Mission life: THE KUKMIN DAILY

Interview with Newly Appointed WCC Asia Communications Secretary Rev. Cheon Young-chul

2014-04-01 16:55


Rev. Cheon Young-chul (47, photo), recently appointed by the World Council of Churches’ Communications Department as its Asia region communications secretary, said in an interview on March 31 at his office in Chongno-gu, Seoul, “I will work for harmonious communications between the Korean church and the world churches.”

Employed by the WCC headquarters in Geneva, he is working in Korea as WCC’s first Asia communications secretary. Previously there were only two regional communications secretaries, in Sweden and Brazil, that played the role of communication channels connecting the regions’ churches with WCC.

“The status of the Korean church rose exceedingly high as a result of the WCC Busan Assembly,” Rev. Cheon said. “To the extent that the Korean church is already globalized, it needs to manage its responsibilities through broadminded thinking and perspectives matching its status.”

“In future, my role will be to supply the churches in Asia with news, audios, videos, photos and other materials about the WCC, and to convey Korean church news to WCC headquarters,” he explained. “I will concentrate on work that helps the activities of WCC member denominations and raises the status of the Korean church.”

Rev. Cheon emphasized that more persons of ability should be active on the world stage. “The Korean church can no longer think just about Korea,” he said. “Talented Christians are needed in larger numbers to take responsibility for the Asian and world churches.” In particular, he urged persons with skills in spirituality and English to take the initiative on the world stage.

Rev. Cheon graduated from the Presbyterian Theological University Graduate School, and received his doctorate from the Free University in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He worked for more than 10 years as Asia-region officer of the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC), and from 2011 was communications director for the WCC Korea Preparatory Committee, working for the successful holding of the Busan Assembly.

Reporter Paek Sang-hyun (100sh@kmib.co.kr), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)


Click here for the original article in Korean

Popular Articles

Total Mission Kuki
Yoido Full Gospel Church

Banners

2013 WCC Myungsung church