Vol. XVI #3December, 2004

NSKK NEWSLETTER
日本聖公会管区事務所だより
NIPPON SEI KO KAI Provincial Office

Editor : E. Hajime Suzuki

65 Yarai-cho, Shinjuku-ku,

Tel. +81-3-5228-3171

Tokyo 162-0805 JAPANFax +81-3-5228-3175

Trip to attend APJN (Anglican Peace and Justice Network) Conference
The Rt. Rev. Nathaniel Makoto Uematsu
Conference of Anglican Peace and Justice Network was held in St. George’s College andits vicinity in Jerusalem between September 14 and 22, 2004. There were 32 attendees;
representatives from 23 provinces of Anglican Communion, Anglican Communion UNobservers, and local advisors. From Japan Revd Samuel Koshiishi, Committee memberof APJN, and I attended.
It was the first time for me to attend conference of APJN. The reason to attend thisconference was two folded. Firstly with my own eyes I wanted to see current situation inIsrael/Palestine where I made pilgrimage a few times in the past. Secondly I wanted tomeet with Palestinians of living stones, particularly Anglican Palestinians living in thearea. The Bishop of Jerusalem then, Bishop Samir Kafity, said over 10 years ago, “ Youmust come to visit Holy Land to meet with living stones rather than visiting dead stones
such as historical churches and other places.” I would like to briefly describe what I
observed and how I felt during this trip.
APJN held conference several times in the past, and at each conference issue of Peace andJustice in global level was discussed. These issues were driven by globalization and they
have become a real problem in many locations in the world. At this meeting specificissues relevant to Peace and Justice such as war and local conflict, trade and poverty,environment, HIV/AIDS, theological training, Human Sexuality, women and children
were addressed by the members at subgroup discussion as well as group discussion.
Recommendations were made by each subgroup to bring to attention of ACC (Anglican
Consultative Council). Those, who came from the regions where peoples are dying every
day because of AIDS and violence, reported us to share their experiences. This kind of
information is rarely available to Japanese and it is beyond our comprehension.
APJN always pays attention to issues specific to the location of the meeting held and it is
an important purposes of the meeting to enhance cooperation with those who actively
participate locally for peace and justice cause. This time APJN held a meeting in Israeland Palestine which indicates that churches all over the world are closely connected withPalestinians. From the very beginning of the meeting we challenged issue of Israel andPalestine by taking and participating in lectures and local field trips, and we came acrossall kinds of means for oppression, maltreatment, and exploitation towards Palestinians byIsraeli Government and Military Forces. These acts were as if they were total denial ofPalestinians’ existence. Their action was claimed to be justifiable to fight against
terrorists of 9/11 and alike. Palestinians are confined within the occupied territory which
is surrounded by 8 meter high concrete wall. They have almost no freedom in theconfinement, and are threatened by tanks and guns of Israeli Military. It is almost likeconfinement in prison. All of us were very angry and saddened beyond our capability to
express in words.
When I visited St. Paul’s Church near Nazareth, one elderly lady approached me to ask if
people of NSKK in Japan know that Anglicans are here and do live in this land. I hopeand pray that everyone of NSKK member will become aware of issues Palestinians arefacing now.

Poverty and Peace
The Rev. Laurence Yutaka Minabe
General Secretary,
The Provincial Office of Nippon Sei Ko Kai
I took a long trip this summer which I have not done for a while. You may imagine thatclimate in Iran and Uganda is rather hot, but in reality it was very comfortable because ofits high altitude. South Africa was still chilly since it was the end of winter. If I wereyounger I would have really looked forward to the trip, but at my age three week long trip
was very hard.
Scene in the city of Bam, which is located in south-western part of Iran, was devastating.
Although it has been already 8 months since the big quake at the end of year 2003, there
are lots of rubbles. Contrast with the scene in Teheran was evident. I was relieved toobserve a typical community of Islamic world there to help each other. Since Iran issurrounded by Afghanistan and Iraq she is very cautious against behavior of USA. I heard
from many people there that they will fight until they all die if USA starts an attack byreason of violation against inspection of nuclear weapons. Understanding the situation
they are in I felt that they have better things to do than a going war with USA. Same will
apply to the government of USA and people of USA.
In Uganda Dr. Kitagawa and her doctor husband, who have been sent by JOCS (JapanOverseas Christian Medical Cooperative Service), made my visit to Kiwoko Hospital inLuwero possible. We went there to observe a home-based care project to take care ofchildren of HIV/AIDS.
Nurse does the work which requires medical professional care, and a family member
takes care of the child. Most cases either mother has passed way or be sick in bed, so
grandparents become care giver for the child. Since they have multiple children to look

after home-based care becomes a very crucial issue. Anti-virus medicine called ARVs is
not commonly available to average people because of its high cost. Since taking a goodnutrition through eating proper food makes immunity stronger, advise of a good eating
practice becomes very important. In other words they are lacking good nutrition because
they are very poor. I wondered why this was the case in spite of plentiful catch of fish inlake Victoria and good weather which is fit for good agriculture production. Its has been
said that this land is a pearl of Africa. This country might be a different place if there werefair share of wealth which is not limited to money only but it could be employment andwork environment, and education. This country had experienced a long internal conflict
which has left many scars. There has broken another internal conflict in northern Uganda.
I felt there should be better things to do than continuing to engage in a long internal
conflict.
In South Africa there is a tremendous gap between rich and poor which has been causedby an aftereffect of Apartheid. HIV/AIDS problem is believed to be the worst here and insome local communities over 50 % of population is infected.
It is very difficult to buy high price medicine and most of them die after the latent period
of about 10 years. There is no hope for future of children although the country itself is richby producing gold and other minerals. Church can not afford medicine. It seems whatchurch can do is limited to education for prevention, patient care, and most of all
education to minimize prejudice and discrimination so that at least dignity may be
maintained until the end of their life. There will be another long fight after gaining
equality through a long and fearful fight. There I observe lack of equality in former
neighborhood for black people.
I do not believe equality alone will be a solution for all problems. But what I haveencountered during this trip is to realize how big a gap is between poor and rich and it was
not easy to comprehend. When we address issue of peace in the world we could not avoid
this issue of the poverty which is caused by gap between rich and poor.

Concluding theCollaboration

20thanniversary

conventionof

NSKK-ACK*Mission(* NSKK:Nippon Sei Kou Kai / ACK:Anglican Church of Korea)
Rev Stephen Sigyung Yoo
Chaplain, Rikkyo University / Missionary from Seoul
Diocese, ACK
The 20th anniversary convention of NSKK-ACK Mission Collaboration was held fromOctober 18 to the 21st in Fukuoka. It was a meeting with the meaning of looking backupon the time of the collaboration and the formal exchange in work of Mission of both
Churches that started in 1984, and of groping for views of the future. It is worth a special
mention that it was on a much larger scale than before. When at least the participant inboth Churches were counted, all members totaled 120 or more persons and with theMothers Union Choir of Seoul Diocese which took charge of the service for acommemorative concert and closing worship, the number exceeded 150 persons.
The convention mainly consisted of a presentation on the past 20 years which was titled“gratitude and hope”, and a group discussion by six groups based on the special lecture on<Peace in East Asia and relations of South & North Korea toward reunification> by
Professor J Lee of Rikkyo University, including the urgency and importance ofcollaboration in social activities or many ministries were discussed actively, withmembers discussing the role of the citizens/Christians of both countries/Churches.
In the joint statement adopted on the final day of the convention, it was declared that weshould continue collaborative relations and continue to step toward a newer pace. Thisemphasized the necessity for broader collaboration, seeking a new ground level of peaceand mission collaboration which supports more concretely and suits from overall
exchange in making the range of collaboration prudent, and the same field, same spot, andposition to a grass-roots level so to speak, in the East Asia area. In twenty years we havecome around, from elementary mutual understanding to collaboration, from exchange tosolidarity, and as we worked toward expansion and enhancement of the part of thecollaboration to East Asia from Japan and South Korea, future directivity has beenshown.
Especially, the new organization which replaces the NSKK-ACK cooperation committee
affiliated with a general meeting whose substance of was lost was called for as a result ofreorganization of NSKK for several of these years. As for determining whether it will be
developed from now on, and the agreement and the promise in a convention go, the newsystem will become a conclusive factor. On the character of the convention, although we
do not have the authority to decide on it until it is detailed, we cannot overemphasize that
it was an important convention. Probably, the new collaboration organization organized
by deliberations of both Anglican Church from now on should be observed in order tomake these things significant. The convention closed carrying out both the confessions offaith “the one body”, remembering one Korean priest suffering from cancer, expressing
the decision to collaborate in the future.
There is Korean proverb that “after mountain, there is mountain again”. By thecollaboration for 20 years, both churches crossed just a small peak. We are going to climb
the next peak and a steeper mountain. Next year corresponds to the year celebrating the40th anniversary of Japan-South Korea normalization of diplomatic relations. Exchangeof Japan-South Korea Anglican Church also begins from goodwill on an individual level,
and we will celebrate the 40th anniversary by the end of next year. The Bible has given
special meaning to the number 40. The people of Israel from Egypt came into Canaan atlast, after wandering about for 40 years in the wilderness. Jesus was also able to bear thetrial for 40 days. I wish to consider 40 years the pace of Japan-South Korea Anglican
Church from the meaning of this number of 40 that the Bible shows. Can we stand for 40years of trial which begins to follow a new history, and go into Canaan as surely as thepioneer Joshua ﾑ or will we finish with Canaan being seen only from the boundary? We
have started the prayer and efforts of both Anglican Churches for moving beyond theboundary. *Obituary
Dear Readers of the NSKK Newsletter
We greatly regret to inform you of an untimely death of Rev. Timothy K. Fujii on 5thNovember 2004. Rev. Fujii was one of the active editors of the NSKK Newsletter andenthusiastically engaged in making NSKK Newsletters.
We would ask you to remember in your prayers that his soul rest in peace in heaven.
Sincerely yours,
Hajime Suzuki
Editor-in-Chief of NSKK Newsletter

From Editor’s Room:

Wishing you a Happy Christmas and Peaceful New Year!
EgidioHajimeGraceKazuko

Elizabeth

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