Charles Sturt University (CSU) conferred an honorary doctorate on Reverend Dr Cho Seong Gi, the head of the Presbyterian Church of Korea, when he visited Adelaide on Monday 16 July.
The Chancellor of CSU, Mr Lawrie Willett, AO, admitted Reverend Dr Cho to the award of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) for his contribution to the development of partnerships and linkages between Australia and Korea and his strong support of CSU and its programs at CSU’s School of Theology.
The Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK) is Korea’s largest church with approximately 15 million members, and is also the largest Presbyterian Church in the world. Reverend Dr Cho Seong Gi’s role gives him a prominent leadership position in Korean society, including in relations with government, the media, in public ceremonies and in education, especially university education.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Willett noted, “Reverend Dr Cho’s leadership has exceeded that which would normally be expected in his role. He has very actively promoted ecumenical dialogue between the Korean churches, and has been a leader in the productive Christian-Buddhist dialogue in Korea.
“He has strengthened the international engagement of the PCK and Korean churches, including work with the Christian Conference of Asia, and with the World Council of Churches. Consequently, in 2013 Korea will host the next International Congress of the World Council of Churches, which is the most important international gathering of churches.”
The citation for the honorary doctorate highlights Reverend Dr Cho’s close links with Australia over a long period, noting he was pastor of a Korean Church in Melbourne from 1983 to 1987, during which time he also studied at Melbourne College of Divinity. As General Secretary of the PCK, he has visited Australia annually, and has developed strong partnerships with the Uniting Church in Australia (UCA). This has included support for UCA projects in North Korea, which are among the few successful aid projects in that country.
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