The Reverend Hyeon Soo Lim, pastor of the Light Presbyterian Church (in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) last week reappeared in North Korea after being detained by authorities there earlier this year. He was shown on television reading a statement “confessing to crimes” he had committed.

The Light Presbyterian Church is a part of the Korean Presbyterian Church Abroad, which itself is a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC).

According to an article in The Globe and Mail, the “3,000-member congregation, one of Canada’s largest, has been holding morning prayers for the reverend since his detention. An official with the church said that those prayers were not expected to end.”

The Light Presbyterian Church has released a statement on behalf of itself and Lim’s family:

The family and church are eager to have Mr. Lim home after close to 7 months in detention in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. There are no comments regarding the charges and allegations made against Mr. Lim except that the humanitarian aid projects that Mr. Lim has both initiated and supported in the DPRK have been for the betterment of the people. It is this tremendous love for the people of the DPRK that motivated Mr. Lim to travel to the nation over 100 times. He remains a compassionate and generous man and we hope to see him home soon. We are grateful for all those who share in our concerns and ask for your continued prayers and support.

Please join the WCRC in prayer:

• for our brother
• for his family
• for the Light Presbyterian Church
• for the nation of North Korea
• for the Canadian government as they work diligently to secure Lim’s release