The Reverend Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), reflects on the gifts Korean Presbyterians bring to the life of the PC(USA), and shares his hope for an ongoing journey together in ministry.

Transcript:

This video is a shout-out to our Korean sisters and brothers who are a vital part of our Presbyterian Church. Over a hundred years ago there was a fortuitous meeting where folks from the United States went to Korea and began this long ministry journey we have together of doing mission for the sake of the Gospel around the world.

In this past month or so I’ve been with two gatherings of Koreans; I was with the Korean Family Retreat at Myrtle Beach and I was with the Korean Pastors’ Conference in Reno, Nevada. And in both of those events I was reminded once again of the strong passions Koreans have for mission, the strong passion they have for their faith, and the strong passion they have for their families. All of which are gifts to the Presbyterian Church, much like these beautiful doors behind me at the chapel here at the Presbyterian Center.

There’s a saying in Korean that goes something like this in English: the crawfish and the crab shall side with each other. What it means is, similar things are attracted to each other and they stay together as they go through life. And that’s what we have done with our Korean brothers and sisters. For us, the Presbyterians, the Koreans, the Korean Presbyterians need to be part of our church for another hundred years of mission and faithfulness.

Thank you Korean sisters and brothers.