Contact: World Council of Churches, +41-79-507-6363
GENEVE, Switzerland, July 25, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- On 13 August, churches across the world are invited to show solidarity with Korean churches by joining a "Sunday of Prayer for the Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula."
The theme for the prayer is based on Romans 14:19: "Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding." The day of prayer occurs two days before Liberation Day in Korea (15 August), during which people celebrate Korea's liberation from Japanese colonization.
The joint prayer was prepared by the Korean Christian Federation (KCF) from North Korea and the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) from South Korea.
In a letter of invitation to member churches, World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit and World Communion of Reformed Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Chris Ferguson invited parishes and individuals across the world to pray for the reconciliation and healing of the divided Korean Peninsula.
"The prayer is an important part of our growing movement to overcome the antagonism that divides the Korean Peninsula and continue to open interaction between communities, churches and people," the letter reads. "We believe churches across the world can, through prayer, help foster an environment in which peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula can flourish."
Links:
Material Global Prayer Day on 13 August, 2017
Letter to member churches WCC and WCRC
WCC Member churches in Korea
WCRC statement on the Korean peninsula 7 July, 2017
WCC statement on the Korean peninsula 11 June, 2017
Mutuality and cooperation focus at Korean peace meeting in Leipzig (WCC press release 14 July, 2017)
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 348 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway.
