JOOSEOP KEUM TAKES OFFICE AS CWM GENERAL SECRETARY
Rev Dr Jooseop Keum has now assumed office as the 6th General Secretary of Council for World Mission, on 1 July 2021, following his appointment at a Special Members’ Meeting held on 31 March 2021. Dr Keum, an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church of Korea, and formerly the Distinguished Professor of World Christianity at the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary and Director of the Korea Institute for Future Ecumenism, was inducted into office, formally taking over the leadership mantle from Rev Dr Collin Cowan at a moving inauguration service held online on 5 July 2021. The inauguration service, attended by a wider cross-section of the CWM family – directors, member churches, ecumenical colleagues and staff, was a time of worship to signal the official start of Dr Keum’s ministry. During the service, there was a sending and receiving ceremony presided over by the Moderator and General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church of Korea, Rev Dr Jun Ho Shin and Rev Dr Changbae Byun, respectively, and CWM’s Moderator, Rev Lydia Neshangwe. Dr Keum takes the helm of CWM at a Kairos moment for mission engagement in the wake of an unprecedented shake-up in the global missional landscape. In his greetings, Rev Dr Jun Ho Shin, remarked that the landscape of Christianity is rapidly changing and the global ecumenical movement is facing difficulties. He implored CWM
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to continue to contribute to the world mission, to pay particular attention to the ecumenical movement and to take up leadership in the transformative discipleship for world Christianity, especially at such a time as this. The Moderator pledged the support of the Korean churches to Dr Keum as he leads CWM to rise to the challenge. In his sending remarks, Rev Dr Changbae Byun observed that Covid-19 had caused a great crisis to the global community; and that it was of urgent necessity for global ecumenical movement and mission agencies to approach the ministries of justice, peace and life with a fresh perspective for the changing context. He expressed confidence that Dr Keum would provide the leadership required of CWM for such a time as this, the basis on which he delightfully released Rev Dr Keum from and on behalf of the PCK to CWM. In receiving Dr Keum, on behalf of Council for World Mission, the Moderator, Rev Lydia Neshangwe said, “We receive Jooseop with gratitude, with love and with joy. We promise to take care of him – we will pray for him, we will praise him so that his work becomes energised, we will persevere together with him to achieve the vision of the work that is before him.”
