News
WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the inspiration and commitment of the churches in Korea for the ecumenical Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace since the WCC 10th Assembly in Busan. “Since the WCC 10th Assembly in Busan,” Sauca observed, “the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace has become the paradigm of the worldwide ecumenical movement, engaging churches and partners in a common journey, and the recently concluded WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe decided to continue the pilgrimage, as a Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity.”
The Korean churches expressed deep gratitude to Sauca for his hard work and leadership as acting general secretary for the past two-and-a-half years, and for the WCC 11th Assembly convened under his leadership.
Sauca visited the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea. In a conversation with Rev. Kang Yeonhong, moderator of the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea, Sauca expressed his appreciation for the leadership of the church in the peace process for the Korean Peninsula. The 269th Monday Prayer, which took place during the WCC 11th Assembly, was recognized as a good example of the journey from the WCC 10th Assembly in Busan to the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe in the context of the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace. In response to this, Rev. Kang requested that the WCC continue to work with the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea for peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula, especially with plans for next year, which include a “human peace chain” along the 500 km-long Demilitarized Zone on 27 July 2023, marking the 70th anniversary of the Armistice Agreement in hopes of ending the Korean War and establishing permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Sauca also visited the Korean Methodist Church, expressing his gratitude for the strong support and prayers of the Korean Methodist Church, which sent many young people to the WCC 11th Assembly who actively participated. In response to this, Rev. Oh Ilyoung, general secretary of the Board of Mission, Korean Methodist Church, expressed his desire that the WCC will work with the church to nurture youth leadership in the ecumenical movement.
WCC acting general secretary also visited the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK) and expressed his gratitude to the PCK for its contribution to the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe. Rev. Lee Soon-chang, the moderator of the PCK, shared that the PCK's strategic missional directions include peace, youth, climate, and partnership. Sauca also expressed that the WCC is looking forward to the continued contribution of the PCK to the ecumenical movement in a wide range of the WCC programmatic areas.
The WCC delegation also visited the National Council of Churches in Korea to discuss strategic plans for the implementation of the mandate of the 11th assembly, which among other things adopted a minute on ending the war and building peace on the Korean Peninsula, including through the Sunday of Prayer for the Peaceful Reunification on the Korean Peninsula, the Ecumenical Forum for Peace, Reunification and Cooperation on the Korean Peninsula, and the Korea Peace Appeal Campaign, a campaign for ending the war and replacing the 1953 Armistice Agreement with a peace treaty.
In addition to Sauca, the WCC delegation also included Peter Prove, WCC director of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, and Rev. Dr Jin Yang Kim, coordinator of the WCC Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace.
WCC acting general secretary visits Korean Peninsula (WCC news, 10 October 2022)