Presbyterianism in South Korea

In South Korea there are roughly 20.5 million Christians of whom 15 million are Protestants; of those some 9 to 10 million are Presbyterians. Presbyterians in South Korea worship in over 100 different Presbyterian denominational churches who trace their history back to the United Presbyterian Assembly.[1]

History

Protestantism was introduced to Korea in the late 19th century through missionaries. Lay people like Suh Sang-Yoon and Baek Hong-Joon spread their knowledge of the Gospels after their conversion, and Christianity, of which the Catholic form had been suppressed in the middle of the 19th century, began to grow again in Korea.

In 1883 Suh founded the first Protestant Christian community in Korea. The following year, the first American missionary, Horace N. Allen of the Northern Presbyterians, arrived in Korea, and began medical work in 1885. Horace Underwood, a fellow Northern Presbyterian missionary, later joined this effort. In 1889 The Presbyterian Church of Victoria began mission work in 1889, followed in 1892 by the Presbyterian Church United States, and in 1898 by the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Together they formed the Council of Mission of Presbyterian Churches and in 1901 opened a theological seminary in Pyongyang.

In 1907 the Independent Presbytery of Jesus Christ was formed, and seven Korean pastors were ordained. In 1921 the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Chosun was formed and sent seven missionaries to China.[2][3]

During and even somewhat before the Japanese occupation, churches from practically all Christian denominations faced many hardships and were actively persecuted by the Japanese administration. The imposition of Shinto rites of worship further exacerbated religious persecution during the occupation. Many Presbyterians were among those who resisted and fought for Korean independence. Following the conclusion the Second World War, the withdrawal of Japan, and the partitioning of Korea, Presbyterian churches in the communist-leaning northern parts of Korea were dissolved. In the Syngman Rhee-led parts of Korea south of the 38th Parallel they were reconstructed in 1946. The 33rd general assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Chosun was held in 1947. Two years later the name "Presbyterian Church in Korea" was adopted.

The following year saw significant growth for the Presbyterian church in Korea. Among the reasons contributing to the growth in size of Christian communities in Korea was the fact that unlike in other countries, Christianity was not associated with colonial or imperialist power. The Protestant Christian message came to Korea at a time when the religious and cultural heritage of the country had lost much of its strength and relevance for the common people. In addition to being unencumbered by imperialist or colonial connotations, the Christian communities themselves contributed to their own growth. Presbyterian churches adopted what was called the "Möbius method" in which each new convert was strongly encouraged to become an evangelist and convert others, and much like the Möbius strip this practice is intended to make Christianity in Korea boundless. Together with the post-World War II revival movement, these factors contributed greatly to the immense growth of Christianity in Korea in the decades since.

Eventually, Korean Christians established their own churches not just in Korea but in other parts of the world; Korea is second only to the United States in the number of missionaries sent abroad. Several thousand Korean Presbyterian missionaries are active in many other countries.

Growth, however, was not free of turmoil, but accompanied by schisms. After World War II but before the end of the Korean War the Presbyterian Church in Korea (고신, Go-shin) and the Presbyterian Church in Korea (제군, Jae-gun) were formed.[4] A few years later the conservative and progressive parts of the Presbyterian Church separated. As a result, in the last major Presbyterian schism, the Presbyterian Church in Korea (통합, Tong-hap) and the Presbyterian Church in Korea (합동, Hap-dong) were formed in 1959.[5] From these bodies several denominations separated. Today there are more than 100 Presbyterian churches/denominations in South Korea.[6]

Confessional basis

Korean Presbyterian denominations

All of these churches have the same confessional basis the Apostle Creed and the Westminster Confession.

Korean Presbyterians have many outreach programs. Many are very conservative, some are liberal. There are close connections with the United States and Canadian Presbyterian churches.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Chris Meehan (2010-10-04). "Touched by Devotion in South Korea | Article | Christian Reformed Church". Crcna.org. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ "Presbyterian Church of Korea — World Council of Churches". Oikoumene.org. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  4. ↑ Johannes a Lasco Library (2004-02-27). "Address data base of Reformed churches and institutions". Reformiert-online.net. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  5. ↑ Johannes a Lasco Library (2004-02-27). "Address data base of Reformed churches and institutions". Reformiert-online.net. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  6. 1 2 Johannes a Lasco Library. "Overview of the worldwide reformed church". Reformiert-online.net. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
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