasten the day of peaceful reunification in the Korean peninsula. Bring together the hearts of those who have grown apart through the traumas of war. May we mingle with each other as peacefully as grazing sheep.
As you helped the people of Israel who returned to Jerusalem after 70 years of Babylonian exile, help us renew our land. In your grace and love, restore in us a sense of national unity, and may we live as your people. Unite us, in your Spirit and love, to nurture compassion and care instead of hostility and jealousy. Grant us politicians like Nehemiah and leaders like Ezra. Send us national leaders who can unite the North and the South and restore a sense of unity. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.“
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