THE KUKMIN DAILY

Myungsung Presbyterian Church’s petition to call as its head pastor the Rev. Kim Ha-na, eldest son of Pastor Emeritus Rev. Kim Sam-hwan, was passed at the 73rd regular meeting of Southeast Seoul Presbytery, held on October 24 at Macheon Segyero Church in Songpa-gu, Seoul.

At the regular meeting, the presbytery members debated all day on the appointment of their moderator. Vice-moderator Rev. Kim Su-won was to succeed to the seat automatically according to presbytery regulations, but the claim was raised that there was a problem. The reason was that the presbytery’s overtures committee, chaired by Rev. Kim, had returned Myungsung Church’s petition. Rev. Kim clarified that he had returned the petition because it was in violation of PCK Tonghap’s Hereditary Succession Prohibition Law.

Some of the presbytery members filed a suit with the presbytery against Rev. Kim Su-won for abuse of his power as chair, claiming that the overtures committee does not have authority to return such a petition. Some other members took the opposite stand, claiming that the overtures committee has the authority of review and therefore that there was no problem with the process.

Angry presbytery members left the meeting when, after long debate, a vote was called on whether Rev. Kim was eligible to succeed to the presbytery moderator’s seat. The remaining members elected a new moderator and board members, went on with the business items, and accepted Myungsung Church’s petition.

The problem is with the quorum for the resolution. According to Article 41 of the presbytery rules, a presbytery meeting may be held when the majority (more than half) of the registered members are present. Items may be resolved when the majority of the present members agree. The registered members of Southeast Seoul Presbytery number 451, and the meeting opened with 300 members present. After the departure of the dissenting members, however, there were only 172 members remaining.

The remaining members insist that the resolution made at the meeting that day is valid, since the meeting opened with more than a majority of the members present. But those who left the meeting are insisting that it was illegal to proceed with the meeting when those present were no longer a majority.

The controversy is expected to continue, also because a recent evaluation by the PCK Tonghap Constitution Committee found that the current Hereditary Succession Prohibition Law is still valid, even though the General Assembly approved the committee’s report advising that the law be revised.

Article and photo by reporter Lee Saya (Isaiah@kmib.co.kr), with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)


Original Article in Korean:
명성교회 김하나 목사 청빙안, 노회 통과: 예장통합 서울동남노회 73회 노회 일부 반발해 퇴장…정족수 문제에 세습방지법과 배치돼 논란 여지


Related Articles:
1. Myungsung Church to Call Rev. Kim Ha-na as Head Pastor, Without Merger
2. After 4 Years, PCK Tonghap “Law Prohibiting Hereditary Succession” at a Crossroads