wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Preacher defends 'late-comers'

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Note #8335 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

Preacher defends 'late-comers'
GA04043
June 29, 2004

Preacher defends 'late-comers'

Leader of renewal group condemns racism in the PC(USA)

by Eva Stimson

RICHMOND, June 29 - The Rev. Jin S. Kim was 7 years old when his family
emigrated from Korea to the United States. During Tuesday morning's General
Assembly worship service, he said he knew he was truly an American, not when
he became a citizen, but when he said for the first time, "We've got to do
something about all these foreigners coming to our country."

Kim is pastor of the Church of All Nations in Minneapolis, MN, and president
of the evangelical group, Presbyterians for Renewal. He used humor as a
prelude to the more serious topic of his sermon: racism in the Presbyterian
Church (USA).

He called his listeners' attention to Jesus' parable of laborers in the
vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16). The vineyard owner hires laborers at various
times, but at the end of the day pays them all the same - including those who
worked only an hour. Of course, the workers who worked all day complain.

"The owner was fair to the first workers, but generous with the last ones,"
Kim explained. "This parable is ultimately about the difference between God's
time and our time. ... Jesus was teaching that chronological time means very
little to God."

Like the laborers hired late in the afternoon, the Protestant church in
Korea, which celebrates its 120th anniversary this year, is a relative
latecomer to God's kingdom, Kim said, and the Korean Presbyterian Church is
sometimes seen by U.S. Presbyterians as "a youthful upstart." Meanwhile, he
said, "Scotland is seen as the fount of pure Presbyterianism."

Yet there are more than five million Presbyterians in Korea - twice as many
as in the PC(USA) - and Korea has the largest Presbyterian congregation in
the world, with 50,000 members.

Kim chided U.S. and European Christians for their tendency to regard Asian
and African churches as "less worthy," because they are products of Western
missionary efforts.

"Why throughout history do those called to the harvest at 6 a.m. feel they
can oppress those called at 6 p.m.?" he asked.

He also deplored the continuing practice of segregated worship in local
communities.

In a message especially directed to his fellow evangelicals, Kim counseled
them to treat Christians of different theological, racial and cultural
backgrounds "with graciousness and generosity, not arrogance and contempt."

When we were the hungry late-comers, we accepted God's generosity as good
news," he said - and that should be our attitude toward others.

"There can be no renewal in the church without reconciliation," he said.

The service featured special music performed by the choir of the Richmond
Korean Presbyterian Church.

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