Korean churches and mssions have been influenced by their cultural regulations on women issues. Women were treated as inferior beings, who is destined to take role in less irnportant positions in Korean traditional society. In response, a protestant missionary established the fìrst school for Korean women and girls in 1886, as she preached the Gospel. As a result, socio-political leadership opporturlÌties were given to women in contemporary Korean society. However, the churches were reluaant to change their hierarchical concept on women and women leadership, which influenced rrusslOnaries’ lives, works and their rnission fìelds. This concept of women inferiority suppressed female church members and missionaries; it not only belittled thernselves but also affected the relationship with their male partners in ministry. To cope with these difficulties and to help Korean ffilSslOnaries, here we need to do critical contextualization. For the missiological process, we will study God's intentions for the status of women and their leadership through exarrurung the discussions between the complementarians and the full participationists on the issues. In the first and second Genesis, God created Man as male and female in his image and blessed them to rule over all creatures in the earth. Both in the cultural command in Gen.1:27,28 and the creation story in Gen.2: 18-24, we can see the equality of women in their human dignity, status and leadership role. It is dear that Jesus, the Son of God in the Gospels, also demonstrated his view on women in equal status and equal in discipleship and leadersþip for the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit also affirmed the equality of women both in status and ministty through pouring out Himself according to his promise in Joel 2:28,29. Apostle Paul in his new creation theology, through Gal.3:28, prodaimed the equality of women both in spiritual and sκial bases. Even in the two difficult passages, 1Cor.14:34,35 and 1Tim.2:11,12, we found that Paul was not to teach universal truth but to exhorr them to apply in their special contexts. Moreover, Paul also showed his view on women in equality both in dignity of personality and ministty, by induding many women as his coworkers for his missionart works. As we learned above, to treat women in equal status and leadership role is right in the sight of God who is love and justice. Therefore, the hierarchical concept of Korean Church and missions should be transformed in the light of the biblical foundations of women in equal status and leadership, as a missiological prαess of critical contextualization. As we know, two• thirds of the Korean Church are consisted of women. The Korean Church should recover the equal status of their woman members in their hurnan dignity created in the image of God, and their leadership roles based on being outpoured by the Holy Spirit. I suggest that this biblical knowledge should be taught at seminaries and Bible study groups in the Korean Church--from children to the elders, from women to men, and from laymen to pastors. As a result, women in the Korean Church and ffilSSlon will develop thernselves to contribute for the kingdom of God. Healthy relationships and improved teamwork with their male partners are also expected. My hopes are that the synergy effect thus created in Shalom will help accelerate His kingdom come in the whole eanh.

• 박혜원(이화여자대학교 / ACTS 선교신학 외래교수)) | Park, Hye-Won