by  Kato Makoto, executive secretary

The Korea/Japan 5-Churches Mission Consultation was held in Seoul, Feb. 20-21 and used both the headquarters of the Korean Methodist Church (KMC) and the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK). The other three church bodies involved in the consultation were the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK), the Korean Christian Church in Japan (KCCJ) and the Kyodan.

The basic pattern is for each denomination to send three official representatives. The Kyodan sent Rev. Kumoshikari Toshimi, General Assembly secretary, Rev. Kishi Norihide, former chair of the Committee on Korean Church Relations, and myself.

There were three presentations: one each by the KMC, the Kyodan and the PCK, with the first being given by Rev. Yoon Byung-Jo, senior pastor of Morenae Methodist Church. He also serves as vice-president of the Korean Methodist Mission Association and chairperson of the Japan Mission Society.  He presented a case study of joint mission cooperation between Korea and Japan. Rev. Yoon's conclusions were two-fold.

First, we need to learn from history. As an example, he shared the story of Lee Su-Jung who came to Japan and was baptized by Rev. Yasukawa Toru in 1883 and, while he was in Japan, translated the Gospel of Mark into Korean. That translation was then used by missionary Henry Gerhard Appenzeller in his evangelistic work in Korea, thus making it a beautiful legacy for Japanese and Korean churches.

Second, it is important to pray for and work towards an expansion of exchanges and visitations among both Korean and Japanese churches, including revitalization of exchanges between pastoral and mission-related personnel towards a creative future.

The next presentation was by Dr. Nag Woon-Hae, a missionary sent by the Kyodan to the Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary in Seoul. He spoke on "The Desirable Role of a Pastor in Japanese Churches" and gave the background of the increasing number of Koreans volunteering to serve as overseas missionaries. He also identified the issues involved in sending Koreans to help with the more than 400 Kyodan churches in Japan that are without a full-time pastor. He stressed how important it is for such missionaries to be able to dedicate themselves to evangelism and outreach in the areas of Japan where such churches are concentrated. He gave three suggestions:

1) Make the Kyodan Commission on Ecumenical Ministries the route through which Korean missionaries are sent to Japanese churches;

2) Have a period of training for such people prior they enter Japan. For instance, since Dr. Nag Woon-Hae is in charge of the Japanese worship service at Seamoonan Presbyterian Church, the missionaries could attend the weekly services there for three months to become familiar with the atmosphere of a Japanese church and improve their Japanese language skills; and

3) Create a joint program together with the Kyodan for serving Kyodan churches. Missionaries from Korea need to participate more fully in such a church structure within the Kyodan, and the Kyodan needs to be more proactive in sending missionaries to Korea.

The final presentation, given by Rev. Lee Sang-Cheol of PCK’s Onhye Presbyterian Church, was a report of his ministry since he was called to be the pastor there in January 2009 entitled "Practices and Actual Application of Evangelism." This church, a typical one in a rural area, had not conducted a single baptism in several years. The vision he had received as he began there was to create a "ministry revered in the community" and a "ministry revealing the benevolence of God." He began by developing a sense of community particularly with elderly people living alone by taking a bento lunch to give them when he visited. He helped those who could not easily get to health clinics by taking their blood pressure and blood sugar levels and driving them to the hospital when they needed to go. He also began a service by volunteers who take these older people to a famous hot springs nearby, and then in his second year of ministry there began "Rainbow University," a school for elderly persons that utilizes the talents and resources of local people. In 2014, the church had 12 baptisms, and presently the weekly attendance is about 50.

Following these presentations, we spent time discussing them. This included exchanging our views on the specific proposals of missionary Nag Woon-Hae concerning training. We ended by making preparations for the next planning session for the following such consultation.

(Tr. TB)

第3回韓日5教会宣教実務者会議

報告　加藤　誠

2017年2月20、21日の両日、ソウルにある基督教大韓監理会本部会議室と韓国基督教長老会（PROK）本部会議室において、第3回韓日5教会宣教実務者会議が開催された。5教会とはThe Presbyterian Church of Korea(PCK), Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea(PROK), The Korean Methodist Church(KMC), The Korean Christian Church in Japan(KCCJ), the Kyodanを意味する。

出席は基本的に各教派から3名。日本基督教団からは総会書記の雲然俊美牧師、前韓国協約委員長の岸憲秀牧師、加藤誠幹事。

KMC, Kyodan, PCKから3名の発題があった。最初はユン・ビンチョ牧師（Rev. Byung-Jo Yoon; Senior Pastor in Morenae Methodist Church, Vice President of Korean Methodist Mission Association, Chairperson of Japan Mission Society）から“Case Sharing of Missionary Sending Church to Japan”とのタイトルで発題が行われた。ユン牧 師は結論として次の2点を述べた。（１）歴史に学ぶ。例としてイ・スジョン（Lee Su Jung)は1883年に訪問先の日本で日本教会の安川亨牧師から洗礼を受け、滞在中にマルコによる福音書を翻訳した。その翻訳された聖書をアペンゼラー宣教師が韓国に持ってきて伝道した。それは日韓の教会の美しい歴史的遺産である。（２）両国教会が、今よりもさらに多くの交流と訪問、牧会交流事業を活性化し、創造的未来に向けた宣教同伴者関 係が拡大することを祈る。

次に教団韓国派遣宣教師、長老会神学大学校、Dr. ナグネ（Nag, Woon-Hae）から“The desirable role of a pastor in Japanese Churches”との題で発題が行われた。韓国で増加す る海外宣教志願者の背景に触れた後、日本特に教団の400以上ある無牧教会に派遣された場合の留意点について語られた。無牧教会の多い地方の市町村では愚直に宣 教・伝道に従事することを厭わない宣教師の派遣が望まれる。Dr. ナグネからの提案は3点であった。（１）韓国宣教師の日本側受入れ窓口を教団世界宣教部に一本化する。（２）日本に派遣する前にトレーニングを行う。具体的にはセムナン(Seamoonan Presbyterian Church)教会日本語礼拝をDr. ナグネが担当しているので、例えば3か月毎週礼拝に出席し日本の教会の雰囲気及び日本語に慣れていただく機会を提供する。（３）教団との共同的教会形成を目指す。教団の教会形成の業に参加していただく意識を持ち、同時に教団からも韓 国に更に積極的に宣教師を派遣する。

最後の発題はPCKからOnhye Presbyterian Church のSang-Cheol Lee牧師。“Practices and Actual Application of Evangelism”と題して、2009年1月に赴任して以来の活動 の報告を行った。Onhye教会は典型的な田舎の農村教会で何年も受洗者を生み出していなかった。赴任に際して与えられたビジョンは 「敬いの牧会」「神様の福祉の牧会」であった。一人暮らしの老人のために小さなお弁当を訪問して配ることによって住民と繋がりを持っ た。次に病院通いが自由にできない老人のために血圧や血糖のチェックを行い、必要あれば車で老人を病院に連れて行った。近くには有名 な温泉があるのでボランティアを募り入浴サービスを始めた。更に赴任2年目からは地域の財政・人材支援を受けて虹大学という老人学校の運営を手掛けた。2014年には12名の受洗者が与えられ、現在は50名の礼拝出席を得ている。

発題後には協議が行われ、本準備会の役割、ナグネ宣教師からの具体的な訓練の提案への意見交換、次回準 備会の開催について話し合われた。