THE KUKMIN DAILY

The Life and Ethics Committee (chaired by Rev. Hwang Mun-chan) of the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK · Rev. Kim Young-ju, general secretary) held its 32nd Environment Sunday Joint Worship Service (photo) on May 19, at Seoul Gospel Church (Rev. Park Seon-jin). Following the worship, there was a Green Church Award ceremony. This year’s awards went to three churches: Bongwon Church (Rev. Park Yong-gweon, left) in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul; Sanbon Jungang Church (Rev. Park Sang-hun, right) in Gyeonggi-do; and Wandaeri Church (Rev. Yeo Seung-hun, center) in Geochang, Gyeongnam-do. The requirements for recognition as a Green Church are: giving sermons about environment and ecology, praying not only for human beings but for the whole creation, and leading environment-friendly programs for children and youth.



Bongwon Church bought and cleared away houses adjacent to the church and turned the area into a park; in cooperation with Seoul City, it operates a rainwater collection facility; and it cultivates a garden near the worship hall. The church has a small rice paddy in its rooftop garden where the children grow rice from seedlings to harvest (photo above). Last year the church members enjoyed a lunch together with the rice they had grown the entire year in this paddy. Sanbon Jungang Church joined an environmental organization with which it does activities in solidarity; it also campaigns for energy saving and against the use of disposable goods. Wandaeri Church has practiced environmentally friendly construction (worship hall, private residence, prayer room) in traditional Korean style (photo below), operates an ecological restroom that produces natural fertilizer, and does organic field farming.



Since 1984, on the occasion of World Environment Day (June 5), NCCK has observed Environment Sunday, when it joins together with member denominations and Korean Christian Environmental Movement Solidarity for Integrity of Creation (KCEMS) for the Environment Sunday Joint Worship Service.

In its “2015 Environment Sunday Declaration,” widely distributed in advance, NCCK says, “Discussions must proceed quickly so that the four big rivers, polluted by construction, may be returned to their natural state.” The NCCK declaration asserted, “We have not valued God’s created sun and wind, and have destroyed earth and water, failing to carry out our role as stewards protecting God’s Creation…Now is the time when we must choose life, so that we and our descendants may live, and God’s created world may continue to live.”

Reporter Se Ook Koh (swkoh@kmib.co.kr), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)


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