1903_ISSUU.pdf
Anabaptist ferment in Korea
O
n a cold Saturday in late January, nearly 100
people gathered in a rented hall in downtown Seoul, South Korea, to participate in
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of the gathering, according to Bock Ki Kim, director of the Korea Anabaptist Center and co-sponsor
of the event, was “to introduce Anabaptist theology and values in a public, academic setting” and
to “challenge ourselves as Korean Anabaptists to
see who we are and what we have to do in South
Korea.”
Considered as a percentage of the total Christian church in Korea—nearly 30 percent of the
population—the number of Korean Anabaptists
is modest. Nonetheless, the event symbolized a movement that has been gaining momentum for
the past two decades. Today, South Korea is home
to one of the most creative and dynamic expressions of contemporary Anabaptism anywhere in
the global church, with potential for explosive
growth in the future.
The origins of Anabaptism in Korea are as
diverse as the original movement in 16th-century
Europe. In the decades immediately following
the Korean War (1950-1953), Mennonite Central
Committee had a modest presence in the country, focused especially on a vocational school for war orphans. In the 1980s, the key Koreanleaders, based in part on their contact with MCC
personnel, began an independent journey of
theological study, including experiments with intentional communities, that led them to a deeper
understanding of the Anabaptist tradition. Several
pursued training at Mennonite seminaries in
North America and developed relationships with
North American Mennonites. In 2001, a more formal relationship with Mennonite Church Canada
Witness, combined with the energetic leadership
of members of the Jesus Village Church, led to the
formation of the Korea Anabaptist Center, which
has since served as an important resource to the
growing movement. Along the way, the Dae Jang
Gan Press has overseen the translation and publication of scores of Anabaptist-Mennonite books,
forging a strong niche market in the Korean
Christian book trade.
Another source of this growing interest in
Anabaptism has been a series of highly publicized
scandals among several prominent pastors that
has undermined the public credibility of Korean Christianity. For the first time in a century, the Protestant church in Korea—long associated
with the country’s political, business and military
elites—is declining in numbers. In the face of
these disappointments, many Koreans are looking
for a more authentic faith, projecting onto Anabaptism a host of different hopes and expectations.
Not surprisingly, the emerging Anabaptist
movement in Korea—like its counterpart in the 16th century, is far from united. Some new comers to the movement, for example, equate
Anabaptism with community of goods. Others are
looking for an egalitarian approach to church leadership, or a simple lifestyle, or a “small church”
ecclesiology, or simply a canvas on which to imagine the possibility of “something different.” And some new comers to the movement
themselves as “Mennonite” are sorting through
basic questions of ordination, child nurture, organizational structure and polity.
One particular challenge for the emerging
Anabaptist movement in Korea is the question of
nonresistance. For the past 60 years, South Koreans have lived in the ominous shadow of a highly
militarized neighbor to the north. The armistice
that formally divided the country at the end of
the Korean War in 1953 was never signed—so
in some sense, the war there has never ended.
Living in a state of perpetual military preparedness, South Koreans generally support their
country’s policy of compulsory military service.
Indeed, military service is an important part of
Korean cultural identity, especially for young men.
Currently, the only recourse for conscientious
objectors is imprisonment, a choice recently exercised by Sang Min Lee of the Grace and Peace
Mennonite Church in Seoul. His decision, however, remains a highly controversial topic among
Korean Anabaptists.
Amid all these creative and diverse currents,
the future of the Anabaptist movement in Korea
ultimately depends on the emergence of leaders—theologians, ethicists, historians, pastors
and teachers—who will consciously continue the
work of “indigenizing” Anabaptism. Clearly, the
movement possesses individuals with the energy,
training, commitment and spiritual gifts needed to
translate Anabaptism more fully into the Korean
context. Someday, I hope, those of us in North
America will be challenged to translate texts from
the leaders in the Korean Anabaptist movement
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May that day come very soon. TM
The
future of the
Anabaptist
movement
in Korea
ultimately
depends
on the
emergence
of leaders
who will
consciously
continue the
work of ‘indigenizing’
Anabaptism.
John D. Roth, MWC Faith and Life Commission secretary, was invited to speak at the Korean Anabaptist Conference held in January 2016. Photo: Austin Headrick.
Release date:
Monday, 15 February 2016
Goshen, Indiana, USA - On 30 January 2016, nearly 100 people gathered in downtown Seoul, Korea to participate in the first Korean Anabaptist Conference. The goal of the gathering, according to Bock Ki Kim, director of the Korea Anabaptist Center and co-sponsor of the event, was “to introduce Anabaptist theology and values in a public, academic setting” and to “challenge ourselves as Korean Anabaptists to see who we are and what we have to do in South Korea.”
Participants listened and responded to presentations by five speakers on the theme of “What is Anabaptism and Why is it Needed in Korea?” Presenters included John D. Roth, secretary of the MWC Faith and Life commission and director of the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism at Goshen College; Baptist seminary church historian Byung Doo Nahm; Sang Kyu Lee of the Presbyterian Kosin Theological Seminary; conference organizer and Baptist professor Ki Hyun Kim; and Won Bum Jung of the Daejeon Theological Seminary.
In the conversation following the presentations, the question of nonresistance sparked the most vigorous exchange. For the past 60 years, South Koreans have lived in the shadow of a nuclear power to the north. Consequently, military service is an important part of Korean cultural identity, especially for young men. The only recourse for conscientious objectors is imprisonment, a choice recently exercised by Sang Min Lee of the Grace and Peace Mennonite Church in Seoul, but his decision remains a highly controversial topic among Korean Anabaptists.
Today, South Korea is home to one of the most creative and dynamic expressions of contemporary Anabaptism anywhere in the global church, with potential for explosive growth in the future. The origins of Korean Anabaptism can be traced back to multiple sources. In the decades immediately following the Korean War (1950–1953), Mennonite Central Committee had a modest presence in the country. In the 1980s, several key Korean leaders, based in part on their contact with MCC personnel, began independent theological study of the Anabaptist tradition. Several pursued training at Mennonite seminaries in North America. In 2001, a more formal relationship with Mennonite Church Canada Witness, combined with the energetic leadership of members of the Jesus Village Church, led to the formation of the Korea Anabaptist Center, which has since served as an important resource to the growing movement.
Dae Jang Gan Press has overseen the translation and publication of nearly 100 Anabaptist-Mennonite books into Korean. In fact, church leaders and others celebrated the book launch of the Korean translation of John D. Roth’s Beliefs: Mennonite Faith and Practice before the conference began.
Through this Korean Anabaptist Conference, various Anabaptist groups came together to offer a unified voice within the larger Korean Christian context.
“People want to see a healthy, biblical church, justice in the public square, and a tangible community based on the Anabaptist movement,” says Bock Ki Kim. “We hope that the conference can be a small catalyst for the future movement as well as a clear invitation to the participants to follow the way of Jesus Christ in their daily lives.”
-MWC Release by the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism
The World Fellowship Sunday celebrations at Jesus Village Church, one of the oldest Anabaptist-related congregations in South Korea. Photo: Bock Ki Kim.
A participant comments at the first-ever Korean Anabaptist Conference in January 2016. Photo: Austin Headrick.
Click here to see a high resolution version of the cover photo. Click on the other photos to see the high resolution versions.
Geographic representation:
Asia and Pacific
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