Dear Presbyterian brothers and sisters in Christ, 

On behalf of 350 Korean-American congregations in the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Executive Committee of National Korean Presbyterian Council greets you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We give thanks to Almighty God for his wondrous grace and love for redeeming us for his own. We give thanks to this denomination that sent missionaries whose shed blood and broken bodies stirred our sleeping forefathers in the Land of Morning Calm (Korea) to call the great name of Jesus Christ in their fervent early morning prayer. In recent decades, many Koreans came to this blessed land with the legacy of Presbyterian Church and built churches and worshipped the true and only God wherever they settled. Again, we give thanks to this denomination for helping us settle and worship in foreign land. Our appreciation is engraved in the dedication plaque at the entrance of Chapel in the Presbyterian Center in Louisville.

Presbyterian brothers and sisters in Christ, out of deep concern and heart-aching love for this denomination, thirty seven thousand Korean-American Presbyterians are pleading to you to support the proposed Amendment of same sex union ban (Amendment O) as you deliberate the amendment in your presbyteries in the coming months. We also plead to you to uphold the current constitutional requirement that church officers practice "fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness" (G-6.0106b). 

Presbyterian friends in Christ, we Christians are called to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God and not to conform to the pattern of this world (Romans 12: 1-2). We can truly enjoy blessings and liberation only when we obey and please Him, and His will is clearly and unambiguously written in the Scripture, our "only rule of faith and life." Scripture defines the marriage God instituted in terms of heterosexual monogamy. Scripture envisages no other kind of marriage or sexual intercourse, for God provided no alternative. Any sexual behavior outside of this definition, whether heterosexual or homosexual, is displeasing to God. Thus, there is no doubt that modern loving homosexual partnerships are incompatible with God's created order. It is not a matter of whether same-sex relationships are as loving and fulfilling as heterosexual relationships, but a matter of obedience to the revealed will of God no matter how painful it is to obey it. When Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith, obeyed the will of the father to the shameful cross, he was raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Pastorally, we recognize that all people are "in process" moving toward the goal of conformity to Christ's image. It is inconsistent with this goal for church officers to counsel folks to remain outside the will of God. It is not pastoral to bless behavior that is contrary to God's revealed will. 

Aside from all these theological disputes, the blessing of same sex union, whether it is considered to be a marriage or not, will have an exacerbating impact on the declining membership of our denomination. Korean-American constituency which has experienced 50% increase in membership and 90% increase in per capita during the last ten years will see a devastating blow in its membership growth because Koreans, particularly young people, are conservative and evangelical in their faith and will turn away from our denomination. In a word, the blessing of same sex union would bring our demise as a church of Jesus Christ. While we have been involved in a dispute over sexuality and ordination standards for the past two decades, we have almost lost our identity and mission as a church of Christ. Where do we stand today on our mission of "The Great Ends of the Church?" Why are spiritually thirsty and hungry young people not coming to the churches of this denomination? Why do other independent and evangelical churches grow by leaps and bounds? Are we deaf to the sermon of Jesus, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, excepts to be thrown out and trampled by men" (Mt. 5:13). Does this denomination want to be the salt that loses its saltiness? 

Presbyterian friends in Christ, let us not deceive ourselves. The blessing of same sex union is not a blessing but a curse on our homosexual brothers and sisters in our church. It is an unjust act to take away the opportunity of being healed and transformed by the love and truth of Jesus Christ. Our merciful God calls us to turn away from our brokenness to His wholeness and holiness through faith in Jesus Christ who came to heal the sick and to forgive our sins. To say this is not to minimize the pastoral responsibility of ministering to those caught in the moral confusion of our time. This responsibility requires great care, love and sensitivity. As we share the sufferings of our homosexual brothers and sisters, we will continue to pray with compassion by holding out the hope we have in Jesus Christ for a new life empowered by His Spirit. We do not despair in this struggle because our Lord Jesus said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Mt 19: 26) 

Presbyterian friends in Christ, how much more do we have to say? Let us offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. Let us strive to become the pure and beautiful bride of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray together for the transforming and healing power of the Holy Spirit. And let us get on our business, "The Great Ends of the Church." 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all! Amen. 

National Korean Presbyterian Council 
PC(USA) 
Rev. Kwan Sik Shim, Moderator 
Dr. Yushin Lee, General Secretary