GENEVE, Aug. 11, 2017 /
Christian Newswire/ -- The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) is the latest participating organization to announce it will join, on 13 August, a “Sunday of Prayer for the Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula.”
Churches across the world are invited to show solidarity with Korean churches by joining the prayer, based on Romans 14:19: “Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.”
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.
The World Council of Churches (WCC), World Communion of Reformed Churches and now the WEA are inviting parishes and individuals across the world to pray for the reconciliation and healing of the divided Korean Peninsula.
Bishop Efraim Tendero, secretary general of the WEA, comments: "Dialogue and understanding is the right and moral way forward as we uphold the dignity and great value of every people who bear the image of the God of Peace." He added, "On this Sunday of prayer, we bring before the Lord our plea for a peaceful resolution and the reunification of the Korean Peninsula. May God change hearts, may He change minds, and may He bring about unity in this land to the glory of His name."
The day of prayer is arriving during a time when the WCC and many other organizations are urging dialogue and engagement, not threats and sanctions, as military tension on the Korean Peninsula escalates.
WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit expressed concern over whether sanctions demonstrate any positive impact in bringing a return to negotiations or preventing its development of nuclear weapons.
“It is not at all clear how the new sanctions can be expected to make any more positive contribution to this extremely delicate and dangerous situation,” Tveit said.
“We call for a sea-change in the international community’s approach to North Korea, in favour of dialogue and engagement rather than military and political confrontation.”
"Increasing participation in the day of prayer indicates that many people, from many nations, are choosing to walk together on a path of peace and hope for the Korean Peninsula and the world," said Tveit.
“The WCC represents 560 million people, the WCRC represents 80 million and the WEA 600 million more from around the world,” he said. “Clearly the pilgrimage of justice peace is a growing, thriving movement, and we would like to invite even more to join us.”
World Communion of Reformed Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Chris Ferguson concluded “We believe churches across the world can, through prayer, help foster an environment in which peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula can flourish.”
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 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.
