DPCU represented at Global Christian Forum: Regional Asian Consultation and Annual Committee Meeting

More than fifty participants, including some 30 representatives of Christian churches in Asia as well as 25 members of the Global Christian Forum (GCF) International Committee, gathered in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from 14-17 October 2022 for the Asian Regional Meeting with the aims of fostering mutual respect and addressing common challenges together. The event was hosted by Myungsung Church, Seoul (Presbyterian).

The Catholic Church was represented by Archbishop Anil J. T. Couto of Delhi, India, Reverend Dr Minkyun Gregorio Im, Secretary of the Committee for Ecumenism of the Bishop’s Conference of Korea, and Reverend Andrzej Choromanski from DPCU, staff member responsible for multilateral relations. Gathered under the theme “Faithfulness in a Multi-faith Context”, the participants discussed challenges and opportunities facing Christians in Asia, and considered how the richness and diversity of Asian Christianity can contribute to the life of churches in different regions of the world. A Communiqué was issued at the end of the meeting.

The meeting was followed by the annual meeting of the GCF International Committee which was presided by the Secretary, Reverend Dr Casely Essamuah (Methodist Church, Ghana/USA). Meeting for the first time in‒person since 2019, the Committee gave a positive evaluation of GCF activities during the pandemic, received and approved the annual report from the Secretary and discussed the upcoming GCF activities, focusing on the celebration in 2023 of the 25th anniversary of the foundation of GCF (1998), and the fourth Global Gathering of the GCF scheduled in Ghana in April 2024. A Narrative Report was issued at the end of the Committee meeting.