Dr. John Egger was appointed in August 2018 by the General Council as a United Church of Canada Mission Co-Worker to the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK). He returned to Canada from Seoul in January 2023, and completed a period of “Home Assignment” through May 2023. The conclusion of his home assignment marked the end of The United Church of Canada's sole Co-Worker in Mission appointments.

Since 1898, 110 Canadian mission personnel related to the United Church and its predecessor Canadian Presbyterian Mission to Korea have served in Korea – with a forced gap of only a few years during WWII. With the end of his service, Dr. John Egger is the last mission co-worker sent by the United Church to Korea.

In 2023, the United Church–Korea mission partnership continues in diverse ways:

• through the many in Canada of Korean heritage who are part of The United Church of Canada
• through the formal Mutual Recognition of Ministry agreement between the PROK and The United Church of Canada

The United Church is blessed with the leadership of many whose roots lie in the PROK and other Korean churches.

Today we celebrate and give God thanks for the ministry of Dr. John Egger in Korea, as well as our continued partnership with the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea.