현재 한국의 선교학자들에 의하여 활발하게 논의되고 있는 선교적 교회론은 지역사회에서 지역교회들의 선교적 과제를 새롭게 인식하고 실천하는 내용을 담고 있다. 기존의 선교적 관점은 선교를 주로 해외지역에서의 활동으로 이해하여 왔으나 선교적 교회론은 세계선교의 차원을 소홀히 하지 않으면서 현재 교회가 속한 지역도 선교현장으로 인식하고 접근하는 길을 연구하고 있다.현재 한국의 지역교회는 지역사회에서 저성장, 전도활동의 어려움, 사회로부터의 불신과 같은 지역사회에서의 선교활동에 심각한 어려움을 겪고 있다. 그러나 더욱 심각한 문제는 지역교회들이 그것을 해결할 수 있는 이론적 지원을 받지 못하고 있다. 그러므로 선교학자들이 이러한 지역교회에 가깝게 접근하여 현실적인 문제를 함께 해결할 수 있는 길을 찾도록 공동의 노력을 아끼지 않아야 한다. 그런 점에서 선교는 이제 지역선교와 해외선교를 이중적으로 구분하는 옛 패러다임을 넘어가야 한다. 지역사회 선교에서 시급히 요구되는 것은 사회적 신뢰이다. 현재 한국교회가 사회로부터 신뢰를 회복하며 인정받는 길은 전체 한국교회 차원이 아니라 지역교회 차원에서 지역사회로부터 신뢰를 얻는 것이다. 필자가 사례연구를 통해서 지역교회가 지역사회로부터 신뢰를 회복하고 인정을 받을 뿐만 아니라 지역사회 변화에 긍정적인 영향을 미치고 있는 가능성을 발견한 것은 큰 수확이었다.본 글의 초점은 한국상황에서 현장에서 발견하는 실천적 모델을 통해 선교적 교회의 다양한 유형들을 찾아보고 지역교회의 목회자들과 소통하며 적용할 수 있는 실제적인 선교적 교회의 실천적 원리들을 제시하는데 있다. 실천원리는 필자가 오랫동안 국내의 교회들을 연구한 결과로부터 도출해낸 것이다. 물론 이 원리들이 절대적이 아니기 때문에 앞으로 보완이 필요할 것이다. 그러한 발전적 과정을 전망하면서 지역교회에 적용할 수 있는 선교적 교회의 실천원리들을 제시하고자 한다.

오늘날 기독교 신앙이 사사화되고 공적 영역에서 기독교 진리의 우위성이 상실된 현실에서 교회의 선교적 본질에 초점을 맞춘 선교적 교회론의 등장은 기존의 기독교 세계에 큰 도전이 되고 있다. 선교적 교회론은 근본적으로 교회의 본질로부터 사역을 이해하고 조직을 구축하려는 논리적 순서를 중요하게 여긴다. 본 논문은 선교적 교회의 관점에서 교회론의 여섯 가지 주요 주제를 다룬다. (1) 교회는 삼위일체 하나님의 주권적 선교 안에서 이해되어야 한다. 교회는 궁극적으로 하나님의 소유이며 하나님의 구원 계획을 성취하기 위해 존재한다. (2) 성서에 제시된 에클레시아의 관점에서 볼 때 교회는 하나님께로부터 부르심을 받은 사람들의 공동체를 가리키기 때문에 결코 건물, 제도, 조직 구조, 성직자, 모델, 프로그램과 동일시될 수 없다. 교회는 근본적으로 하나님의 선교적 백성 곧 부르심을 받고 보내심을 받은 ‘사람들’ 자체를 가리킨다. (3) 선교적 교회는 모이는 교회일 뿐만 아니라 흩어지는 교회로서 공동체에 속한 구성원들의 삶의 현장에 존재한다. 다시 말해서, 신자들은 모이는 공간을 떠나 자신의 삶의 현장으로 흩어져 하나님의 통치를 증언하는 선교적 백성으로 살아간다. (4) 선교적 교회는 지역교회로서 자신들이 처한 지역 사회에서 하나님의 선교를 위해 고유한 삶의 양식을 창조해 나간다. (5) 선교적 교회는 거룩성을 지닌 공동체이지만 세상으로부터 분리된 공동체가 아니라 오히려 성육신의 원리를 따라 세상 안으로 들어가 하나님 나라의 진리와 능력을 드러내고 세상 문화를 변혁할 대안 공동체로 살아간다. (6) 유기체적 공동체로서 선교적 교회는 생명을 간직하고 향유하며 나눠주는 사역을 한다. 이 사역은 분립과 후원에 의한 교회개척을 중요하게 여긴다.

본고는 세계선교운동에서 상황화 패러다임으로의 전환과 전개를 인식론의 시대적 변천과 연계해 추적하면서 교회 본연의 선교적 삶을 확증하고 강화하는 상황화의 존재 의미와 가치를 다각도로 탐구한다. 교회의 선교적 생명성은 상황화를 통해 구체적으로 활성화된다. 문화적 진공상태 가운데 형성·전파·정착되는 복음은 결코 존재하지 않기 때문이다. 따라서 복음의 전수(傳授)적 측으로부터의 탈(脫)문화적이며 동시에 복음의 수용적 측으로의 재(再)문화적인 상황화는 선교적 교회에게 존재론적으로 부여된 해석학적 과제이다. 그러나 세계선교운동에서 상황화가 교회의 선교적 삶에 있어 필수불가결한 본질적 요소로 중시되어 적극 활용된 것은 탈기독교세계 시대의 출현 이후이며, 이것은 복음과 문화에 대한 인식론적 전이와 밀접히 관련된다. 다시 말해 상황화는 계시와 이성, 본체와 현상, 주관성과 객관성, 실증주의와 상대주의를 통전적으로 아우르는 비판적 사실주의 관점에서 복음의 경계 한정성 대신 중심 지향성이, 문화의 자족적 폐쇄성 대신 유기적 상관성이, 그리고 타종교의 문화적 우연성 대신 문화적 필연성이 강조되는 탈기독교세계적 사유의 산물이다. 이와 같은 인식론의 시대적 변천과 맞물려 1970년대 초 에큐메니칼계 신개념으로 등장한 상황화는 1980년대에 그 유형과 방법에 대한 심도 깊은 논의와 연구를 거치면서 세계선교운동의 주류 패러다임으로 부상하였다. 그 결과 오늘날 세계선교운동은 ‘상황화는 함의상 과정성이, 유형상 포용성이, 그리고 방법상 적합성이 요청되는 교회의 선교적 실존의 필연이다’라는 공동의 선교신학적 인식 속에 단일문화적인 기독교세계가 아닌 다문화적인 하나님 나라를 추구하며 하나님의 선교에 참여하고 있다.

오늘날 한국 교회가 처한 문화적 상황은 서구교회 못지않게 선교지화하고 있다. 이런 상황에서 선교적 교회 논의는 한국의 문화적 상황에 대해서 시사하는 바가 크다. 특히 전통 문화와 근대 그리고 탈근대 문화가 혼재한 한국사회는 세계화와 정보화의 급류 속에서 더욱 다문화 사회로 그리고 다원사회로 변모하고 있다. 특히 젊은 층 가운데 두드러지게 나타나는 기독교에 대한 높은 반감과 무관심은 그들에 대한 전도를 힘들게 하고 있다. 이러한 한국상황 속에서 전도와 사회봉사의 사역을 효과적으로 감당하기 위해서는 단순한 전도적 접근법을 넘어서서 선교적(missional) 접근법을 취해야 한다. 선교적 접근법은 먼저 성육신적인 방법으로 지역사회에 거주하는 불신자들에게 다가가며 그들과 관계를 맺는 데서부터 출발한다. 선교적 회중들은 자신의 교회문화보다도 불신자들의 문화를 존중하고 그들이 알아들을 수 있는 언어와 개념으로 복음을 소통하고자 노력한다. 그들은 먼저 불신자들과 편안한 만남이 가능한 근접공간을 만들고자 노력한다. 또한 민간, 정부, 복지기관, 기업 등 지역사회의 다양한 주체들과 공동 프로젝트를 추진함으로 지역사회의 복지와 유익을 추구하며 협력관계를 개발한다. 더욱이 지역사회에 긴요한 영리사업을 추구함으로 해당 사회의 유익을 구하는 한편, 불신자들과의 접촉점을 개발하는 가운데 선교적 목적을 이루고자 한다. 이처럼 선교적 접근법은 다양하게 불신자들과 접촉하며 관계를 개발하는 가운데 자생적 신앙 공동체를 이루고자 한다. 선교적 공동체는 복음과 지역사회 문화와의 선교적 대면을 추구한다. 선교적 회중들은 먼저 지역사회 문화 속에 함께 거주하는 자로서 복음을 접하게 된다. 그들은 자신의 내면에서 복음과 문화의 내면적 대화를 통해서 문화에 의해서 형성된 가정들과 전제들을 복음의 관점으로 전환하는 작업을 수행한다. 이러한 내면적 대화는 교회 밖의 불신자들과 외적인 대화를 나누기 위한 전제이며 선결조건이다. 선교적 회중의 내면에서 일어난 복음과 문화의 내적인 대화는 그들로 하여금 교회 밖에 있는 불신자들이 동일하게 복음을 붙잡고 또 복음에 의해서 붙잡힐 수 있도록 해석학적 렌즈를 제공하거나 불신자들에게 친숙한 용어로 복음을 전달할 수 있게 해준다. 복음과 문화의 대면에서 중요한 부분은 상호간에 공통점을 찾는 일이다. 그러한 공통점은 복음을 전하는 데에 있어서 중요한 접촉점을 제공하기 때문이다. 이미 지역사회 속에는 개인주의로 허물어가는 공동체를 살리기 위한 다양한 노력들이 시도되고 있다. 그리고 대가족중심의 복지체계에서 정부중심의 복지 시스템으로 변화하는 가운데에서 많은 복지적 욕구가 분출되는 상황이다. 이러한 지역사회 상황은 “네 이웃을 네 몸과 같이 사랑하라”는 명령을 받는 선교적 회중들이 그 명령을 따르기에 좋은 토양이다. 지역사회 속에서 봉사와 섬김의 사역을 실천함으로써 공신력을 회복시키며 지역사회로부터 좋은 호응을 받고 있는 많은 교회들이 있다는 점은 매우 고무적인 일이다.하지만 복음과 문화의 대면에서 간과해선 안 되는 점은 양자 간의 차이점이 분명하게 나타날 경우이다. 그럴 때 돌이키고 회개해서 문화적인 관점과 가치관을 복음적인 것으로 바꾸어 나아가는 작업이 지속적으로 필요하다. 교회는 대조사회로서 초월의 세계로부터 오는 주님의 음성을 듣고 응답하는 공동체이다.

에큐메니칼 역사에서 선교적 교회를 위한 토론은 계속되어 왔다. 국제선교협의회가 1921년 창립된 이래 교회의 선교적 의무가 주요 토론의제였고, 1948년 암스테르담에서 세계교회협의회가 창설되면서 이 두 기구의 통합을 위해서 더욱 구체화되었다. 따라서 이 논문은 1961년 뉴델리에서 IMC로 대변되는 ‘선교’와 WCC로 대표되는 ‘교회’가 기구적 일치를 이루는 역사를 먼저 다루고, 선교적 구조를 위한 토론의 역사를 살펴봄으로써 선교적 교회의 신학적 근거와 그 핵심 내용을 밝혀서 오늘날 선교적 교회 논의에 기여하고자 한다.WCC 중앙위원회는 두 기구의 일치에 대한 재평가를 실시하여 ‘선교와 일치를 위한 교회의 소명’이라는 ‘롤(Rolle)선언문’을 채택하고, 일치를 위한 초안을 1957년에 제안하였다. 이를 WCC 중앙위원회는 1957년, IMC는 1958년 가나 총회에서 각각 수용함으로써 두 기구의 일치가 공식적으로 인정되었다.‘교회의 선교적 구조’에 대한 에큐메니칼 토론은 각 대륙별로 진행되었다. 먼저 ‘서유럽연구그룹’은 1965년 1차 연구를 마무리하여『구조원리로서의 선교』라는 보고서를 내었고, 이를 바탕으로『선교적 교회구조를 위한 투쟁 안에 있는 타자를 위한 교회』(Die Kirche für andere im Ringen um Strukturen missionarischer Gemeinden)를, 북미에서는『세계를 위한 교회』(Die Kirche für die Welt)를 출간하였다. 아시아 교회는 플레밍과 라이트가 각 지역에서 보내온 일부자료를 토대로 『선교적 교회를 위한 구조』를 1964년 공동집필하였다.선교적 교회를 위한 에큐메니칼 토론의 신학적 기여는『구조원리로서의 선교』이며, 교회론의 핵심인 ‘타자를 위한’ 명제는 본회퍼(D. Bonhoeffer)에서 비롯되었다.『타자를 위한 교회』는 샬롬(Schalom)이라는 성서적 개념으로 집약되며 이것은 후켄다이크(J. C. Hoekendijk)에 의해 발전되어 전통적인 ‘하나님-교회-세계’의 구조가 ‘하나님-세계-교회’로 바뀌게 되었다.

본 논문은 선교적 교회론이 이론뿐만 아니라 사역 현장에서 가시적인 결과를 도출할 수 있도록 하기 위한 현장 연구 방법론에 관한 연구이다. 본 연구는 그동안 사용해 오던 현장 연구 방법들이 갖는 한계들을 알아보는 데서 출발한다. 그리고 그에 대한 대안으로 두 가지 이상의 현장 연구 방법들을 다양한 방식으로 혼합 및 활용할 수 있는 통합 방법론(mixed methodology)을 소개한다. 선교적 교회론이 존재론, 실존론은 물론 상황화적 적용에도 활용이 가능해지기 위해서는 현장에 대한 이해와 또 그에 바탕 한 사역 전략의 수립이 필수적이다. 또한 가시적이고 정확한 현장의 자료를 수집하기 위하여서 설계 과정에서부터 정확한 목표, 표본과 모집단의 선정, 자료수집 방법, 현장에 대한 현실적인 이해, 자료의 정리 방식 등을 정확히 설정해야 한다. 기존의 양적 연구와 질적 연구의 특성과 그것들이 갖고 있는 철학적 배경을 이해할 경우 각 방법들이 갖고 있는 장점과 한계를 이해할 수 있다. 통합방법론은 이런 방법들의 한계를 최소화한 것으로 선교적 교회론의 실현에 좀 더 현실적인 기여를 할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다. 선교적 교회론을 가시화하기 위하여서는 사역의 단계마다 수행해야 할 현장연구들이 조금씩 달라야 한다. 그리고 각 단계들의 현장 조사의 성격이 다른 만큼 사용하는 자료 수집 방법들, 그들의 배합, 그리고 방법들의 순차는 다양하게 선택할 수가 있어야 한다. 통합하는 방식에도 두 가지 방법들을 단순하게 합하는 삼각화 설계법을 필두로 리서치의 목적에 따라 순차성과 동시성, 리서치의 성격에 따라 탐색적, 설명적, 그리고 내재적 접근들을 고루 사용할 수 있다. 본 논문은 이 중에서도 선교적 교회론에 적용이 비교적 용이해 보이는 6가지 통합방법의 유형들을 소개할 것이다. 각 유형별로 적절한 현장 연구의 예들로 어떤 것이 있는지도 소개할 것이다.

성경에 나타난 선교에 대한 연구는 성경을 문자적으로 있는그대로 받아들여서 선교의 당위성이나 특정 선교단체의 목적을 위해 성경의 일부를 차용하던 방식에서부터, 성경전체를 역사비평적으로 연구해 하나님의 선교를 증명해내는 방식에로, 여러 학자들의 연구를 통해 서서히 변화해 왔다. 영미권에서 볼 때 1980년대 이전에는 대개 전문적인 성서학자보다는 선교학자들이 성경을 선교적 관점으로 보는 방식이 주류였다. 이러한 방식은 자의적 안목으로 성경의 특정 부분을 강조하는 한계가 있었으며, 특히 구약성경은 십 수 년 전까지도 선교와 많은 관련성을 갖지 못한 책으로 치부되었다. 이와 달리 성서학자들은 하나님의 선교가 성경에 분명히 나타남에도 불구하고, 기존의 역사비평에 의존하여 성경전체를 선교적으로 읽지 못하였고 선교현장을 고려한 해석학도 발전시키지 못하였다.서구교회가 반세기동안 형성해온 선교의 중심주제가 ‘선교적교회론’으로 집결되어 나타났다. 이는 교회의 상황을 선교적 관점에서 반성하면서 바람직한 교회운동이 선교회복운동과 맞물려 일어난 것이다. 선교적교회 운동이 교회와 선교의 본질에 대한 성경적 근거를 제시해야 하겠기에, 최근 호주와 북미의 GOCN은 선교적해석학(Missional Hermeneutic) 방면으로 이 운동을 추진하고 있다. 현재 국내에서 선교적교회론은 학문적 논의의 장이 점차 형성되면서 다양한 선교적교회들이 부상하고 있는 상황이다. 한국교회 갱신을 위해서도 도전하는 선교적교회론은 제도화속에 경직화된 한국교회에 도사리고있는 세속적 가치관을 제거하기 위해, 하나님 나라 가치관을 드러내는 성경적 기준을 제시해야 한다. 이 시점에서 필자는 선교적교회론의 뿌리가 되는 교회와 선교의 본질에 대한 성경연구를 최근 부상하고있는 선교적해석학 분야에서 성찰하되, 본 소고는 그러한 성경연구를 위한 표지(標識)가 되는 초점들을 제시한다. 논문의 구성은 선교(학)에서 성경이 어떻게 다루어져 왔는지를 간략히 살피고나서, 선교적교회론에서 선교적해석학의 중요성을 논한다. 다음으로 선교적해석학을 헌스버거(George Hunsberger)를 따라 4유형으로 분류하여 라이트(Christopher Wright), 구더(Darrell Guder) 및 고힌(Michael Goheen), 바람(Michael Barram), 그리고 브론슨(James Brownson)의 입장을 소개한다. 헌스버거는 위의 각 유형들을 서로 배타적이거나 경쟁적으로 보기보다는, 각기 다른 강조점들이 서로를 필요로 하는 상호의존적인 유형들로 보기를 권한다. 그럴 때 모종의 시너지 효과를 볼 수 있다는 것이다. 이것들은 앞으로 계속해서 발전해나갈 선교적해석학에 ‘토대’를 놓아준다. 즉 ‘선교적해석학’을 위한 구조틀(framework-하나님의 선교의 내러티브), 목적(aim-증거를 위한 교회 형성), 접근방법(approach-독특한 사회적 자리에서 나온 질문들), 그리고 해석적 모체(matrix-해석적 열쇠로서의 복음)를 제공해준다.

Our close observation of the debates among Pauline scholars in the west on the issue of mission-relationship between Paul and the church provides some points to be borne in mind for a fresh approach in our further discussion. The dichotomy between scholars’ approach to the issue of mission-relation between Paul and the church either in terms of mission-continuity or mission-discontinuity needs to be remedied by appreciating the possibility to see the issue afresh, namely, continuity ‘and’ discontinuity. Therefore, our further discussion is to begin with assuming a certain ‘mission-continuity’ between Paul and the church or at least Paul’s missio-ecclesial understanding vis-à-vis his understanding of his own mission. This again means that the unsettled exegetical question is not about such a mission-continuity or mission-discontinuity between Paul and the church but about the nature of such a continuity. On a more fundamental level, the current debate has more to do with a more plausible description of Paul’s conceptuality regarding what Pauline scholars have generally called ‘mission’ than simply to explain away the relation between Paul and the church under a given popular definition of mission. As the modern notion of ‘missio-Dei’ and “missional ecclesiology’ do, a more plausible description of Paul’s conceptuality regarding the current issue requires to see ‘mission’ not ‘pattern-analytically’ but ‘purpose-analytically’. However, this should not be done anachronistically by projecting these modern notions to Paul’s texts, but in a way in which we can provide a more biblical and historical basis for a better understanding about our mission today.

The aim of this thesis is to outline the history of the mission of the Korean Church in Thailand and its characteristics, tasks and mission theological issues so that the thesis searches for the way of the mission of the Korean Church to contributing to the unity and empowerment of the Church of Thailand. To achieve this aim, the thesis deals with the social characteristics and value systems of Thai society and the history of the mission of Roman Catholics and of Protestants. Through suggesting the contour of the history of the mission of the Korean Church in Thailand, some characteristics of the mission of Korean Church are church plant, church-centered passion, project-centered and materialistic mission, and independent seminaries. Tasks of the mission of Korean Church in Thailand are acceptance of Thai Christians' critiques on Korean missionaries, Korean missionaries' understanding of Thai culture in depth, meagerness and lack of mission strategies, halt in mission, missionary kids' education, partnership in mission, acceptance of difference of Thai church culture, understanding of the missionary tasks from the socio-cultural and religious situation of Thai church, and theological issues. The main results of the research are as follows: first of all, there are two kinds of church in Thailand: one belongs to the Church of Christ in Thailand, the other to the Evangelical Fellowship of Thailand. Some Korean missionaries, however, established independent denominations and ran seminaries so that those denominations and seminaries obstructed the unity of Church in Thailand. These activities of Korean Church cannot be regarded as mission. Secondly, Korean missionaries to Thailand should not transplant the culture of the Korean Church to Thailand. Rather with Thai Church leaders, their missionary tasks are looking for the ways of how to communicate and share the Gospel with Buddhist Thais and identifying the appropriate ecclesiology in Buddhist society. Thirdly, the future of the mission of Korean Church to Thailand depends on whether Korean missionaries could expand the model of the partnership in mission done by the missionaries belonged to the Presbyterian Church of Korea to the relation between the Church of Thailand and Korean missionaries. Lastly, such an expansion of the model of the partnership in mission will be possible only when the ecumenical churches and the evangelical churches can reach a common conclusion through coming to an agreement on the theological issues such as human-centered theology, religious pluralism and mission methods and mission theology in the Buddhist country.

The early Korean church had experienced rapid growth and revival. What caused this phenomenon? What are its driving forces? Though so far there have been many papers on the quantitative growth of the Korean church, there are almost none which deals with it from the perspective of church planting. Therefore, in this paper, I tried to evaluate the Nevius Plan as a church planting theory that enabled the early Korean church to grow rapidly. As a result of this study, I found that the Nevius Plan as a church planting method has some strengths and weaknesses.The Nevius Plan is positive in that it enhances greatly the spontaneity of believers on the basis of Three-self Principle─self-support, self-governance, and self-propaganda. However, it is not an absolute principle that can unconditionally be applied in every condition. In addition, it is wrong to place the responsibility of evangelism and church planting on only native people. Such interpretation is a distortion of the Nevius Plan. This would be demonstrated by the supportive argument that when considering Adams Evangelistic Fund, the Nevius Plan did not collide with strategic fund supports. When the Nevius Plan based on Three-self Principle was introduced to missionaries in Korea, it was indigenized into a church planting method focused on self-support and self-propaganda. As a church planting theory, it regarded the church as an organic community full of vitality and pursued establishing indigenous churches in their own culture. Three-self Principle functioned as a concrete method for church planting. However, it should not be recognized as an end in itself or an absolute theory, rather it should be applied appropriately in a certain circumstance in which local churches existed. In his writing, John Nevius also agrees that supporting fund should be invested to several ministries such as school, and to hire paid workers in case of need. Therefore, to believe that the Nevius Plan insists on leaving the responsibility of evangelism and church planting to native people without any outer fund, is a distorted interpretation. As the Nevius Plan was applied all over the country, Adams Evangelistic Fund, which had a marked effect on church planting ministry in Taegu area, demonstrates how the Nevius Plan as a indigenous church planting theory could be harmonized with fund support. Three-self Principle is the important foundation for indigenous church planting. The Nevius Plan makes church planting not a humanistic enterprise but a dynamic work led by the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, if funds in the strategic church planting support workers devoted to the Three-self spirit, it will heighten the intensity of effect more than the case of when everything is left to only native people will. It is of course that beneficiaries’ sense of independence is necessary in this case.

Willem Adolf Visser ’t Hooft was born on 1900 in Netherland and moved into Geneva in 1924 in order to work with YMCA as a general secretary. From 1928, he also was involved in World Student Christian Federation and became an editor of The Student World. Then he worked in World Council of Churches from 1938 to 1966 as a general secretary. He published The Ecumenical Review and was the editor of it from 1948. He hosted many ecumenical meetings, including Evanston (1954) and New Delhi (1961) WCC General Assembly and actively participated in lecturing and writing in the world. Although he was born in the West and had been educated in the West, he humbly accepted the sinful nature of Western churches. He acknowledged they had been affected by syncretism, pluralism, and Neo-paganism. Hooft understood the church in two different dimensions. One is that church is a spiritual community which gets salvation by Christ, becomes a new creature (I Cor. 5: 17), and lives in the Kingdom of God in the eschatological hope. The other is that church is a sinful human organization. Especially, Western churches have compromised the Gospel of Christ with many contemporary philosophy, theory, ideology, and other religions. In such a situation, church should be renewed. Hooft argued that the authentic church’s renewal is not an event or program that can be acquired, but it is an ongoing process in relationship with God. In other words, the renewal of churches does not rely on human’s endeavor or achievement, but the sovereignty of God. He is the subject of churches’ renewal and each church is in His hands. In terms of this perspective, He leads churches’ renewal and churches should pay attention to His will and ways towards other churches. In this sense, according to Hooft, the first step of renewal, is repentance before God. Then churches should listen carefully to the Word of God. The renewals cannot be done in a certain amount of time; rather it is a lifelong process in the living God. Hooft insisted on that the renewal of churches should be visible, tangible, and concrete in this world. In that sense, Hooft emphasized the unity of churches. People have been separated, but Christ never. If Christians believe that Christ creates churches, they are one body. They cannot be divided in Christ, although they have different backgrounds. If Hooft’s claim is true, the unity of churches should be manifested in this world. Again, unity of churches is not an event or political project; rather it is an ongoing process in relationship with God. He is an initiator of churches’ unity and He is the One who finalizes in His time. It does mean that the unity of churches should grow up “from” Christ “to” Christ. In conclusion, Hooft focused on the missional nature of church in terms of fulfilling the renewal and unity of churches. He said that the problems of church unity are supremely relevant to the evangelistic and missionary tasks in the world. In addition, Hooft claimed that the renewal of the Church implies, therefore also that the Church rediscovers its apostolic, missionary character. For Hooft, the Church is the missionary Church, because it is the instrument of God’s world-embracing plan of salvation.

The researcher in this paper tries to suggest proper indicators of the missional church based on his critical evaluation to Dr. Kookil Han’s study of missional churches in Korea. The researcher describes ‘Missio Dei,’ ‘the Bible-centered evangelicalism,’ ‘the emphasis of indigenous culture,’ ‘practicalism,’ ‘the focus on the essence of the church,’ ‘dynamics of the Holy Spirit,’ ‘ministry of lay people,’ and ‘the pursuit of the dispersive church’ as the main characteristics of the missional church. The researcher highly evaluates Dr. Kookil Han’s endeavor to study emerging missional churches in Korea. However, the researcher points out that some cases which Dr. Han introduced, do not reach to the criterion of the missional church in terms of the main characteristics of the missional church. In this paper, Songahk church, Hannam first church, Sungkwang church, Kwangyang-Daekwang church, Sungam church are described as emerging missional churches in Korea. From the common characteristics of these churches, the researcher factors out 12 indicators for the missional church: 1) the missional church is to be on evangelistic ecumenicalism based on theology of Trinity; 2) the missional church should exercise good influence to the local community; 3) the missional church needs to contribute to the development of the local society; 4) the missional church ought to understand the true value of the church; 5) the missional church should endeavor to be a living community; 6) the missional church must not have any internal conflict among people in the church for more than ten years; 7) the missional church needs to endeavor for the cross-cultural mission; 8) the missional church should support the horizontal structure in which the clergy and the laity lead the faith community together; 9) the missional church is to catch up with the changing trend of the region and the times; 10) the missional church should be financially independent; 11) the missional church ought to be ecumenical in working with others; 12) the missional church must work for the larger community where the local church stands.The researcher lastly argues that Korean church leaders need to dig out more missional churches in Korea and establish a reliable criterion indicating the missional church for developing a biblically faithful and culturally relevant missional ecclesiology in Korea.

Korean church nowadays is facing same situation as Missional Church appeared in the West. Korean church is corrupted inside and brought the disability and loss of trust externally due to loss of the essence of faith and lack of the suitability to the society. The fact that Korean church is confronting the worst crisis in Korean history urges us to bring appropriate solutions to recover the fundamental worth and to communicate with altered Korean society effectively. As we are to recover the identity and the suitability and to solve internal and external problems in the church, neither the present church paradigm nor the program and the pastoral methodology is the key. Korean church reached at its prime with the programs and pastoral methodology and now these are bringing the dark age upon Korean church which is darker than ever. Therefore, it is the time for Korean church to be changed in every direction. The Missional Church was resulted in developing the main theme of mission that took the half of the century in western church. It does not mean to recover Christendom and to find better principle and method to pursuit church growth but it is the movement–which started with church movement and mission recovering movement–that examines the situation that church is in seriously and studies it academically. GOCN(Gospel and Our Culture Network) has been working on Missional Church movement in the area of Missional Hermeneutic recently. Since Mission comes from the nature of God, the whole Bible should be dealt with Mission but not some specific verses. Therefore, this essay will focus on introducing Missional Hermeneutic Christopher Wright provide. This research will give an opportunity to illuminate the characteristic of Missional Church–the ethical perspective of Mission.The relationship between Mission and ethics is very close. The author insists that ethicality is the sign to distinguish the church from the secular world and it forms Mission. Ethics itself forms Mission in Missional Church as church exists as the light and the salt to the local society. Without biblical ethics, there is no biblical mission. This essay will prospect the Bible in Missional Hermeneutic and show the relationship between ethics and the aspect of election, redemption and covenant in the Israelite and church respectively. Biblical Mission needs biblical ethics. Moreover, ethics itself forms mission. Missional Church provides biblical basis for Missional Hermeneutic. Since Bible gives the right answer to the nature and the method of missional obedience, Word is the basis for church mission. The steps toward Missional Church should show the effort to examine the systems of every church throughly and biblically to be rooted and worked in serious relationship with God’s word. Missional Church movement should provide biblical basis on the nature of gospel and the essence, ministry and structure of church, In such need of these facts, this essay will provide examples to illuminate the biblical basis about Missional Church with the eyes of Missional Hermeneutic.

The Korean Church is well-known as the Church which conducts missionary works. Despite the short church-history, the Korean Church has not only considerate passions and dedicated attitudes toward Mission, but also human resources and material resources needed to the missionary works. Thus it goes without saying that the Korean Church stands on the rank of countries that are responsible for the World Mission. The Korean Church’s Mission has several distinct features, which are church-centered, Denominational Mission Department-centered sending-missionaries and then not setting up enough infra-structure. Upright Mission is accompanied by administrating and caring missionaries as well as gathering and choosing suitable people, sending and supporting them as missionaries, and making them settle in the mission field and grasping their missionary works. However, the Korean Church’s Mission is, so to speak, to be doing ‘Sending-centered Mission.’ Mission is recognized only to send missionaries and supporting their living expenses. Because of these reasons, Denominational Mission Department or Missionary Society beyond the Denomination don’t consider setting up intra-structure as the principal assignment. Currently, the Korean Church’s missionary model seems the Church-centered Mission model but, in fact, sending missionaries is carried on each church-centered events, for which primary structures and systems needed in conducting the missionary works are not equipped. Each church-centered sending-missionaries and Mission on the basis of sponsorship structure causes various problems in the choice of missionaries and their missionary activities. In many cases, to choose missionaries and to support them is done impromptu rather than designedly. There is no long-term missionary policy to supervise, manage, and take care of missionaries. The responsibility of all the missionary works is left to the missionaries alone. In order to perform the right Mission continuously, it is not sending many missionaries but establishing and operating frames and structures to support the working missionaries systematically that is the most urgent task. This article is to suggest the real alternative by recognizing the problems of Mission and realizing heartfelt the need of the infrastructure on Mission. After seizing pros and cons between each church-centered Mission model and Mission Society-centered Mission model, it is to search for solutions on structural problems which have been revealed in each church-centered Mission system in Korea Church now.

This paper is to study the missionary reflection of social service mission in Korea church after the 1945 liberation of Korea. When reflecting social service of Korea churches according to the historical features, it could be divided as before and after the 1945 liberation of Korea. The social service before the liberation could be summed up as ‘un-structural service period’ that had been conducted to Korean people in poverty, diseases and ignorance during the beginning of mission by the missionaries. The other could be summarized as ‘structural service period’ that is recognized the ideological conflict and the suffering from the division of Korea into north and south and the Korean war and ‘holistic service period’ that tried to avoid a crisis into social service mission as Korea churches in quantitative growth were experiencing stagnation. The mission before the l945 liberation was an education and a medical service as the approaching method in Korean society. But those services were one method for evangelism because they were based on conservatism theology of early missionaries. So, there was no missio-theological reflection for the extension of God’s Kingdom that Jesus Christ proclaimed in the world. Therefore early Korean churches are ‘un-structural service period’ that emphasizes only individual's spiritual salvation in the absence of society. During the Japanese colonial period social service of Korea church was ‘solidarity period’ that tried to find a clue of national problem solution from a rural community movement. Korean churches in the 1920s began to recognize social salvation and the world’s structural problems. The rural community movement also developed actively for about 10 years from the 1920s to the mid of 1930s, but it should be stopped due to the oppression in and out of church in the late 1930s. Even though there were many believers who died of dire persecution, many main religious associations in Korea found the way to live in sympathy with the visit of Japan’s shrine. After the 1945 liberation Koreans experienced both the joy of liberation from Japan and fratricidal war. In this period the duty of Korea churches was to save Clients in want and received financial support from the western churches because of economical poverty and impoverishment. And the April 19 pro-democracy movement in 1960 was happened due to the political corruption, but the democratization retreated because of the May 16 military coup in 1961. Industrialization and urbanization are promoted as focusing on the economic development, and UIM that helps the human rights abuses of workers origins. In this period Korean churches begin to open their eyes about the evil of social structure and illegality and corruption stemming from the huge gap forming between the rich and the poor, materialism and the negligence of humanity. So this is ‘structural service period,’ for Korean churches that are focusing on the individual’s spiritual salvation become to recognize the evil of social structure and injustice as mission work. Finally, since Korean churches after the 1970s are interested in the church’s growth and expansion, they are not into social service. The economic growth by the military regime caused trouble such as the gap between the rich and the poor, environmental disruption and materialism and formed urban slums. And also Korean churches that disregard these problems are contaminated by growth-oriented theology, but they surprisingly growed with the military regime. In this period the large scale gathering and revival are lively held, and churches closely cooperate in turning the concern about human rights and democratization into individual’s spirit salvation and blessing. As a result, Korean churches after the 1990s have been put aside in the society and stagnated constantly. Now Korean churches stand in between temptation of growth and responsibility of social service. The early Korean churches created the way to mission through social service building up many hospitals and schools as a method of evangelism. Therefore, Korean churches should revive a tradition of holistic mission with both evangelism and social responsibility.

Peace should be approached by inclusivism, consisted of politics, economy, international relationship, social welfare, community health care, education, and culture. For the current government of South Korea has been obsessed with ideology rather than national interests during the last five years, the relationship between South Korea and North Korea is in crisis. Theological foundations for reconciliation are truth, memory, repentance, justice, forgiveness, and love. The presupposition of reconciliation is to know what happened to the victim. The truth of the victim can be recognized through memory, that is the center of one’s identity. Repentance of the perpetrator is necessary for the process of reconciliation. In return the victim should forgive the perpetrator. In the whole process of reconciliation, love is a dominant factor. Theological foundations for peace are justice, reconciliation, nonviolence, just peace, and economic justice. Justice is the precondition for peace. And reconciliation is the way to peace. Nonviolence is the hope for peace. Just peace is suggested by the WCC as an alternative to the just war and pacifism. Economic justice is identified as an essence for peace. Tasks of the peace mission of the Korean Church for reconciliation and peace reunification of South Korea and North Korea are such as nonviolent communication, nurturing of the peacebuilders, the peace education for encouraging the culture of peace, the care for the victim of violence and programs for violence prevention, media as a peace messenger, the peace mission in the public area, and strategies of peace mission in the troubled areas. The peace mission should be approached by inclusivism and Christian realism as well. For practicing the peace mission the Korean Church can learn about important lessons from the various examples of the peace mission done by the member churches of the WCC during the Decade to Overcome Violence, from 2001 to 2010. The Korean Church is encouraged to study the precious experiences of the Peace Church (the Mennonites, the Quakers, and the Brethren Church) for enacting the peace mission.

This paper is to lay the theoretical foundation of missional church growth, which should be a new paradigm of church growth, in order to renew the Korean church in which distorted concepts of church growth are widespread. In this paper, I define missional church growth as the growth of missional church, which expands its social influence of the Gospel by becoming the witnessing church culturally appropriate in its local community and the world, in terms of not only inner dynamics through worship, education, and fellowship but also the praxis of evangelism, church planting, incarnational ministry, and public discipleship, ultimately the increase of responsible church members who came to the Christ. Prior to explaining the frame and basic concepts of missional church growth, I conducted two studies: firstly, I inquired into the theological theories of church growth and among them tried to find critical clues connecting to the missional church growth; and secondly, from a cultural view point, attempted to elucidate both the fact that some main concepts of traditional church growth theories were affected by modern values, and the postmodern culture is challenging Christian churches today to prepare a new paradigm of church growth. Basically, the missional church growth aims to accomplish the Lord’s Great Commission(Mt. 28:1920), which includes both evangelical mandate and cultural mandate. Thus, it is harmoniously toward enhancing both conversion growth and the social influence of the Gospel. It is also related to the endeavor to realize the apostolicity inherent in local churches, the missionary nature of the church. Its accomplishment would be through enhancing inner dynamics based on worship, education, and fellowship, and activating its missionary praxis toward the world. The missionary praxis includes four main works: evangelism, church planting, incarnational ministry, and public discipleship. Therefore, it could be mentioned that the missional church growth is carried out through the balanced perspective and practices in terms of the Gospel and culture. Finally, the missional church growth should be practiced in an orderly process. The nature, ministry, and structure of the church, three aspects in the life of the missional church, must be in regular sequence. Their order must not be changed: its ministry must come out of its nature and its structure must be built to fulfil its ministry effectively. When neglecting this orderly sequence, the church would be programdirected and losing its missionary nature, which consequently produces distorted church growth.

This paper is to study historical characteristics of social service mission in Korea church before the 1945 liberation of Korea. The classification of an era for historical analysis about social welfare in Korea church is not only necessary, but also is dangerous. Because it could be depended on subjective classification of the researcher, simplified complicated historical processes, and there would be a possibility to classify it individually or selectively. Nevertheless, a missiotheological reflection about christianity society service in the Korea mission history will be meaningful to many people who study social service mission according to the classification of an era and important to Korea church which is in stagnation. In this context, the summingup to social service mission of Korea church before the 1945 liberation of Korea according to period features is necessary. There are two kinds of mission service characteristics in the protestant. One of these is Luther, Calvin and Knox as an ‘ecclesiastical’ type, and the other is sure salvation by individual experience of faith as a ‘nonecclesiastical’ type. Mission movement after Pietism mainly took the 'nonecclesiastical' type. The United States of America which preached the gospel to Korea also was offsprings of the ‘nonecclesiastical’ type. The faith of these people, as a type of pious Puritan, thought a concept of church is the same as an ark separated from the world. It shows at the constitutional law of the separation of religion and politics and the guideline of mission agency. Despite their spiritual salvation separated from the world, nonpolitical actions, and irrational and dualistic faith as what is called an ‘evangelist,’ these people began education and medical works as a starting point of mission at the beginning of Korea mission. These were based on the considerate help and charitable service by each missionary. This type of faith made emotional bond with Koreans in unhappiness as a method for propagating the gospel even though there was not an attempt grasping the underlying and structural problems which were causing miserable lives and political suppression to the pioneer missionaries. So, the local section was set up in ‘Christian Council’ in 1925 and the rural section was set up in 1930, but these were only recognized as ‘something for mission works.’ For example, the local section of ‘Christian Council’ in 1930 was limited only for the dormitory foundation, missionary sending, sewage factory demolition, temperance movement and combined execution of help works. This kind of early mission, which was an unstructural service has the same basis with pious ‘Mitleid’ to the lost souls. Pietism against protestant’s legitimism in the 17th century and illuminism in the 18th century was an important movement that awakened stagnated mission work newly, but focusing on an individual’s complacency and conversion it became the important motivation of mission and the important goal of mission only to save each person from corrupted world. Therefore, the mission of unstructural service has some limitations that restrict missionary works only as a province of converted spirit, given Missio Dei erecting the sovereignty of Jesus Christ and expending the kingdom of God in this world. It was from 1920 that Korea church started to recognize the basic cause of social problems systematically. And also this is originated from the development of international missiotheology. As the first World Missionary Conference held in Edinburgh in 1910 predicted the world evangelization hopefully, it was based on mission for a human being’s spirit salvation. Consequently, it did not develop the christianity's influence beyond individual spirit salvation. But after Edinburgh conference the world’s history was changing by contraries because of World War. So the World Missionary Conference after 1910 was not held. In Jerusalem conference in 1928 the recognition about the social responsibility of gospel, secularism and other religions was on the rise strongly. Thus, Korea church in the 1920s was interested in social welfare mission according to the stream of world missionary and the social change of Korea(Chosun). Since this was the creed copy of churches of the United States of America and Japan, this social welfare mission had a problem not to include independency and a demand of the times. Many social service movements such as roll back of tuberculosis, medical work, settlement work and moderation movement, and service for women and children’s welfare, therefore, showed the limitation. During the Japanese colonial period Korea church tried to find a clue of national problem solution from a rural community movement because it was based on a type of national church against Japan. The rural community movement also developed actively for about 10 years from the 1920s to the mid of 1930s. However, it should be stopped due to the oppression in and out of church from 1938, for it should choose either religious martyrdom or a conversion to rural community movement. Korea church have experienced a special period in which it practiced society service jointly with Korean people who were in poverty, diseases, oppression and discrimination under the Japanese colonial rule. Nevertheless, Korea church separated from the society due to the limitation of its conservative theology that could not catch fundamental social problems structurally and the faith that salvation is restricted within the individual spirit. This is why Korea church is experiencing its stagnation since the 1990s.

South Korea is a regional Protestant superpower with a successful mission history. It has the largest Christian congregation in the world: Yoido Full Gospel Church built by Paul Yonggi Cho. As of 2009, it dispatched more than 20,000 missionaries abroad. However since the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games and the breakdown of the Cold War in 1991, evangelical Protestantism in the country has been steadily declining. Moreover, its social credence is continuously lowering as a result of controversy such as hereditary transmission of pastors, clergy’s sex scandals, financial dishonesty, and privatization of the church. Because of this, Protestant Christianity in South Korea is in some real sense viewed as controversial. The purpose of this paper is to examine the sociocultural change in South Korea in the midst of neoliberal globalization in order to build the socalled ‘missional church,’ a collection of missional believers acting in concert together in fulfillment of the missio dei. The‘missional church’ is faith communities willing and ready to be Christ’s people in their own situation and place. The paper consists of the following sections. The introduction focuses on the emergence of the ‘missional church’ along side with the recent crisis of Korean Protestant Christianity. The first section describes some new cultural trends propelled by globalization. The second section explores sociocultural changes within present South Korea from the sociological perspective of mission: (1) from collectivism to individualism, (2) from ‘regulation society’ via ‘task society’ to ‘fatigue society.’ The third section investigates the outer situation of the ‘missional church’: (1) class disparity, (2) change in demography and family, (3) emergence of ‘N (net) generation.’ The conclusion provides some suggestions including ‘progressive Pentecostalism’ (in Donald Miller’s words) for building the ‘missional church’ within contemporary Korean society under the turbulence and division in terms of ideology, region, class and generation.