CCA honours Korean ecumenical stalwarts, Dr Sang Jung Park, Dr Ahn Jae Woong, and Dr Park Kyung Seo
CCA General Secretary presents plaque to: 1.Dr. Sang Jung Park; 2.Dr. Ahn Jae Woong; 3. Dr. Park Kyung Seo; 4. Seen from left: Rev. Dr Kim Jong Gu, Prof.Dr Park Kyung Seo, Dr. San Jung Park, CCA General Secretary Dr Mathews George Chunakara, Dr. Ahn Jae Woong, Rev. Jung Eun Moon, Dr. Lee Hong Jung
In recognition of their decades-long commitment to the Asian and global ecumenical movement, and their leadership within the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) and the World Council of Churches (WCC), two former General Secretaries of CCA, Dr Sang Jung Park and Dr Ahn Jae Woong, and a former Asia Secretary of WCC, Prof. Dr Park Kyung Seo, were honoured by the CCA at a special function organized by the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) on 17 October 2022, in conjunction with a visit of the CCA General Secretary to Seoul, South Korea.
The occasion was the reception and dinner organised by the NCCK for welcoming the CCA General Secretary, Dr Mathews George Chunakara. As part of the evening’s programme, CCA recognised and honoured Dr Sang Jung Park, the fourth CCA General Secretary (1985–1990) and Dr Ahn Jae Woong, the seventh CCA General Secretary (2000–2005). Also honoured on the occasion was Prof. Dr. Park Kyung Seo, the former Asia Secretary of WCC (1982–1999).
While appreciating all three for their unique roles, commitments, and significant contributions to the Asian and global ecumenical movement over the past several decades, the CCA General Secretary, Dr Mathews George Chunakara, expressed grateful appreciation for their time-honoured service and dedication.
Dr Sang Jung Park (92), who was elected as the General Secretary of CCA at the Seoul Assembly in 1985 continued until the Manila Assembly in 1990. It was during his tenure that CCA underwent some of the most troubling experiences in its history, as the Singapore government closed down CCA’s headquarters in Singapore on charges of backing human rights movements in Singapore and supporting pro-communist movements in other Asian countries. However, Dr Park’s resilience and farsightedness led him to mobilise the support of Asian churches and relocate CCA programme desks in different Asian countries. This enabled CCA to sustain its ongoing mission and witness. A scholar and church historian, Dr Sang Jung Park served the WCC at its Geneva Secretariat as an Executive Secretary in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Dr Ahn Jae Woong (81), served as the seventh General Secretary of the CCA from 2000 to 2005 in Hong Kong. He is known for his significant contributions to nurturing ecumenical formation and leadership development, and for his passion and commitment to human rights and advocacy for peace with justice. Dr Ahn’s deep involvement in the Korean democratisation movement in the 1970s and 80s led to his arrest and detention by the military regime. Before being elected as the CCA General Secretary, Dr. Ahn Jae Woong served CCA as its Associate General Secretary, and Executive Secretary for the Urban Rural Mission (URM) Programme. He had served the Korean Student Christian Movement as its national General Secretary. He also served as the Asia Regional Secretary of the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF).
A professor of sociology, Dr Park Kyung Seo (83) served the World Council of Churches (WCC) as its Asia Secretary from 1982 to 1999. He coordinated WCC’s relations with CCA as its regional ecumenical counterpart as well as with WCC’s member churches in Asia. In his official responsibility of coordinating the ecumenical diakonia in Asia, Dr Park facilitated CCA’s Round-Table meetings with ecumenical partners and assisted in fund-raising for a long time. His longstanding commitment to strengthening reconciliation and peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula, especially with regard to re-establishing contacts and interactions with separated families between North and South Korea, was widely acknowledged; the Korean government appointed him as the Ambassador-at-Large for Human Rights and later as the President of the Korean Red Cross.
Recollecting his personal and professional relations with these three ecumenical leaders who were his predecessors in office, both in CCA and WCC, and recalling their invaluable contributions to CCA over several decades, Dr Mathews George Chunakara expressed profound thanks to them.
Dr Sang Jung Park and Dr Ahn Jae Woong served the cause of ecumenism with rare dedication, and they demonstrated a passion for the ecumenical formation of the younger generations which was an essential stimulus for deepening relations at every level and strengthening the ecumenical movement, said Dr Chunakara. He also lauded the former Asia Secretary of WCC, Dr Park Kyung Seo, who had been his immediate predecessor in the WCC when Dr Chunakara was appointed as WCC’s Asia Secretary in 1999.
Upon relinquishing their full-time services in the ecumenical movement, all three ecumenical leaders returned to South Korea and assumed various positions in academia, government, and civil society movements, which they still continue despite their advanced age.
Representatives of CCA member churches as well as officials of various ecumenical organisations in Korea attended the special event.
