Primer for The Korean Invitation

We are delighted to share this important document, The Korean Invitation: Good News for all the Earth which, we hope and pray, will shape our response to the ecological crises we face and will inspire churches, Christian organisations and individuals worldwide to join us in prayerful action for God’s creation. Responses we’ve received include:

• “This invitation is a crucial step in gathering the church, affirming God's love for creation, and committing to our work together.”
• “A timely and necessary prophetic invitation for the global church to affirm that God’s good news is for all the earth.”
• “A very important document that all Evangelical Christians must read!”

Please read the whole document carefully and prayerfully and, if possible, sign it using this form. This article briefly summarises the Korean Invitation and answers some key questions about it.

Why do we need this new ‘Korean Invitation’? Many of you will be familiar with The Jamaica Call to Action, which arose from the first global LWCCN gathering in Jamaica in 2012. It was a very timely and helpful document but inevitably feels somewhat dated. In addition, it didn’t try to give the biblical basis for creation care / earthkeeping. We’ve become very aware – particularly at Lausanne 4 - that in many countries and contexts that is still needed. Unless Christian leaders understand why we are called to care for creation they may see this as a secular agenda rather than a biblical calling.

Who wrote it and why is it called ‘The Korean Invitation’? It arose from the GCCF (Global Creation Care Forum) held in Gonjiam, South Korea, immediately after the 4th Lausanne Congress (Sept. 2024). The overall shape and content were planned by 100+ delegates from 40+ countries, with a small drafting team consisting of Dave Bookless (UK), Rei Lemuel Crizaldo (Philippines), Sara Kaweesa (Uganda), Juliana Morillo-Horne (Colombia) and Laura Meitzner Yoder (USA). A period of online editing and review continued beyond GCCF, with a final version launched in December 2024. Its name recognises its Korean birthplace. It is an invitation, not a statement, because it demands a response! To hear more about what happened at GCCF and how the Korean Invitation emerged, with voices from around the world here are the recordings of the ‘What happened in Korea?’ webinars we held in December:

• Webinar 1 (featuring Jasmine Kwong, Kuki Rokhum, Richard Sempala, Rei Crizaldo, Caroline Pomeroy, Ryoung Kim, Julio Reis, Juliana Morillo & Dave Bookless)
• Webinar 2 (featuring Laura Yoder, Jeong Jee-Hye, Samuel Chiu, Maria Alejandra Andrade, Edgar Pollard, Jocabed Solano Miselis, Matheus Ortega, Michael Jemphrey, Juliana Morillo & Dave Bookless)

‍What does it contain and who is it aimed at? It’s in two sections, the first giving a clear summary of the basis for creation care with biblical footnotes, and the second inviting urgent action under seven headings. These work outwards from the personal to the global, starting with the need for a new relationship with creation. There are then sections on lifestyle, churches and Christian organisations, workplaces, communities, society and global ecological concerns, with a concluding invitation to respond. In a short document we couldn’t include everybody’s wishes but aimed to be as comprehensive as possible. We want the invitation to go to all Christians, so do share and translate it. We particularly want leaders in churches, evangelical organisations, businesses and the public sector to read it and respond.

What next? Please read and sign it yourself! Do share it on social media using #KoreanInvitation and use your networks to get key people and organisations to sign it too. You could do what Laura Yoder did at Wheaton College – hold a launch event with people reading it aloud section by section. Also, please pray that God will use this invitation to call his people to respond in repentance, prayer and action.