wfn.org | Talks Between Korean Presbyterian Church in America and PC(USA)

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

25-March-1998 
98099 
 
    Talks Between Korean Presbyterian Church in America 
    and PC(USA) Go Well 
 
    by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
TORRANCE, Calif.-Steady progress is being reported by representatives on 
the Joint Committee on Presbyterian Cooperation between the Presbyterian 
Church (U.S.A.) and the Korean Presbyterian Church in America (KPCA). 
 
    The joint committee, formally authorized by the 209th General Assembly 
(1997), met at First Presbyterian Church here Feb. 23-24.  Previous 
meetings between representatives of the PC(USA) and the KPCA were held in 
1993 and 1997. 
 
    PC(USA) representatives on the Joint Committee include the Rev. Hun J. 
Cho of Silver Spring, Md.; Daisy Cynn of Charlotte, N.C.; the Rev. Syngman 
Rhee of Richmond, Va.; Atlanta Brown of Wilmington, Del.; Youngil Cho of 
Raleigh, N.C.; the Rev. Howard Kang of Wilmette, Ill.; Edward S. Kiel of 
Glen Ridge, N.J.; the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick of Louisville, Ky.; Joung 
Hee Lee of Davis, Calif.; and the Rev. Virginia B. Smith of Chicago. 
 
    Staff services to the joint committee are provided by the Rev. Eugene 
Turner, director of the Department of Governing Bodies, Ecumenical and 
Agency Relationships in the Office of the General Assembly; the Rev. Insik 
Kim, coordinator for East Asia/Pacific in the Worldwide Ministries 
Division; and the Rev. Sun Bai Kim, associate for Korean Congregational 
Enhancement in the Racial Ethnic Ministries Program Area of the National 
Ministries Division. 
 
    The Korean Presbyterian Church in America is a denomination of 
Korean-language Presbyterian congregations in the United States. It is a 
member of the National Council of Churches as well as the World Alliance of 
Reformed Churches. 
 
    Though the PC(USA) and KPCA have common roots and emotional ties that 
are the legacy of their mission history dating back to 1884, many Korean 
Presbyterian immigrants to the United States in the early 1970s experienced 
considerable difficulty becoming a part of  PC(USA) congregations. 
 
    Of the Korean Presbyterian congregations that have been established in 
the United States, 330 congregations with 40,000 communicant  members are 
with the PC(USA) and 300 congregations with 30,000 members, including 
Canada and Latin America, are with KPCA.  In addition, several smaller 
Korean Presbyterian denominations have been established in North America. 
 
    Exploration of unification between the PC(USA) and the KPCA were 
launched by the PC(USA) in 1992, when the 204th General Assembly approved a 
report asking " the Korean Presbyterian Church in America to name members 
to a Joint Committee on Presbyterian Cooperation with an equal number of 
members from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to foster greater joint 
witness between our two churches and to explore the possibility of eventual 
union between the two denominations." 
 
    The Joint Committee first met April 12-14, 1993, in Louisville to 
develop and shape the work of the committee in exploring common concerns 
and joint cooperation in mission and ministry. 
 
    The Joint Committee, hosted by KPCA,  met again - in Los Angeles in 
February 1997 - and worked in three subcommittees: Ministries and 
Education; Global Mission and Peace, Justice and Reunification; and Polity 
and Partnership. 
 
    At its most recent meeting, the Joint Committee reviewed agreements of 
the previous consultations and worked to develop practical ideas and 
suggestions for cooperation between the two churches. 
 
    In the global mission area, the Committee agreed to explore ways to 
work cooperatively in orientation of mission personnel, three-way mission 
support and sharing of information. In response to the current famine in 
North Korea, the committee agreed to work together to raise food aid and to 
conduct a joint visit to North Korea in the near future. 
 
     In the ministry and education work area, the committee agreed to 
strengthen the current joint editing program of the Korean Adult Bible 
Discovery curriculum and to develop jointly a Ku-Yeok (District) Bible 
Study program beginning in 1999. The Committee also agreed to encourage 
participation of KPCA ministers in PC(USA) continuing education programs. 
 
    Polity and partnership subcommittee discussions focused on the creation 
of union presbyteries.  Five members of each denomination were appointed to 
a task force to pursue the matter further. 
 
    PC(USA) representatives on the task force include Kirkpatrick, Rhee, 
Youngil Cho, Kang and Lee. 
 
    The task force has agreed to hold its first meeting in Chicago in 
October, and the next Joint Committee meeting will be hosted by KPCA in Los 
Angeles, February 20-23, 1999. 

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