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Presbyterian 26-September-1996 
 
 
96346        Fast Church Growth Means More than Half 
              of Korea's Christians Are Presbyterian 
 
                         by Stephen Brown 
                  Ecumenical News International 
 
DETMOLD, Germany--Presbyterian churches in South Korea are growing at a 
breathtaking speed and now account for more than half of all Christians in 
the country, according to Yim Sung Bihn, an associate professor of 
Christianity and culture in the South Korean capital of Seoul.  
 
     Many Christians believe that this phenomenal church growth is a 
"divine preparation" for Korean reunification, Yim said, since in a 
reunified country there would be a huge need for pastors in North Korea. 
 
     More than 18 million of South Korea's 44 million citizens are 
Christians. Of these, more than 15 million are Protestants, including more 
than 9 million Presbyterians. 
 
     As the number of Presbyterians in Korea has grown, so has the number 
of Presbyterian denominations. There are now more than 100 Presbyterian 
denominations in the country, compared to about 50 seven years ago. 
 
     Interviewed here recently, where he was attending the meeting of the 
executive committee of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), Yim 
told ENI that Presbyterianism was proving so popular that other Korean 
churches -- such as Methodist and Baptist churches -- were taking on 
distinctive features of Presbyterian church structure. 
 
     Yim -- from the Presbyterian Church of Korea, one of WARC's four 
member churches in the country -- was attending the WARC meeting in his 
capacity as secretary of the newly formed North East Asian Council of WARC. 
He teaches at the Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary in Seoul. 
 
     One reason for the growth of Presbyterianism could be that it was 
Presbyterian missionaries from North America who brought Christianity to 
Korea, Yim said. But a more significant reason today might be the fact that 
the distinctive elements of Presbyterianism -- "a democratic church 
structure coupled with a respect for elders" -- correspond with Korean 
traditions. 
 
     Presbyterian churches had faced two major challenges, Yim said. The 
first was to define their identity as churches. The second -- the major 
challenge for today -- was "to manifest this identity in social 
responsibility." 
 
     The stress on identity could easily lead to "sectarianism," Yim said, 
and to splits within Korean Presbyterianism. 
 
     "When Christianity was introduced to Korea, Korea was not a vacuum ... 
there were competing religions -- Shamanism, Buddhism and Confucianism. The 
first task for Christians was to define their own identity. I respect their 
struggle in the past; now we have to change our priorities, but that does 
not mean giving up our identity," Yim told ENI. 
 
     Today, the social responsibility of the churches means that they have 
to find a way of overcoming their divisions. Yim explained: "The lack of 
unity hinders the present social task. How can we argue for the harmony of 
society when we are so divided? That is the rationale for ecumenical 
activity."  
 
     The growth of Presbyterian churches inside Korea has been matched by 
an explosion in the numbers of Korean missionaries, thousands of whom 
minister worldwide. 
 
     "Many Korean Christians think we are specially blessed in order to 
have a special mission to the world," Yim told ENI. But the activities of 
the missionaries -- most of whom do not come from WARC's Korean member 
churches -- have caused some concern to leaders of WARC. 
 
     Milan Opocensky, the organization's general secretary, told the WARC 
meeting here that "the existence of 120 Presbyterian churches in Korea is a 
challenge to the Reformed family. Equally, the often totally uncoordinated 
activity of thousands of Korean missionaries around the world calls for 
some action." 
 
     WARC's president, U.S. theologian Jane Dempsey Douglass -- without 
mentioning Korea by name -- told the meeting of her concern that a "new 
wave" of missionaries from non-WARC Reformed churches was "arriving in the 
south to divide existing Reformed churches and compete with them." She said 
that WARC had to "find a way to reach out to the nonmember Reformed 
churches which are creating such havoc with their missions." 
 
     Yim told ENI that it was necessary to "study this phenomenon very 
seriously, but cautiously," and not simply "reject evangelism done by 
Korean missionaries." 
 
     "Many people feel that it is time for us to fulfill our responsibility 
to the world, and it is time for us to engage in mission," Yim said, 
pointing out that the missionaries were the successors of the Western 
missionaries from North America and Europe who had been active in Korea. 
"Some things might be the responsibility of the Korean churches, but the 
responsibility also lies with the churches of North America and Europe." 
 
     WARC has four Presbyterian member churches in Korea, but the biggest 
problem, Yim said, was with "nonmember churches, which are uncontrollable 
and which have the power, ambition and vision that enables them to send 
missionaries abroad." 
 
     But he added that before criticizing the activity of these churches, 
WARC had to increase its credibility as an ecumenical body with local 
congregations. 

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