Rev. Won Hur tells how the Very Rev. Dr. Lois Wilson’s courageous witness in South Korea truly modeled mutual radical partnership.
In my first visit to South Korea as the Global Partnership Program Coordinator for Asia, I was surprised by the number of Koreans and international ecumenical partners who approached me and introduced themselves. All of a sudden, I felt like the new cool kid on the block. It dawned upon me that the reason people were so friendly is that I was from The United Church of Canada. Over the past century, our church has gained an incredible amount of respect in the global ecumenical community, for which I give much credit to my predecessors Patti Talbot, Bern Jagunos, and Nan Hudson, who served with faith and integrity. Yet, one individual truly stands out in our history: The Very Rev. Dr. Lois Wilson, who served as Moderator from 1980 to 1982 and sadly passed away in September of this year.
The greatest respect came to me from members of The Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK), with whom the United Church has entered into a full-communion agreement and an agreement of mutual recognition of ministry. Our shared history goes back to even before the Church Union of 1925, when the Presbyterian Church in Canada established churches, schools, and hospitals in northern Korea. When The United Church of Canada came into being in 1925, the relationship continued to grow. In the 1950s, the Presbyterian Church of Korea was embroiled in a theological dispute, and its liberal wing was expelled. The United Church was the only church who stood by the new denomination, which has become the PROK, and we supported them throughout their growth. During the time of military dictatorship and martial law in their country, the PROK became leaders in the human rights and democracy movements.
In 1979, the country was in turmoil following the assassination of the dictator Park Chung-hee, which created a power vacuum. Another dictator emerged, and demonstrations broke out all over the country. In May 1980, in the city of Gwangju where the protesters were most bold, the military moved in and slaughtered demonstrators.
In the aftermath the following year, Lois Wilson came to South Korea as the President of the World Council of Churches on a fact-finding mission. It was very obvious to her that she was followed by plain clothes police officers at all times. Some recommended she visit Gwangju, while some recommended she stay away for her own safety. She chose to visit the city, and spoke to people in a YMCA building that still had bullet holes in its walls. She spoke with a grieving mother who had lost her son. Wilson returned to Canada and reported her findings to all, including Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. The people of Korea felt as though they had been heard, and their cry for justice legitimized. As for the mother who spoke to Wilson, she was jailed for two years for telling her story. For her faithful witness, the PROK and the National Council of Churches in Korea still hold a huge level of respect for Lois Wilson and the United Church.
In the Church in Partnership cluster of the General Council Office, we are pursuing authentic mutual partnerships with our global partners. Much to our remorse, we recognize that in our church’s history, our partnerships took a paternalistic or colonial approach. Partners like the PROK helped to see that tendency in us and demand a partnership based on mutuality. Our goals are to find out how we can be a decolonizing church, and how we can share our resources and power as authentic mutual partners. We are seeking wisdom from the members of the Partner Council and the global partners themselves. It is a huge undertaking with no clear path ahead, but we are more than willing to listen and learn.
The Very Rev. Wilson’s actions give us tangible witness to radical accompaniment. She demonstrated courageous kinship and steadfast solidarity despite the danger posed to her being. She acted out of love for the people who were hurting, who were longing for justice, and who wanted to be heard. She did all this with much humility, grace, and compassion. Lois Wilson demonstrated in a beautiful way more than forty years ago what it means to be a true neighbour in a global ecumenical sphere. In South Korea, she is still remembered with fondness and love.
In gratitude and in the spirit of friendship, the PROK has made a generous donation to the United Church. The gift will be for a new stained-glass window when the General Council Office moves into its new location at 300 Bloor St. West, Toronto, in 2026. It is hoped that the light of God will shine through the stained-glass window with beauty, and with authentic partnership and mutuality which will further define who we are in the world. It is an honour and privilege to represent our church.
Your gifts to Mission and Service help the church in living out mutual radical accompaniment with our global ecumenical partners in the ministry of mending the world.
— The Rev. Won Hur is Global Partnership Program Coordinator, Asia, in the Church in Mission Unit, at the General Council Office.