As Korea prepares for the upcoming elections on April 10, the Christian Council of Korea (CCK) held a 'Prayer Rally for 12 Million Believers for the April 2024 General Election' both online and offline at the Grace and Truth Church in Anyang.
CCK Chairman Rev. Seo-yeong Jeong opened the worship service by emphasizing, "To fulfill the joint mission entrusted to the Korean Church, CCK first and foremost declares its active support for safeguarding freedom and democracy for the safety and free practice of faith in the nation," stating, "We must firmly reject any attempt by forces to remove 'freedom' from democracy, we must uphold freedom."
"Moreover, CCK supports conservative theology. We will work together with all denominations and churches that support conservative theology and faith to guide South Korea towards the right faith."
"For over a decade, CCK has strongly opposed the legalization of homosexuality. We have steadfastly stood as the last bastion against attempts to legalize homosexuality using toxic clauses working as wrecking amendments such as 'sexual orientation' and 'gender identity'," he continued, adding, "Despite various gimmicks to legalize homosexuality, we must never back down."
"South Korea is currently experiencing extreme political and social polarization, and the people are influenced by division in partisan logic. However, we desire to find the path of 'unity' resembling the love of Jesus Christ, who breaks down barriers and unites us," he said, and urged believers that "while elections are marked by confrontation and slander, we must pray, and if 60,000 churches and 12 million believers unite in prayer and action, South Korea will be established upright."
He added, "Before the parliamentary elections on April 10, we have gathered here to pray for the nation and the people," and "First, we must prostrate ourselves before God and pray for the establishment of fitting leaders according to His will. I believe that God will hear and respond to our earnest prayers for issues such as overcoming low birth rates, expanding medical school admissions, ensuring South Korea's economic stability, and national security and peace."
He also stressed, "We must hold fast so that the country does not fall into confusion and fulfill the mission of Christians to reconcile and promote harmony," saying, "When we pray, the winds of change arise. When we act, South Korea will surely change."
Rev. Yong-mok Cho then preached a message titled 'Opportunity and Choice' based on Numbers 24, saying, "This election is a very serious and solemn one held in serious times. Leaders of the Church gathered with believers to seek God's help considering the impact of the election results on the country and the Church."
"There are those who turn crises into opportunities, and there are those who turn given opportunities into crises. Prayer turns crises into opportunities."
He warned that "if the church does not regard adhering to pluralistic and humanistic theological trends and secularization as sinful, it is a corrupt church," and "Those who claim to be believers but do not care about the crimes committed by the candidates they elect are false believers. Those who support those who hold hostile views and ideologies against God and the Church are fake believers. Such churches and believers are no different from the Israelites and Judeans who treated God with contempt and engaged in double-minded acts of faith."
He further emphasized, "Those who serve God serve only according to God's will. True believers do not engage in double-minded acts of faith. They do not succumb to worldly trends. They do not elect leaders who hold views that are hostile to the Church or harmful laws, nor do they condone them. They not only refrain from doing so, but they also cannot do so."
"Public elections are opportunities to elect excellent leaders for the people. Christians must approach voting with holy motives, purposes, and standards. True believers' motives and purposes must be in line with the Bible in whatever they do," he concluded, adding that “all things should be done for the glory of God. To bring joy to the Lord. In order to exalt Christ, and to choose goodness, righteousness, and the truth as the standards for the choices we make. Such believers live in the hand of God’s great wisdom, power and love.”
In the prayer session that followed, different pastors prayed for the nation, the unity of the Korean Church, for society and for other nations.
Finally, the prayer meeting concluded with a joint prayer and declaration by CCK:
Prayer is sincerely requested for the establishment of proper leaders according to God's will until the parliamentary elections on April 10. Through the prayer meeting, we prayed for the nation, the Korean church, the nations, and social issues. In particular, we keenly felt that social issues such as the economy, medical reform, and low birth rates are not issues limited to specific individuals or fields, but concerns of all citizens that need to be solved together. Now, the Christian Council of Korea declares its unified heart and resolution as follows, in accordance with the saying, ‘all things work together into good’ (Romans 8:28).
One, we resolve to pray every day until the parliamentary elections on April 10th, so that God's will may be done and righteous leaders may be established.
One, we urge parliamentary candidates to present realistic and achievable promises for the balanced development and future of South Korea, rather than populist pledges, and to compete with integrity while ceasing negative campaigning.
One, we urge the government should strengthen national integrity management and develop long-term economic growth strategies from a comprehensive perspective, rather than relying solely on short-term compassionate fiscal policies, to promote stable national economic development.
One, we welcome the directive of expanding medical school admissions to supplement manpower in regional and essential medical fields. Physicians should remember to demonstrate true compassion through every act of patient care, and the government should pursue smooth medical reforms to prevent patient suffering.
One, we recognize South Korea's total fertility rate is at a critical level where national extinction is a concern. Despite various measures and budget allocations, the fertility rate continues to decline. We resolve to pray to God, the source of life, that South Korea may overflow with the sound and joy of life, and we urge churches to share the responsibility of childcare and education within local communities.
One, we urge that the comprehensive anti-discrimination laws containing toxic clauses working as wrecking amendments such as 'sexual orientation' and 'gender identity' should be abolished by the 21st National Assembly. Candidates for the 22nd National Assembly must affirm that they will no longer propose laws to protect 'homosexuality' or 'same-sex marriage,' and we urge them to take action to prevent the legalization of homosexuality.
One, we resolve to overcome the polarization in South Korea and become Christians who resemble the love of Jesus Christ, breaking down barriers and connecting relationships through forgiveness and the practice of love.
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Original article published by Christian Daily Korea. Translated and edited by Christian Daily International.
