04374
August 23, 2004

Kobia salutes church growth in Korea and Asia

WCC head calls for renewal of ecumenical spirituality

by Juan Michel
World Council of Churches Information Service

SEOUL  — World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary the Rev. Samuel Kobia praised the dynamic growth of Christianity in Korea and Asia, and has appealed to Asian churches to take new responsibility in the global ecumenical movement.

       But in comments made as a WCC delegation completed a series of meetings with Korean churches prior to the meeting of the WCC’s executive committee here Aug. 24-27, Kobia also warned against a “superficial Christianity” which does not respond to the  spiritual yearning of people in the modern world.

      Kobia emphasized the fundamental shift in the “center of gravity of Christianity to the global South, including Asia” since the emergence of the ecumenical movement.

      However, he warned against the risk of a “superficial Christianity” that does not adequately offer a rooted and authentic spiritual dimension. Kobia called for a renewal of ecumenical spirituality which “rejoices in the continuity of things of the spirit with action for justice and peace.”

New vision and challenges to ecumenism
in the 21st century

    Along with the general secretary, the WCC moderator, Catholicos Aram I, and members of the executive committee addressed an ecumenical forum on the “new vision and challenges to ecumenism in the 21st century” on Aug. 23. The forum gathered over 200 church and ecumenical leaders from throughout Korea in Seoul. The Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and an executive committee member, participated in the forum.

       Aram I welcomed the opportunity for the churches to critically assess the direction of the ecumenical movement. He emphasized that ecumenism is not a human invention, but rather a “gift of the Holy Spirit.”

      While ecumenism may have important institutional forms, Aram said, “ecumenism is primarily a movement, and not programs and structures, and must be rooted in the concrete local situation of the churches.” He challenged the churches to discover the “Asianness” of their Christianity, and to offer their contribution to the worldwide church.

Church visits

      The WCC delegation arrived on Aug. 18. During the three-day visit, Kobia met with the leaders of WCC member churches: the Presbyterian Church of Korea, the Orthodox Church of Korea (Ecumenical Patriarchate), the Anglican Church, the Presbyterian Church of the Republic of Korea, and the Korean Methodist Church.

      The Korean church leaders reiterated their invitation to host a future WCC assembly. Korean churches had offered to host the WCC’s ninth assembly in 2006, but the central committee chose to accept an invitation to hold the event in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

      Kobia also met with the Rev. Dr Yonggi Cho of the Yoido Full Gospel Church, which, with an estimated 800,000 members is probably the largest Christian congregation in the world. Rev. Dr Yonggi Cho, who is currently serving as president of the World Assemblies of God, emphasized the importance of continued dialogue between churches of diverse Christian traditions.

   The World Council of Churches, founded in 1948, is a fellowship of churches, now 342, in more than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works cooperatively with the WCC.