Mission life: THE KUKMIN DAILY

“Children learn Jesus’ nature through parents’ life of faith”

2015-01-26 18:55

Dr. Philip Graham Ryken (48·photo), president of Wheaton College (Illinois, USA), is visiting Korea from January 16 to 25. The focus of his trip is to promote academic exchanges with Korean colleges and to play a bridging role for Christianity between Korea and the U.S.A.

In an interview on the 20th with Kukmin Daily, at Far East Broadcasting Corporation, located on Wausan-no in Mapo-gu, Seoul, President Ryken said, “For a long time, I’ve been interested in Korean culture and in academic exchanges with colleges…While I’m here, I want to learn from the passion and perseverance of the Republic of Korea, which rose up as an advanced country from the ruins of war.” On the 20th he also visited Handong University and Paekseok University to promote academic exchanges and MOUs. Earlier, he visited Yeoido Full Gospel Church, Sarang Community Church, Taeneung Church, Mokdong Jeil Church and Anyang Saejungang Church, and delivered sermons and lectures.

President Ryken emphasized that parents’ sincere faith life within the family is the most important element for the Korean church in nurturing its next generation of disciples. “Children have the capacity to understand whether or not their parents’ faith is genuine,” he said. “For example, when children see their father, a believer, serving their mother well at home, they learn about the nature of Jesus. Ultimately, children’s faith depends on their parents.”

He added that Christian education based on spirituality is also important. “In the case of many persons, the decisive moment in their life (meeting God) comes in their twenties, when they are in college,” Ryken said. “For that reason, the college’s Christian education is important.” He explained, “College students receive this influence through one-to-one disciple training…At Wheaton College, the faith community is sustained through the process of students, professors and staff worshiping together and sharing fellowship.”

Wheaton College is fighting a lonely battle to preserve the true character of the Christian college. “I feel sad that Harvard, Yale and other universities established on the basis of the Christian spirit, have become diluted in that spirit,” President Ryken said. “Wheaton College, founded with the motto ‘For Christ and His Kingdom,’ is giving spiritual help to hundreds of students through its operation of a one-to-one mentoring care program,” he noted.

“These days Christianity is undergoing many difficulties due to religious pluralism, conflicts with Islam and other problems, but there were similar troubles throughout the Old Testament and New Testament eras…The calling of Wheaton College is to help the world cope with this kind of environment by preparing and training the next generation,” he said.

Wheaton College, founded in 1860 by Rev. Jonathan Blanchard, offers 10 major academic fields of study, and currently has 2,400 undergraduates and 480 graduate students. Its alumni include Rev. Billy Graham, missionary martyr Jim Elliot and author Philip Yancey.

President Ryken earned his master of divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary and his doctorate from the University of Oxford, and has served as president of Wheaton College since 2010.

Reporter A-young Kim (cello08@kmib.co.kr), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)


Click here for the original article in Korean

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