CCA extends greetings at NCC Korea Centennial Celebration
Seoul, South Korea: The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) General Secretary extended greetings and congratulations to the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) on the occasion of its 100th anniversary celebrations held at Yeondong Church, Gimsangok-ro, Seoul, on Sunday, 22 September 2024.
The special commemorative ecumenical worship service with eucharistic celebrations was attended by a large number of people from NCCK member churches, as well as representatives of churches and ecumenical organisations from different parts of the world.
During the event, messages of greetings were extended by the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay; the General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia, Dr Mathews George Chunakara; a representative of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia & Lavreotiki; and Yu In Chon, Minister of Culture, Religion, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea.
Dr Mathews George Chunakara addressed the gathering and extended greetings on behalf of the Asian churches and the Asian ecumenical movement. He stated, “The NCCK’s role and rich heritage of speaking and acting on behalf of the Korean churches and standing with the people and churches in their struggle for democratisation, human rights, and peace with justice have been highly valued by the Christian Conference of Asia and its member churches and councils in Asia. The CCA has been privileged to be part of the ecumenical accompaniment with the NCCK and the Korean churches ever since CCA was founded in 1957.”
He also noted that the NCCK’s steadfast commitment to promoting reconciliation and Korean unification has been recognised and respected by the global ecumenical community for several decades.
The CCA General Secretary lauded the NCCK for being a beacon of prophetic witness and missional engagement since its inception in 1924. During the Korean War in 1950, the NCCK's leadership immediately called for international support to halt the conflict and embarked on a mission to promote peace with justice and reconciliation.
Despite adversities, the NCCK has consistently championed the cause of inter-Korean peace and reunification, remaining a symbol of hope and resilience, Dr Chunakara further added.
In recognition and appreciation of NCCK’s prophetic witness over the century, a memento from CCA was presented to the General Secretary of the NCCK, Rev. Kim Jong Seng, by the Moderator of CCA, Bishop Reuel Norman O. Marigza.
The NCCK organised an “International Conference for the 100th Anniversary of the NCCK” at the Convention Hall of Hanshin University on 20 -21 September 2024 with the theme “God of Life, Renew All Creation in Your Love”. The conference was opened by the WCC General Secretary, Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay.
Dr Mathews George Chunakara delivered a keynote address titled “Geopolitics in Northeast Asia, and its Impact on Peace and Security in the Korean Peninsula – Ecumenical Responses” on 20 September 2024.
The full text of the message from the CCA General Secretary at the NCCK Centennial Celebrations on Sunday 22 September, and a photo gallery can be found here:
CCA General Secretary Message at the NCCK Centennial Celebrations, September 2024