THE KUKMIN DAILY

“We should ‘unload’ the mindset that identifies Islam as an object of unconditional exclusion and as an existential threat to our society. We in the Korean church should open our hearts, understanding Muslims without prejudice, and seeing them as targets for communication of the Gospel.”

Rev. Noh Tae-jin, who chairs the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK Hapdong) General Assembly’s Islam countermeasures committee, spoke with firm determination at the 2018 General Assembly Islam Countermeasures Academy, held on July 5 at Choonghyun Presbyterian Church (Rev. Han Gyu-sam) in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Among the Korean churches, PCK Hapdong has emphasized a conservative faith and preserved a Christian identity that avoids blending with the age rather than compromising with it. Its response to Islam has reflected this stance.

Change has come, however, through the research and seminars that have taken place since the 99th general assembly in 2014 decided to form the Islam countermeasures committee. Committee chair Noh explained, “I sense that attention to Islam and Muslims has drastically increased due to the recent situation of Yemeni refugees in Jeju. I hope this academy helps plant correct opinions about Islam.”

Lecturers at the academy included local experts active in Muslim regions. Missionary Kim Shin-sook (speaker in photo), the first Korean missionary in Egypt and now in her 41st year there, spoke on “The reality of Islam and alternative mission.” She said, “Young Muslims nowadays have accepted the Western culture and been secularized, while on the other side of the polarity are fundamentalists who are absolutely hostile to Western and Christian culture. Increasingly, with the emergence of the Islamic State (IS), civil wars, and breakdowns in relations among Muslims due to political and economic changes, many Muslims have become interested in Christianity. Currently one in four persons of the world is Muslim, and the growth rate of Islam is beyond comparison with other religions… This is the reality we have to face, while at the same time it is the opportunity to pass on the Gospel to Muslims.”

Missionary Kim also spoke about mission for refugees. Referring to the Refugees Mission Forum held last February in Athens, Greece, she emphasized, “A majority of Muslim refugees have fallen into atheism or are converting to Christianity… Having entered the multiethnic age, Korean society now should recognize clearly that many of the refugees who have come to Korea are from Islamic regions, and find the wisdom to coexist with them.”

Reporter Choi Ki-young (ky710@kmib.co.kr), with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)
Photo by senior reporter Kang Min Seok


Full Story in Korean:
[현장] 배척 → 복음화 대상… 보수 교단도 이슬람 시각 바뀐다: 예장합동 총회이슬람대책아카데미