Resolution on Korean Separated Families

WHEREAS, members of the Evangelical Covenant Church are committed to living under the lordship of Jesus Christ who inaugurated his public ministry by declaring he had come to preach good news to the oppressed and to set the captive free;

WHEREAS, the Scriptures enjoin us to welcome the stranger and to minister to the needs of the widow and the orphan; and

WHEREAS, the 108th Covenant Annual Meeting has met under the theme of "Renewing Our Covenant Toward the Stranger" and has considered a proposed strategic plan that includes in its vision for mission our dedication to seeking justice for all who are oppressed; and

WHEREAS, the Evangelical Covenant Church has been enriched by the inclusion in its fellowship of Korean Christians, many of whom are recent immigrants to the United States and Canada and whose Christian life and spiritual fervor have been an encouragement and witness to us all; and

WHEREAS, we have been made aware of the considerable and continuing suffering of the Korean people resulting from more than 10 million family members now separated between North and South Korea; and

WHEREAS, the Korean Assembly for Reunion of Ten Million Separated Families (KARTS) under the distinguished leadership of Young Seek Chou, chancellor of Kyung Hee University (a sister institution of North Park College and Theological Seminary) and perpetual president-emeritus of the International Association of University Presidents, has called for the expression of support from concerned persons everywhere; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the 108th Covenant Annual Meeting express its concern for this tragic humanitarian issue by urging all Covenanters present to sign the Petition for the Reunion of Korean Separated Families and further by urging all Covenanters everywhere to pray earnestly for the swift and full resolution of this grievous injustice.