Presbyterian Church in Korea (Koshin)

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Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin)
Classification Protestant
Orientation Calvinist
Theology Reformed Evangelical
Polity Presbyterian
Associations International Conference of Reformed Churches
Region South Korea, USA, worldwide
Origin 1952
South Korea
Branched from Presbyterian Church of Korea
Separations Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong)
Congregations 1577
Members 362,000 total, 230,000 communicant baptised members
Ministers 2,300 [1]
Presbyterian Church in Korea
Hangul 대한예수교장로회(고신)
Hanja 大韓예수敎長老會(高神)
Revised Romanization Daehan yesugyo jangnohoe Gosin
McCune–Reischauer Taehan yesugyo changnohoe Kosin

The Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin) also called Korea-pa - is a Evangelical Reformed and Presbyterian denomination in the Republic of South Korea, but congregations are spread in North America and in many other countries.

History

The church was established by pastors who had resisted the shrine worship and had been imprisoned by the Japanese. After liberation they organized the KyungNam Presbytery in Pyungyam. Three pastors founded the KoRyu Seminary but the Presbyterian Church refused to recognize this seminary. Founders of KoRyu Seminary and BupDong presbytery established later, in September 11, 1952 the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin).[2]

On December 1960 it was united with the mainline Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong), but it lasted until 1963 when the church withdrew from the union and returned to its original form and continues to this day. Only 150 churches remained with the Presbyterian Church(Hapdong). In 1976 a split occurred in the church, the Presbyterian Church in Korea (KoRyuPa) was founded, but one part of this reunited with the Kosin church. The Kosin group developed steadily. The denominational headquarters is located in Seoul, South Korea. This consist a variety of offices, like General Secretary, publishing house, Department of Church Education, the Mission Training Institute.[3]

In 2002 it celebrated its 50th anniversary.[4]

Separations

Theology

The Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin) is a Reformed church, and affirms the historic Presbyterian Confessions:

Statistics

The Presbyterian Church in Korea (Koshin) group has 34 Presbyteries that form the General Assembly, 1577 churches, 230,000 baptized, 350,000 communicant and non-communicant members, and 2,300 ordained pastors. There is no women's ordination.[6]

Institutions and Seminary

  • The Kosin University was established in the 1950s. It was authorised by the Korean Ministry of Education in 1970 and now has more than 4,300 enrolled students, 221 professors, and 22 departments.
  • Korea Theological Seminary has 400 full-time students and was founded in 1946. It offers M.Div degrees authorised by the Ministry Education and a Th.M.[7]
  • Kosin University Hospital is called the Gospel Clinic, presently has over 1,100 beds.
  • In Kosin University Graduate School they offer PHD's in Theology and Medicine and Public Health.[8]

Missions

  • foreign missions - the church has 220 missionaries in 46 countries
  • home missions - the Committee of Evangelism is cmmitted to plant churches across South Korea and there 30 chaplains to the Korean military, the Committee of Evangelism in Rural Areas is in charge of planting churches in rural areas

International organisations

The Kosin group is a member of the International Conference of Reformed Churches. In mission field they work closely with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in the USA. The Presbyterian Church in Korea (Koshin) has sister church relations with the following churches:

See also

References

  1. http://www.kosin.org/kosin/htmls/pck.htm
  2. http://pck.or.kr/Eng/History/MajorH.asp
  3. www.reformiert-online.net/ Republic of Korea
  4. http://www.bbk.gkv.nl/korea/708/
  5. http://www.reformiert-online.net/adressen/detail.php?id=1397&lg=eng
  6. www.kosin.org/kosin/htmls/pck.htm constituency
  7. https://www.kts.ac.kr/
  8. www.kosin.org/kosin/htmls/pck.htm
  9. http://www.bbk.gkv.nl/korea/708/

External links