wfn.org | Korean-American plan heads to General Conference

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

Oct. 1, 1999 News media contact: Linda Bloom*(212) 870-3803*New York
10-35-71B{503}

By United Methodist News Service

A specific plan for ministering to Korean Americans will be presented to the
United Methodist General Conference next May in Cleveland.

Taking cues from current denominational mission plans for Hispanics and
Native Americans, the Korean-American proposal centers around three visions:
developing leaders; fostering and expanding next generation ministry; and
developing and nurturing new congregations. The report comes from a
24-member task force established by the 1996 General Conference.

Under the plan, a National Council on Korean-American Ministry would be
created to coordinate the effort and work with bishops, annual conferences
and general boards and agencies. The suggested four-year budget is $3.2
million.

United Methodist Bishop Hae-Jong Kim of Rochester, N.Y., a task force
member, called the plan a good alternative to the concept of a missionary
conference, which was proposed to the 1996 General Conference. While a
missionary conference would have focused mainly on Korean-speaking
congregations, this more comprehensive proposal encompasses ministry with
Korean Americans on a much broader scale, he said.

"This is kind of a bridging document into a new century," Kim explained,
noting that at least half of Korean Americans are now in the second or third
generations. "We are trying to move toward a ministry that will met the
needs of these future generations."

The task force report was completed in September and will be presented
during the May 2-12 General Conference meeting in Cleveland. General
Conference is the top legislative body of the United Methodist Church.

Retired Bishop R. Sheldon Duecker of Fort Wayne, Ind., also part of the task
force, said the proposal "represents a great opportunity" to fully integrate
Korean Americans into the church at large as well as reach the "next
generation" of Korean-American children who have different cultural
experiences than their parents.

But participation in the plan is not limited to Korean Americans. "We
believe this is a mission of the total United Methodist Church," Duecker
added.

While formulating its mission response, the task force recognized the
diversity of the community of more than 1.4 million Korean Americans
nationwide. The community includes those born in Korea who immigrated to the
United States as adults, or "first generation"; those born in Korea who
moved to the United States as a young age, or "transgeneration"; children
born in the United States to first-generation parents, or "second
generation"; and the grandchildren of those first immigrants or "third
generation." The term "next generation" refers to all groups beyond the
first generation.

In the United Methodist Church, ministry to Korean-Americans began in the
1960s. The number of congregations grew from six to 30 by the end of the
1970s to 320 today, including 51 new mission congregations and 20
English-speaking congregations. Total participation is estimated at more
than 100,000 members and constituents.

Of the 400 Korean-American pastors, 95 percent were born in Korea and 41
percent ordained in the Korean Methodist Church, an autonomous body. Eighty
of the pastors are clergywomen ordained in the United Methodist Church, with
65 appointed to predominantly white congregations.

"As the Korean-American community continues to increase in numbers, it
becomes increasingly diverse in perspective, needs and expectations," the
report noted. "We are witnessing a shift from predominantly Korean-language
ministry to bilingual and bicultural ministry." The task force's research
reinforced the importance of bilingual skills in this mission work.

Leadership development is considered crucial for both clergy and lay leaders
in the Korean-American community if they are to fully join the mainstream of
church life.

The report also alludes to tensions that have occurred at times between
clergymen and clergywomen, clergy and laity, and between the first and
second generations. Male clergy and male and female laity need to understand
and acknowledge the new leadership roles for women, according to the Rev.
Jong Song Kim, a United Methodist Board of Global Ministries executive who
serves as staff for the task force. 

"We need to cultivate Korean women in Korean-language ministries," he added,
noting that most serve in English-language congregations now.

The Rev. In Sook Hwang of Urbana, Ill., immediate past president of the
National Association of Korean-American Clergywomen, United Methodist
Church, said the clergywomen support the General Conference proposal as "a
first step."

But, she told United Methodist News Service, the plan "is not really
satisfactory" in terms of addressing the concerns of Korean-American
clergywomen. The main concern, she explained, is the "lack of effort" in
appointing clergywomen to Korean-American congregations and the lack of
education available to local congregations that resist having a woman serve
as senior pastor.

Hwang, who served on the task force, did applaud the fact that the process
of creating the General Conference proposal opened up a channel for the
clergywomen to express their concerns and work with others in the
Korean-American church community. "That's the more meaningful fruit" of the
plan, she said.

Another major element of the proposal involves reaching out to many of the
next-generation Korean Americans who have left their parent churches. It
proposes to help existing congregations implement ministries for this group;
develop training and mentoring programs for people interested or involved in
next-generation ministry; encourage information-sharing about successful
programs; and support members of the next generation to become ordained
United Methodist ministers.

"Mission churches," under the care of a district, annual conference or
jurisdiction, also can facilitate growth. "The establishment of mission
congregations is a viable method for new Korean-American church starts as we
move into a new century," the report said. "The flow of immigration from
Korea to the United States continues."

To advance new church development and nurture, the plan calls for the
implementation of training and certification programs for Korean-American
mission pastors and lay leaders in United Methodist history, polity and
doctrine; training for the effective use of shared facilities and shared
ministries; and training in cross-cultural and interactive skills.

The report contains an action plan for the 2001-2004 quadrennium that
includes recommendations for bishops, conferences, and various boards and
agencies of the church.

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