“I declare in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit that Rev. Ju Gi-cheol is now restored to all the positions and rights he held before December 19, 1939.”
In a tearful voice, Rev. Kim Gwang-seok, moderator of the East Pyongyang Presbytery of Presbyterian Church of Korea (Hapdong), announced at the 1st session of the presbytery’s 178th extraordinary meeting, held at Dongsan Church’s Suji Culture Hall in Suji-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do on June 17, that the “Request to Rescind Censure of Rev. Ju Gi-cheol” had been accepted. The presbytery’s 76 members, having given unanimous approval to the request, applauded as they remembered their predecessor in the faith who walked the path of “death-defying resolve.” Rev. Ju refused the Japanese colonial rulers’ orders to worship the Shinto religion, and for this he was martyred.
This day’s decision by PCK Hapdong’s East Pyongyang Presbytery to reinstate Rev. Ju came 77 years after the decision of the 37th extraordinary meeting of Pyongyang Presbytery on December 12, 1939, to remove him from his posts. This was the first time in PCK Hapdong history for a presbytery to pass a resolution reinstating Rev. Ju to his original status.
Reporter Choi Ki-young (ky710@kmib.co.kr), from Yongin, with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)
Photo by intern reporter Bo Yeon Kim, from Yongin
Full Story in Korean:
면직 77년만에 주기철 목사 복직 결의: 예장합동 동평양노회 임시노회 ‘권징 취소 청원’ 가결... 명예 회복
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2016-06-20 17:09
