WCC member churches involved in food shipment to North Korea
Discussing an architectural model of the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva is left to right, Rev. Dr Hong Sung-Wook, Rev. Dr Kim Jung-Suk and Rev. Dr Lee Young-Hoon with WCC staff.
A broad group of World Council of Churches (WCC) member churches, inside and outside of Korea, were involved in a recent shipment of food aid to North Korea.
The shipment comes on the heels of a visit of several South Korean church leaders to Pyongyang, North Korea nearly three weeks ago. It is also the second food shipment to North Korea this year, initiated by the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) with support from South Korean Churches and the North Korean and European members of the Ecumenical Forum on Peace and Security on Korean Peninsula.
Reports from western aid agencies, who visited North Korea this September, said that large numbers of people were suffering from chronic malnutrition and faced starvation because of reducing food rations.
The shipment of food was sent to the Korean Christian Federation (KCF) of North Korea. It included 180 tonnes of wheat flour and was transferred by truck to the border between North and South Korea.
“In May this year the first shipment of 172 tonnes of wheat flour was sent through the Amity Foundation in the People’s Republic of China, facilitated by the WCC as the NCCK could not arrange the shipment due to the restrictions imposed by the South Korean government,” said Dr Mathews George Chunakara, director of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs of the WCC and moderator of the Korea Ecumenical Forum.
According to a report from the NCCK the distribution of the food is limited to infants and toddlers, as well as others who are weak and vulnerable. The report said the food from the most recent shipment was bound for nurseries and orphanages in Hyangsan-gun, Pyung An Buk-do.
During a recent visit of NCCK leaders to the WCC offices in Geneva last week, Rev. Dr Lee Young-Hoon, senior pastor of the Yoido Full Gospel Church, moderator of the Assemblies of God in Korea and vice-moderator of the Korean National Host Committee for the WCC 10th Assembly said that, earlier in November, NCCK representatives visited Pyongyang and participated in a joint worship service.
They prayed for peace and reunification of Christians in North and South Korea, and the NCCK leaders invited the KCF to participate in the WCC 10th Assembly which will be held in Busan, South Korea from October 30 to 8 November 2013.
During the visit to Geneva, Lee and his delegation met with the WCC general secretary, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, at which time they reiterated the commitment of the Korean churches toward the successful hosting of the next Assembly of the WCC.
Lee’s church, The Assemblies of God in Korea, has been a strong partner in the Korean ecumenical movement and involved in the increased understanding and strengthened relationship between the ecumenical movement and the global Pentecostal movement.
The WCC member churches participating in the recent food shipment included the Korea Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea, the Anglican Church of Korea and the Ecumenical Forum for Korea, which includes the United Church of Canada, the Methodist Church in Britain and the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau, Germany. The Assemblies of God church in Korea was also a partner in the shipment.
[번역]
한국 안팍의 WCC 회원교회들이 최근 대북지원에 동참했다.
이번 대북지원은 3주 전 한국교회지도자들의 평양방문에 뒤이어 행해졌다. 한국기독교교회협의회(NCCK)가 주관하여 올해 보낸 제2차 대북지원으로, 한반도에큐메니칼포럼 회원교회들이 적극적으로 지원했다.
지난 9월 북한을 방문했던 서구 지원기구들의 보고에 의하면 많은 수의 사람들이 만성적 영양실조로 고통받고 있으며 식량배급이 줄어들어 아사지경에 이르고 있다고 전했다.
이번 대북 식량지원은 북의 조선그리스도련맹에게 전해졌으며, 180톤 상당의 밀가루가 트럭으로 남북 국경을 넘어 전달되었다.
세계교회협의회 국제문제위원회(WCC-CCIA) 국장이며 한반도에큐메니칼포럼 의장인 Dr. Mathews George Chunakara 는 “ 올해 5월에 172톤의 밀가루를 중국의 애덕기금회를 통해 북에 보냈는데, 이는 남한정부의 제제 때문에 한국기독교교회협의회의 자체적 송출이 불가능하여 WCC를 통해 이루어졌다.”고 설명했다.
NCCK의 보고에 따르면, 식량배분은 영유아와 유약자에게만 국한되어 있다. 최근 대북지원 식량은 평안북도 향산군내 유아원과 고아원에게 배분되는 것이라 했다.
지난 주 제네바 WCC 사무국을 방문한 NCCK 지도자들 가운데 여의도순복음교회 담임목사이자 기독교대한하나님의성회 총회장이고, WCC 10차 총회 한국준비위원회 부회장인 이영훈 목사는 11월 초 NCCK 대표단이 평양을 방문하고 공동기도회를 드렸다고 말했다.
남북한 평화와 통일을 위해 기도하고, 조선그리스도교련맹에게 2013년 10월 30일부터 11월 8일 한국, 부산에서 개최되는 WCC 10차 총회 참석을 위해 초대했다.
이영훈 목사와 함께 온 대표단은 제네바 방문시 WCC 총무인 Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit를 만나 WCC 차기 총회의 성공적 개최를 위해 한국교회가 최선을 다하겠다고 했다.
이영훈 목사의 교회인 여의도순복음교회는 한국교회에큐메니칼운동의 동반자이며, 에큐메니칼 운동과 국제오순절운동 사이의 이해를 돕고 관계를 진작시키는 일을 위해 애써왔다.
이번 식량지원에 참여한 WCC 회원교회들로는 기독교대한감리회, 한국기독교장로회, 대한성공회, 한반도에큐메니칼포럼(캐나다연합교회, 영국감리교회, 독일헤세나사우주교회), 기독교대한하나님의 성회 등이다.
