Mission life: THE KUKMIN DAILY

“Visiting the Reformation sites can give inspiration for the future Korean church”

2015-10-01 16:33

“For the spiritual restoration of the Korean church, we need to look at the path walked by the German and Swiss churches.”

So said Kim Taek-hwan (57, photo), former professor of Kyonggi University, who will go together with Kukmin Daily on its upcoming “Pilgrimage to Sites of Protestant Reformation History” from November 6 to 13. Kim is the author of “The Next Korea,” and received his doctoral degree in journalism from the University of Bonn in Germany.

In a recent interview with Kukmin Daily, he explained, “Our pilgrimage to churches directly related to the Protestant Reformation in Germany and Switzerland will give us a glimpse into the ways the European churches have done their various ministries and worked together with the people throughout their history. It will be particularly meaningful this year, the quincentennial of the Reformation.”

Kim said, “The churches in Germany carry out their ministry in the midst of people’s lives, getting to know them closely. Germans are born in hospitals established by the church, are baptized and get married in the church. The church is with them in every important moment of their lives, up to and including their funerals. For this reason, 95% of the residents pay the religious tax willingly.”

The pilgrimage will include sites related to Martin Luther in Wittenberg; St. Nicholas Church, known for its democratization and reunification movement in Leipzig, East Germany before reunification; and St. Pierre Cathedral in Geneva, in commemoration of John Calvin.

The participants will also visit and volunteer at the Diakonia Institute in Heidelberg. Kim said, “The Diakonia Institute was established to carry on Luther’s Reformation spirit. Currently there are some 700,000 paid workers and volunteers including those at the headquarters and at churches, taking care of elderly persons, orphans, and refugees.”

Kim said, “In the spirit of Luther, the Korean churches should repent and serve society. When the church recovers the trust and respect of society and takes up its role as messenger of peace, then we, like Germany, can bring about reunification on the Korean peninsula." (Call 02-781-9811 for more information on the pilgrimage).

Reporter A-young Kim (cello08@kmib.co.kr), with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)
Photo by intern reporter Jun Ho-Kwang


Click here for the original article in Korean

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