Encounter, engage, expand:
Koreans are spreading the gospel
by Ryan Miller

Kyong-Jung Kim, a leader at the Korea Anabaptist Center, in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: David Fisher Fast/Mennonite Mission Network

In the heart of Seoul, South Korea, red neon crosses dot the hillsides and shine atop buildings on every side of the third-floor flat rented by the Korea Anabaptist Center. Each day, KAC visionaries work to teach others about Anabaptism — peace, conflict resolution, radical discipleship and commitment to Christ.

KAC workers express little desire to add another cross or church to the hillsides. While church planting is important, others can do that job — planting efforts already have established a Korean church in Elkhart, Ind. A group led by Korean pastor Gui-Shik Nam and Yellow Creek Mennonite Church in Goshen, Ind., are exploring a church plant in Seoul and a separate group is starting a peace church in Taegu.

Instead, KAC's role in enlarging the Anabaptist church involves expanding Anabaptist ideas and community, not new church buildings.

"This is a good place to start engaging and encountering," said Kyong- Jung Kim, KAC office manager.

Sharing all of Christ in South Korea The first Mennonite missionaries went to India in the 1890s in response to a devestating famine. See how the WWII generation helped build the church with their service. Flash 6 or higher required. Gallery opens in a new window. (Download free player.) $50 enables a North Korean reugee to study a one-month course in peace education at Korea Anabaptist Center. Donate to project #0730

In Korea, many Presbyterians consider Anabaptism a heresy. They know only about the opposition to infant baptism and the violent uprising at 16th-century Müenster, said Sung-Do Cha, one of the leaders of Jesus Village Church in Chun Chon. But Kyong-Jung said many churches that would never outwardly identify with Anabaptists, practice Anabaptism in spite of themselves through things like adult baptism, church leadership models, conflict resolution and an emphasis on community.

However, even these churches — not to mention individuals and organizations — find Anabaptist pacifism and radical discipleship difficult. Almost daily, pastors, individuals and representatives from nongovernmental agencies knock on KAC’s third-story door, or they telephone to ask about peace, discipleship, community and other Anabaptist beliefs.

Sang-Yeul Oh works with the department of social service ministry for the Presbyterian Church of Korea — the largest church agency in the largest Korean denomination. Though he does not admit the fact to some colleagues, Oh regularly connects with Korea Anabaptist Center because of its concern for social issues, human rights, relief work, the environment and, most of all, peace. (Cheryl Woelk, a worker supported by Mission Network and Mennonite Church Canada Witness, facilitates peace education at KAC.)

The South Korean government supported the war in Iraq, and mainline denominations blessed that support. Oh, disturbed by the blessing, said Korean denominations are more connected to the powerful secular world than to biblical tenets of justice and peace.

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