Korean Ministries
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Korean Congregational Enhancement

Korean American congregations are vital, visible and growing part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). They are the second largest racial ethnic constituency group after black congregations. There were about 20 Korean Presbyterian congregations in early 1970 which had grown to 400 congregations with 50,000 members in 2005.


Korean college choir perfoming at the Presbyterian Center. Photo by David Young.

Korean American congregations are actively participating to the mission of the whole church with their gifts of enthusiasm in worship, prayer, Bible study, commitment to evangelism and church development.

The purpose of the Korean Congregational Enhancement Office is to enable the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to respond to Korean congregational enhancement issues and to enable Korean American Presbyterians to participate actively to the mission of the PC(USA) and also to facilitate the church's task of evangelism and leadership development in relation to issues affecting Korean Presbyterian constituency.

The Korean Congregational Enhancement Office has a cooperative relationship with other program areas to plan and develop programs and resources that will enhance Korean church growth by providing consultation and assistance to governing bodies on issues of Korean congregational development.

 
             
 
  Our Roots  
             
  In the middle of the nineteenth century, a most difficult time in Korean history, two Koreans were baptized by a Scottish Presbyterian missionary in Manchuria. This was in 1876. They, with several other Koreans who were later baptized, embarked on the enormous task of translating the Bible into the Korean tongue. After many months of hard work, the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts were translated and published in the Korean language in the fall of 1882.

The first Presbyterian missionary, H. G. Underwood, and the first Methodist missionary, Henry Appenzeller, arrived together in the port of Incheon on Easter Sunday in April 1885 and this is usually considered the beginning of protestant mission in Korea. They were able to begin their work in Korea with important parts of the New Testament already translated and printed. This was an unprecedented event in the history of Christian missions. The so-called Nevius Plan of missionary work based on the principles of self-government, self-support and self-propaganda has marked the fundamental spirit of Korean Presbyterianism almost from the beginning. This plan has gone far to facilitate the formation and rapid growth of the church as an indigenous national body.

  
             
 
  Our Vision  
             
  We as Korean American Presbyterians are and will be full partners of evangelism and mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). We are fully committed to the mission of the church without losing our ethnic identity and faith experiences. We are working toward shaping a new church where people see others as God's children and human beings mutually appreciative, responsible and interdependent.  
             
 
  Our Gifts  
             
 
  • Enthusiasm in worship, prayer and Bible Study
  • Commitment to evangelism
  • Determination to self-support, self-government and self-propagation
  • Theological reflection: Korean immigration theology and multicultural ministry
  
             
 
  Our Task  
             
  New Church Development
The National Korean Presbyterian Council sets the goal to develop 200 new churches by 2010 and the National Korean Presbyterian Council New Church Development committee is working hard to accomplish the goal in partnership with Korean Congregational Enhancement.

Leadership Development
To provide leadership through ministerial and lay training programs including recruitment of clergy for first and second generations.

  
             
 
  Our Growth  
             
  Korean-American congregations are the fastest growing membership group of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Number of Korean Congregations
1970: 20
1980: 110
1985: 230
1990: 320
2002: 370
2004: 403

Membership: 50,000
Church membership ranges between 50 to 3,000 with an average of between 50 an 150. The total number of active members and their children are about 50,000.

Giving Statistics
Regular Contribution: $51,253,230.00
Mission: $1,163,323.00
Per Capita: $762,178.00

  
             
 
  Our Ministry  
             
  The Korean Congregational Enhancement Office is the focal point of the General Assembly's ministry for Korean congregations. The major works of the Korean Congregational Enhancement Office are as follows:
  1. Implement a racial ethnic church growth strategy, particularly in areas of Korean new church development and redevelopment.
  2. Provide staff service as coordinator to the Coordinating Committee for Korean American Presbyteries (CCKAP) and provide consultation and assistance to geographical presbyteries and non-geographical Korean presbyteries in developing Korean ministries. (Currently there are four Korean American presbyteries and two additional Korean American presbyteries are in organizing process.)
  3. Provide leadership, resource and staff service to the National Korean Presbyterian Council (NKPC) as staff liaison and assist NKPC's new church development effort. NKPC has set the goal of developing 200 new churches in 20 years for its 25th anniversary assembly in 1996.
  4. Envision, plan, develop and implement leadership development programs for both first and second generation ministers and lay leaders. Korean Congregational development programs:
    1. Coalition of Korean American Ministries (2nd Generation Korean American Ministers in English Ministry)
    2. Campus Town Ministry Conference
    3. Korean American Multicultural Family Ministry Conference
    4. Korean American New Church Development Pastor/Spouse Conference
    5. Korean American Small Church Conference
    6. New Era Pastors Conference
    7. Pastors continuing education programs
  5. Provide staff service to Consulting Committee on Korean American Ministry (CCKAM) as a consultative and advisory body in matters related to development of ministry.
  6. Provide staff service to the Joint Committee on Presbyterian Cooperation between the PC(USA) and the Korean Presbyterian Church in America.
  7. Take a role of pastor to Korean pastors and provide staff expertise on referral service, pastor relocation service, etc.
  8. Develop cooperative working relationship with the other program areas as they plan and develop resources and services to meet the needs of Korean congregations.
  
             
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For more information: Sun Bai Kim - (888) 728-7228 x5683 - Send email - Or write to: 100 Witherspoon Street - Room 3007 - Louisville, KY 40202-1396
 
     
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