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MEETING AT LAMBETH PALACE
The Anglican Consultative Council, wich meets every two or three years and brings together bishops, clergy and lay people from all provinces of the Anglican Communion, met in Nottingham in June last year.
At the meeting a resolution was passws urging that ways be found to bring forward peace throughout North and South Korea.
A delegation,led by the Bishop of Seoul, the Rt Revd Francis Park, visited England in February this year and attended a meeting with the Archibishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace.
The conversations sought ways to take resolution forward. Included in the meeting were the Anglican Consultative Council Chairman, Bishop John Paterson and the Anglican Observer at the United Nations and Clare Amos of the Anglican Communion Office.
BISHOP JOHN DALY MISSION CENTRE
Bishop John Daly
On 19 September 1995 the Bishop John Daly Mission centre started work at Kumi in the Province of Kyungbuk, one of the largest industrial cities in South Korea. The Centre recruits and trains volunteers to provide bedside care for patients who have no one to care for them and/or have not got the financial wherewithal to hire nursing care after dischrge from hospital.
In South Korea, home nursing care is the responsibility of the patient's family and when patients are discharged from hospital, there are no programmes for the provision of rehabilitation home care. So in 1999 the Bishop John Daly Centre began to provide needy patients, and sometimes their improverished family members, with home nursing care, personal hygiene needs, assistance with household chores and looking after their transport needs for as long as such things are required. In 2001 the Centre added a rehabilitation specialist to the staff.
The Centre is Currently looking after five patients under its hospitall care programme and 50-70 people under the home nursing programme who are either physically disabled or chronically sick. The Centre has recruited and trained about 400 volunteers through 22'diaconia' workshops. Twenty of these volunteers have made a commitment to give at least four hours service every week. Others give help as and when recuired
There is a self help group of 15 to 20 wheelchair-bound disabled people in the home care group who strive to improve the quality of their lives by interacting with on another on a regular basis. The gaining of computer skills being one of their activities.
The Centre also organizes driving lessons for those patients who are sufficiently independent. This endables many people to enjoy greater freedom and an altogether better quality of life. Some have become volunteers by providing much needed transport for others. Theses 'patients turned volunteers' organize a monthly get together where they are able to socialize, reflect on their transformed lives and discussion future schedules and challenges.
St John's Anglican Church, which was founded in 2002, has a celebration of the Holy Eucharist every Sunday and on major feast days. Evensong is sung on Sundays and with the exception of Mondays, we have daily morning worship with intercessional prayers. Prayer is at the heart of all our work. A typical Sunday morning congregation comprises something like twnety adults and ten children.
Since 2004, St John's Church has been involved in youth mission, running an after-school programme. Currently we have fourteen 1st to 6th grades students and seven who are in the 8th/9th grades. This programme provides a service for working parents living in the neighbourhood.
In 2002 we received sponsorship from Government to organize the Kumi Senior Citizens Club. Through educational programmes the Club hopes to open up avenues of employment for those people who want to return to paid work. We arrange many recreational activities as well as trying to tip the scales of social justice more favourably towards the needs of older people. The Club has a membership of 150 people.
Who's who at the Centre:
The Revd Jonathan Kim is the founder, the Director of the Board and community pastor. He oversees the Centre's finances as well as its fundraising. Mrs Kunia Kim, Jonathan's wife. is the 'mother' to the Kumi Community. In additon to being Jonathan's greatest supportor, she provides spiritual and moral support for the worship community. The Revd Jeremiah Ahn, who has recently been ordained priest, assists Jonathan in the Church and with spiritual and pastoral care.
Ms Mary Lee, a physical therapist who joined the staff in 2001, is now responsible for all caring ministries. Ms Myung Park is a registered nurse and she trains all the volunteers with regard to the home nursing of care patients. Ms Myung Sook Koh is the volunteer co-ordinator. Sister Francis looks after the planning of daily worship, including Sundays. She is a musician and the Church leader for the worship community. Mrs Theresa Ahn is responsible for the work with regard to the senior citizens. Ms Mijin Kwon is in charge of the after-school programme.
Our ministry is limited by a lack of resources in respect of personnel, facilities and finances. The needs are great, as is our desire to meet these needs. Our prayer is that God will continue to open the door to new opportunities and resources. Last but by no means least, we thank you for your support and ask for your prayers in regard to this very worthy endeavour.
Jonathan Kim
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