by Liz Hogarth

The care of migrant workers and the peaceful re-unification of North and South Korea were the main items on the agenda at the recent full assembly of the Council of Churches of East Asia (CCEA) meeting, hosted by the Anglican Diocese of Seoul. The seven-day conference, which occurs every four years, was last month held in the South Korean capital, and was attended by over 90 delegates.

This was a strictly Anglican affair. Nine countries and provinces were represented, including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, Hong Kong and Australia. Over 20 bishops attended the meeting, designed to provide an opportunity for representatives from Ang-lican dioceses in East Asia to meet and support each other and work out some common goals with regard to mission.

Representing Australia were the former Bishop of Grafton, the Rt Rev Philip Huggins, and the Rev Ernest Chau, Curate-in-charge at St John the Baptist Church, Kirribilli. “Christians in Korea are very conscious of the political instability created by North Korea over the issue of nuclear weapons, which hinders the progress of re-unification,” Mr Chau said. “The churches in South Korea are 100 per cent behind the re-unification of their country, hence the theme of the conference, ‘Oh Come, Prince of Peace’.”

The welfare of migrant workers, a particular concern to the churches in South Korea, dominated the rest of the conference. Christians there are concerned by laws which favour the employer and make it easy for migrants to be exploited or dismissed. “The churches run a program to help migrant workers, from countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh and Pakistan, settle into the country, find stable work and get the right medical assistance,” Mr Chau said.

In terms of a common mission purpose each country or province was asked to share its own issues with migrant workers. “As a result of what was shared we have decided to set up a network so that the Anglican Church in East Asia can better care for migrant workers,” said Mr Chau. “We also hope to set up a gospel program to bring more migrant workers to Jesus Christ.”

The conference also heard reports from each province on the state of the Church, its strengths and challenges. The reports highlighted the challenges of evangelism and mission faced by a minority religion in a region where religion is central to existence and national cultural identity. However, issues of human sexuality, which currently threaten to split the Anglican Communion, were not discussed.

Mr Chau left Seoul impressed by the vitality of the Christian faith in South Korea and heartened by the sense of an Anglican family united by a common purpose in East Asia.