Yotsuya Mission and Church for Koreans in Tokyo: Formation of Mikawashima Korean Church of Christ (1901-1960s)
본 연구는 외국 교회의 지원에 의해 개척된 최초의 재일 한인교회 미카 와시마(三河島)교회의 역사를 재구성하되 특히 동 교회의 설립과 발전, 교회적 특성, 타교단 한인교회들과의 협력과 교류에 주목하였다. 미카와시마 교회는 미국 그리스도의교회와 연계된 재일 요츠야선교회 소속 제5교회의 한국인 교인에 의해 1926년 개척되어 한국인 전문사역자들에 의해 운영되고 성장하였다. 동 교회는 1940년대 초반 ‘일본기독교단’ 산하에 편입되었으나 제2차 세계대전이 끝난 후 탈퇴하고 종전의 미카와시마교회로 재건 되었다. 동 교회는 1960년대 초 요츠야선교회로부터 독립하여 자치, 자립 하는 지역교회가 되었다.
미카와시마교회는 개척 후 3년만인 1929년부터 교인 100명 이상이 출석하는 한인교회로 성장하였고, 한국교회와 미국 그리스도의교회(유악기)의 특징을 부분적으로 공유하였다. 동 교회는 한국인 사역자(목사 혹은 전도사 혹은 장로) 혹은 친 한국적 일본인 사역자(오다)의 치리로 한국교회의 특징인 ‘전도(부흥)집회’ ‘새벽기도회’를 정착시켰다. 반면 요츠야선교회와 재정과 인적 유대를 유지하며 그리스도의교회의 특징인 개교회의 자치권 을 계승받아 교단체제에 반대하고, 재일 한인교단교회들의 연합체인 ‘재일 본조선기독교’나 ‘재일본조선기독교연합회’에 가입하지 않았다. 또 성경을 신앙과 실천의 기준으로 중시하는 교회가 되었다. 동 교회는 재일한인교회 연합기구에 참여하지는 않았지만 복음사역을 위해 타교단 한인교회(특히 연합공의회계 한인교회)와 복음사역에 협력하고 교류하였다.
This study aims to reconstruct the history of the Mikawashima(三河島) Korean Church of Christ (below Mikawashima church), which is the first church supported and planted by the Yotsuya(四谷) Mission in Tokyo, Japan. It focused on the creation and development, the ecclesiastic characteristics as well as the cooperation and fellowship with other denominational Korean churches in Tokyo for evangelical cause of the Mikawashima church.
The Mikawashima church was created by a Korean lay Christian from the church of Yotsuya Mission (the Fifth Church) associated with the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ in the United States of America (below Church of Christ). It was managed and developed by Korean pastors affiliated with certain Korean denominational churches. In the early 1940s, it was united into 'United Church of Christ in Japan' (UCCJ, 日本基督教 団). After World War II, it withdrew from the UCCJ and was reconstructed into the church before the War under the support of the Yotsuya Mission. By the early 1960s this church became independent from Yotsuya Mission and was registered by the government as a Religious Cooperation and secured the status of a local church.
The Mikawashima church was one of the growing Korean churches in Tokyo; within three years after its foundation this church had developed into the church with more than 100 Christian members. This church owned the dual ecclesiastic characteristics of the Korean church and the Church of Christ in the USA during the period concerned. This church, which had been governed mostly by Korean pastors/evangelists or pro-Korean Japanese pastor (like Oda Naraji, 織田楢次), inherited the tradition of 'Evangelistic Meeting' or 'Early Morning Prayer Meeting' from Korean churches. On the other hand, while it maintained the financial and human relationship with by the Yotsuya Mission yet, it inherited the autonomy of one local church from the Church of Christ in the USA and opposed the denominational system. It did not participate in the united organization of Korean denominational churches in Japan called as 在日本朝鮮基督教 or 在日本朝 鮮基督教聯合會. Finally it regarded the Bible as the standard of Christian faithand practice. In spite of its opposition to the denominational system it did not exclude its cooperation and fellowship with other denominational churches in Tokyo.