THE KUKMIN DAILY

On December 28, seven representative Korean church denominations met at the Kukmin Daily building in Yeouido, Seoul, and agreed to launch the Korea Federation of Churches (temporary name). Holding hands in the photo, left to right, are moderators Yu Gwan-jae (Korea Baptist Convention), Kim Seong-gyu (PCK Hapdong), Lee Jong-seung (PCK Daeshin), Bishops' Council President Jeon Myeong-gu (Korea Methodist Church), moderators Lee Seong-hui (Presbyterian Church of Korea Tonghap), Lee Young-hoon (Assemblies of God of Korea - Yoido Full Gospel), and Yeo Seong-sam (Korea Evangelical Holiness Church).

This decision marks a significant moment in Korean church history, and is another piece of good news following the recent census showing the Korean Protestant church at the top in membership (Recent Statistics Show Only Protestant Christians Have Increased…One in Five Attends Church).

In Korea, the Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, Full Gospel, and Baptist churches have never been able to form a single ecumenical body. Once in a while they have come together temporarily for special occasions, such as in the Korea YMCA, for the united Easter service, at the Evangelization Revival (1977), or at the Korean Christian Centennial Mission Conference. These denominations, meanwhile, have walked their own paths as members of the Christian Council of Korea (CCK), the Communion of Churches in Korea (CCIK), or the National Council of Churches in Korea, according to their theological identity.

Prof. Lee Eun-seon (church history) of Anyang University commented, “The coming together of the Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, Full Gospel, and Baptist churches is what Korean church believers have longed for. It is God’s grace that something like this is happening in Korean church history.”

Reporter Paek Sang-hyun (100sh@kmib.co.kr), with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)


Full Story in Korean:
한국교회 사상 첫 ‘단일’ 연합기구… 장로교·감리교·성결교·순복음·침례교 + 진보·보수 손잡아: 7대 교단, 한국교회총연합회(한교총) 출범 결의 의미와 전망


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