Father’s execution led Rhee into PCUSA ministry The Presbyterian Layman Volume 33, Number 3 Posted May 22, 2000 Syngman Rhee The Rev. Syngman Rhee is the son of a Presbyterian minister who was imprisoned and executed in Korea during that nation’s civil war. He remembers standing at his father’s grave. Rhee says, “A small, quiet voice came to my heart, saying, ‘Shouldn’t you follow your father’s footsteps in order to continue that ministry that your father was unable to complete because of his death at the age of 49?’” His answer was yes. With the help of Christian friends, Rhee came to the U.S. and received degrees from Davis-Elkins College and Louisville Theological Seminary. Most of his service in the Presbyterian Church (USA) has been as a member of the denomination’s staff – particularly in ecumenical relationships – but he has also served as a pastor and a college chaplain. He is a former president of the National Council of Churches. As moderator, he says he would work to build up congregations, to emphasize missions and evangelism and to work for reconciliation within the denomination. He favors a continued moratorium on consideration of the denomination’s ordination standard. “If elected, I would create the space and the climate for a much better understanding … this grace period allows us to engage in more serious dialogue,” he said. He declined to state his position on the issue of same-sex unions. “It may not be wise to speculate about what the outcome will be” in a court case on same-sex unions, he said. “I would uphold our constitution and the procedures through which decisions are made.” Rhee lives in Richmond, Va., where he teaches evangelism and missions at Union Theological Seminary. For a detailed profile of Syngman Rhee, click here.

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