Release International

The South Korean church has declared 2007 a year of prayer for North Korea -- in a meeting at Seoul's Olympic Stadium on the centenary of the Pyongyang Great Revival.

On January 13, an audience of 15,000 people heard prominent Korean and international leaders urge Christians worldwide to focus prayers on North Korea throughout this year. Release International is one of many organisations supporting the initiative.

Rev Choi Hee Boum, Executive Secretary of the Christian Council of Korea, read out a forceful proclamation, as the culmination of a week-long series of meetings at the stadium. 'We recollect how, 100 years ago, North Korea was mightily touched and transformed by God and how the gospel flourished so greatly in Pyongyang that it was called the Jerusalem of the East,' he said. 'Today we stand deeply saddened that North Korea is in
great spiritual darkness and crisis.'

In just 100 years, Pyongyang's reputation has been turned on its head. Today it brutally suppresses Christians, enforces idolatry of political leaders and bans the Gospel totally.

The proclamation comes amid reports from the World Bible Translation Centre that a North Korean evangelist has been executed -- simply for distributing New Testaments.

Act

• Let your church know about the year of prayer for North Korea. For more information on how to pray and mobilise others, visit www.pfnk.org

Pray

• Pray fervently that 2007 really would be the year that sees an end to the spiritual darkness which shrouds North Korea -- and commit to pray regularly for this.

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