The 7th Reunification Vision Camp began its 5-day program at Korean Bible University in Nowongu, Seoul, on January 6th. Organized around the theme “Reunify Korea With Love,” this 7th annual camp is to prepare practically for various necessary tasks needing to be done before reunification of the Korean Peninsula. Rev. Lee Gwan-woo of Korea Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC Korea) emphasized, “Christians who prepare for reunification are believers at church, workers at their job, and on top of that, performers of reunification mission.”
At this year’s Reunification Vision Camp, there are eight elective lecture areas including politics, international relations and law, religion and church, economics and business, relief work and NGOs, culture and arts, mass communication and media, and education. There are keynote lectures by Profs. Kim Haekwon (Christian Studies, Soongsil University) and Rhie Deok-joo (Methodist Theological University), and six elective lectures on the Christian worldview, North Korean church history, etc.
In his discussion paper Rev. Lee says, “To prepare a specific vision for reunification, it is most effective to utilize one’s major area or expertise and devote oneself to that mission,” emphasizing plans for “North Korea Mission according to one’s vocation.” Besides Rev. Lee, a total of 15 expert lecturers on North Korea and reunification are giving lectures, including Director Yun Hwan-cheol of Korea Peace Institute, Prof. Song In-Ho of Handong Global University, and Vice-Principal Cho Myeong-suk of Yeomyung School (an alternative school for North Korean defectors). Rev. Oh Dae-won, who established Youth with a Mission (YWAM) Korea and is carrying out a movement to reunify the Korean Peninsula, is delivering three sermons including those at the opening and closing services. In his opening message, he asked for continuing prayers for 'our brothers and sisters in North Korea.'
At the camp, information about the reality of the current North Korean church is also drawing attention. In his discussion paper, Rev. Yu Gwan-ji of the North Korean Church Research Center (NCRC), who is giving a lecture on North Korean church history, requests more interest from church circles, saying, “There is increasing evidence from here and there, that ‘underground’ churches are more active these days.”
Representative Seong Hun-kyeong of Trans World Radio (TWR) Korea, who is lecturing in the mass communications area, writes in his discussion paper, “I ask the Korean churches to participate more positively in sending short-wave radios to North Korean ‘underground’ churches for their members’ lives of faith.” TWR Korea is an interdenominational broadcasting mission organization that has been transmitting sermons and other contents for 75 minutes every night over the past 9 years to believers in underground churches in North Korea.
Bae Gi-chan, who chairs the board of the Reunification Korea Cooperative, and also headed the camp’s preparatory committee, said, “We have prepared this event, longing for spiritual transformation from distrust and hate to love, hoping this transformation will take place in the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia, where tensions are intensifying. We hope that this camp will be an opportunity for the young generation who are yearning for reunification, to share objective knowledge along with biblical vision.”
The camp is co-organized by CCC, YWAM, Peace Korea, and Revival Korea. Approximately 300 Christian college students, divinity school students, young North Korean defectors and others are participating. On the last day of the camp, the participants are scheduled to visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
Reporter Jaechan Park (jeep@kmib.co.kr), Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)
Click here for the original article in Korean
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