As Samuel Huntington has asserted, this world suffers from tension and conflicts between diverse cultures. According to Paul Tillich, the core of culture is religion. There is no clear understanding of culture without appropriate understanding of religions. There has been a long history of tension between Christianity and Islam, although the two have the same Abrahamic tradition. Afghanistan began its Islamic tradition in the 18th century in the Pashtun tribe in the area of Kandahar. A Korean short-term mission team sent by Saem Mul Church was kidnapped by the Taliban armed troops. Two members of the team were then killed by the Taliban in July 2007. The rest of them were released after negotiations between the Korean government and the Taliban were made. Koreans had different opinions about the short-term mission team sent from the Saem Mul Church in the city of Sung Nam, Korea. Some people rebuked them. Others kept silence. Some churches encouraged them. In this critical situation, the Korean Church was embarrassed. This study attempts to offer some suggestions to help the Church overcome this crisis by providing missiological insights based on evangelical mission theology. First, missions need to be carried out according to the promise and the commission revealed in the Scripture. Second, missions should be implemented with the guidance of the Holy Spirit through the prayers of the church. Third, missionaries need to understand the various cultural situations of the area where they are called to serve. Fourth, churches and missionaries should be one in Jesus Christ as the doctrine of the Trinity states. Fifth, mission groups need to put a holistic mission into practice as Jesus Christ exemplified in His time on earth. Sixth, mission groups need to be free of an imperialistic paradigm in the age of postcolonialism. The Korean Church has to repent of negligence and pride over underdeveloped countries since it has become materially affluent. The Church needs to be incarnational in terms of attitude and holistic in terms of ministry in order to help the people to become Christians in a non-Christian world like Afghanistan. The blood shed by the two Korean short-term missionaries in Afghanistan will produce an indigenous church in the Islamic country because the blood of martyrs are the seed of the church as maintained by Tertullian in his Apology.

The term “culturally refracted contexts” means the distorted, twisted, and fixed contexts which have lost the functional roles of the social integration in the specific cultural situations. The author tries to categorize three kinds of the distorted cultural patterns among the culturally refracted contexts of Korean society by using an anthropological method. The first one is related to “distorted nationalism” in a refracted context of the traditional pre-modern culture in Korea. It has been shown up to the society as a phenomenon of worshipping the national forefather Dangun. The second one is to be known as “extremely twisted totalism” in a culturally refracted context of militarism in Korea. It has impacted on the politic, the economy, the religion, and even the education of Korean society. The third one is to be tied with “distorted mammonism” in a culturally refracted context of materialism. It has been rooted and fixed to “extreme ethnocentrism” in Korea. The author, then, argues that Korean churches should have God’s mission to integrate the distorted and twisted society with the gospel of Jesus Christ which brings reconciliation and recovery to the culturally refracted contexts of Korean society. The distorted and twisted contexts of Korean society should be recovered to the grace community of God, the peace community of Jesus Christ, and the mission community of the Holy Spirit. In other words, the “distorted nationalism” in a refracted context of the traditional pre-modern culture in Korea has to be deleted in the society by God’s universal grace. The social oppressed and the weak can be protected and empowered by the grace of God. The “extremely twisted totalism” in a culturally refracted context of militarism in Korea can be nullified by Christ‘s sacrificial peace which brings the culture of resurrection and life. The “distorted mammonism” in a culturally refracted context of materialism in Korea should be transformed into the sharing community to the world by the witness of the Holy Spirit who gives the forgiveness and reconciliation. Korean churches as the community of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, and God the Father should have a social and missional role of integration within the refracted Korean contexts of the distorted nationalism, totalism, and materialism with God’s grace, Christ’s peace, and the Holy Spirit’s sharing witness to the world and the society of Korea.

Mission starts with the love of God for the world. God’s love extends toward wholistic dimensions, through the entire world and the universe itself. The church that puts such love of God into action must also embrace the world in its mission as God does. Our own mission is only a small part of God’s complete design. But just as each pieces of a puzzle gather to complete a picture, as we remain faithful to the calling of our generation, our small acts of commitment and service will undertake a precious part of the expansion of the Kingdom of God. Today’s mission context differs from that of the 19th century. Churches today have been built all over the world. In this context, there is as pecific calling for this generation of the Korean church. The church must find it sessencein the ecclesiology of mission-of being sent into the world. That is how al lchurches are to be “the Church that embraces the world.” In addition, today’s mission calls for churches around the world to work in concert with one another. The Korean church is to learn from the traditions and experiences of the western church that has handed us the baton, while at the same time, we ought to be able to humbly share our given resources with other churches. The most appropriate mission for today’s world, and the greatest need of the Korean church, is the spirit of cooperation, and togetherness in mission activity. The driving force of mission comes from our trust in God. This power is actualized as we confess our own weaknesses. We find the future direction for the Korean church from the words of a missionary who said, “There is no mission stronger than confession.” Mission is the essence of the church. This means that mission is not merely one of the many duties that churches must undertake, but that everything that the church does must be done from the missiological point of view. If a church does not work with a missiological perspective in all areas, however much work it may do, it will only serve to benefit that one church itself. In the end, the church becomes a self-centered organization pursuing its own betterment. So mission is what makes the church worthy of its name by pushing it beyond its boundaries and leading it out into the world. In this process, mission helps in the formation of a healthy church, and a healthy church carries out true mission. Therefore a healthy church and appropriate mission activity are in a mutually complementary relationship. This work seeks to assert the necessity of continued inner renewal of the church to carry out appropriate mission activity by reflecting on the relationship between the Korean church and mission. Examining the work of mission is not meant to be a criticism leveled against mission itself or the church that carries it out, but rather stems from the passion to point the church and mission to the right direction through diagnosis and analysis of the present situation. Just as a doctor conducts a physical examination to diagnose a disease and understand its cause in order to treat the patient, so also may the church and its mission, in hope, also look toward a healthier state being through a continued and long-term diagnosis and assessment.

In 21st century, the sudden changing Information Technology which has an effect over Politics, Economy, Cultures, Science, Environment, Religion that makes us to look over the new mission prospect with the Internet which has the best advantage for mission instrument in the state of today. In this study, we consider for theological understanding of the Internet mission which appeared as a convenience of new facilities of civilization in the close arrival of an information-oriented era to our life, moreover, it suggested the effective scheme for the Internet mission via practical analysis of the main churches’ mission web-sites which have high rate to link. The Internet has the fertility of soil which like a open space, a tool for activation community, a province of God’s Creation and interconnection of a meeting. Thus, theological understanding of the Internet mission brings a new mission prospect about widely opened cyber space through the Internet. The Internet is a meeting field where has no restriction by time or place. Therefore there can be useful in fellowship, education and a consultation and it is strong tool for promotion to form religious community belongs to the way of practical use. At the present time, the Internet site which is operated by churches need innovational changing to be more effective internet mission not only for the church guidance or advertising which gathered all formal informations but also to be enterprising web page which has influence for mission. If there is one-way service like preaching in the web site of church, it needs to insert management of good interactive community section which originate ministers and congregation to get active relationship and homepage of church needs to be changed for a space of communication which is able to link among the church members or between ministers and the church members. Also, there is a requirement to make better web site to be more useful for mission and educational effect of Christianity through enriched link-service which improve the contact with all denominations in the way of the Church and connect to mission organizations, Christian community or a group of cooperation. Accordingly these shows assignments which must be handled by today’s Church through; noticing a flowing of knowledge information-oriented era that more rely on the Internet, identifying new commission of the times for the Internet mission and the whole effort for the Internet evangelism and mission which include growing the professional manpower with commission.

The aim of the article is to outline the history of the mission of the minjung church from 1983 to 2005 and to identify its new missionary tasks in a changed world. At the end of the cold war, the minjung movement in general, the minjung mission in particular, seemed to be unnecessary any more. After the economic crisis of 1997, however, the minjung mission played an important role for taking care of victims of the structural adjustment programs of many corporations, and for establishing alternative communities. Its history divides into four periods: the formation period (1983-1987), the development period (1988-1992), the transformation period (1993-1997), and the professional period (1998-2005). Each period deals with its socio-economic, political, cultural background and minjung mission’s main contents, characteristics, and limitation. The history of the mission of the minjung church is interpreted by the results of the social biographies of 26 minjung pastors. According to their social biographies, minjung pastors changed themselves in the process of the minjung mission rather than changed the minjung. They rediscovered the importance of the Bible and religion in relation to the social change. Also they found negative aspects of the minjung. They regarded spirituality and life as pillars for the forthcoming minjung mission. Some reflections on mission of the minjung church was carried out through analysing the relationship between faith and ideology, the dilemma of identity-involvement, positive understanding of religion, understanding of minjung, and theories of community organization and conscientization. In a changed world, spirituality, the minjung and life are identified as new tasks for the minjung mission.

The North Korean mission is inseparable from the South-North unification policy. In addition, the opinions of neighboring counties are also important. Such are the perimeters of the North Korean mission. This study attempts to examine North Korean mission, particularly the reconstruction of North Korean Church within the process of South North unification process. The reconstruction of the North Korean Church, as North Korean mission and unification movement, is a policy issue amidst the unification process. It is a policy that can create a basis within the North Korea and effectively manage the personnel, financial and mission resources of the South Korean Church. At the same time, the reconstruction of the North Korean Church joins the reunification process of the Korean peninsular with the North Korean mission purposes. The current situation is created by the ideological conflict between the conservative versus liberal elements within the Korean Church in regard to the North Korean mission and unification movement. In addition, there is a great disparity in the approach towards the reconstruction of the North Korean Church. The problems are three-fold: 1) Who is the protagonist of the North Korean mission? Is it the South Korean Church? or is it the North Korean Church? In case it it’s the latter, the term North Korean mission does not apply. 2) The phrase “North Korean mission” implies an imbedded view of the South North division. 3) Should the North Korean “Chosun Christian Association” be accepted as a partner in the North Korean mission? Or should it be viewed as a mission object? The best means of North Korean mission is to have the “Chosun Christian Association” take the leading role in the reconstruction of the North Korean Church. Since, however, it is the South Korean Church that is taking action to prepare for such an event, mutual cooperation between the two is essential. The reconstruction of the North Korean Church cannot be achieve by the South Korean Church alone. In addition, the reconstruction of North Korean Church is linked to the Korean war, a factor behind the division of the Korean Church into the liberal and conservative camp. The anti-communist stance of the South Korean regime was another factor that unified the right wing Christians. Attempts by the “Korean Christian Association” to reconstruct the North Korean Church within this approach involved, not only efforts to reconstruct the North Korean Church, but various aid programs. However, such aid programs were commonly perceived to be the work of mission organizations and not the conservative South Korean Church. Furthermore, the “Korean Christian Association,” which advocated the reconstruction of the North Korean Church, were mistakenly criticized as an organization that were only interested in the reconstruction of the Northern Church. Therefore, the reconstruction effort of the Northern Church must be newly reinterpreted. The role of the Church, from a mission history perspective, is to be a bridgehead of mission, a center of training for workers, and center of mission field. As such, though the reconstruction of the Northern Church is premature, efforts to prepare for such an event, financial preparation, training center for mission workers and confidence building between the South and North through information and assistance projects can be viewed within the context of the unification process. The North Korean mission through the reconstruction of the Northern Church within the context of the unification process can promote the unification capability of South and North. It is futuristic unification policy of the Southern Church. Precedents for the reconstruction of the Northern Church must be found from similar cases following the liberation from Japan and post-Korean war and examined strategically. The North Korean mission must conclude with the reconstruction of the North Korean Church.

Jesus proclaimed at Matt 18:20 “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Jesus shared comfort with the minority and blessed them with the hands of healing. It is a picture of a church that should be a community in which even a few prayers gather and bear testimony calling the name of Jesus. If just two or three people get together, this meeting is not recognized as a church in reality. A rule of Korean Methodist Church says that a newly settled church has to be composed of more than 12 members who have been baptized. Korean Presbyterian Church, on the other hand, sets up a rule that a criterion of establishing a church is more than 15 baptized christian. At this stage, it is strongly needed to discuss what Jesus get together with even a few people means to the reality of modern church and to the argument of minor church in Korea. This study is just a general view for the establishment of the identity of small church. This paper is to introduce the concept of a small church in America. Then the approach to Korean situation is researched with the evaluation of missiology. It is desired that this study may be the foundation which sets up the criterion for the small churches in Korea.

This study presents George G. Hunter’s church growth insights revealed in his classic, To Spread the Power: Church Growth in the Wesleyan Spirit. On the basis of his insights and interpretations of collected data including interviews, letters, and observation, this study evaluates the mission programs of Anjung Church of the Nazarene. Hunter adopted John Wesley’s ideas and the church growth theories developed by Donald A. McGavran and C. Peter Wagner to produce his own church growth theory. This study attempts to apply Hunter’s church growth insights to a local church, Anjung Church of the Nazarene. This church represents the Korean Nazarene Church (KNC) in this evaluation. (KNC was organized in 1948, although some Nazarene churches were already planted in Pyong Yang and Seoul during the Japanese colonial period). Hunter’s church growth insights were translated into six “mega-strategies.” The six mega-strategies are: 1. Identifying receptive people, 2. Reaching across social networks to people, 3. Organizing new recruiting groups and ports of entry, 4. Ministering to the needs of people, 5. Indigenizing the ministries to fit the culture of the people, and 6. Planning to achieve their intended future. This study discovered some strengths and some weaknesses of the Anjung Church of the Nazarene. The church was comparatively strong in evangelism and outreach, although DGR showed diversity between “poor” growth and “good” growth. The church has grown steadily since it was planted in 1947. In particular, the church was very aggressive in church planting work. However, the church was comparatively weak in cross-cultural missions, although it tried to build two church buildings, one in the Philippines and another in North India. This study presents seven suggestions to Anjung Church of the Nazarene based on missiological analysis and evaluation. In summary, the church needs to carry out holistic mission programs to maintain the balance between proclamation / evangelism and social action / social service. Anjung Church of the Nazarene has a great potential to fulfill the Great Commission and to implement the Great Commandment. The classical purposes of missions are conversion, church planting, and the extension of God’s kingdom. God will be glorified by the local church.

This thesis is about John Thomas; the first missionary sent to the KEHC, the first superintendent and the first dean of Kyungsung Bible Institute. The coverage of this thesis begins from his birth in the U.K. and his ministries, how he came to Korea and his ministry in Korea from 1910-1911. In total, John Thomas spent 10 years serving in Korea, therefore assessing his ministry is somewhat out of proportion, however this thesis will focus on the background of his calling to Korea and the beginning of God’s divine works. 1. John Thomas had evident experience in the Fourfold Gospel. 2. His devotion and faith made him a clear model as Christ’s servant. 3. He was a man of prayer. 4. Through the successful ministry in the U.K. he demonstrated the blessings of God’s presence. 5. He made a network of supporters for prayer and financial aid. 6. He was a prominent Evangelical leader of his time and was selected as the main speaker at the annual OMS conference in 1911. 7. He had a call to preach the holiness element. This calling began to spread in the other denominations and missionaries also. 8. He not only loved the lost souls of Korea but also cared for the people of the world. 9. His ministry had a harmony of teaching and ministering. Through his character which was greatly influenced by the holiness element gave him authority to impress many people. 10. Although he had difficulty in learning Korean, his input and effort was vital in setting the foundations of the KEHC and the Bible Institute. 11. The early records of his ministry which influenced many denominations and other missionaries in Korea and Japan shows how influential he must have been in the later years. 12. He contributed to the printing of 10,000 copies of the New Testament, helped set up administrative procedures for KEHC and the Bible Institute and his teaching, church founding and faithful mission works show the bright future ahead. This research focuses on the early days of John Thomas’s mission. There are still more research to be done about his character and the latter part of his ministry. However, the fact that a man of God, such as John Thomas was called to serve as the first missionary sent to the KEHC, the first superintendent and the first dean of Kyungsung Bible Institute proves God’s purpose toward the KEHC and STU. Furthermore, through this research we need to find the elements that need to be continued and carried out in this day and age. Therefore it is inevitable the existence of holiness is revealed not only in Korea but also worldwide. This is the core value of KEHC and STU’s existence.

Diese Aufsatz untersucht die missionarische Bedeutung der Kirchenreform. Es ist deswegen notwendig, weil die koreanische Kirche trotz ihres großes Wachstums zur Zeit sich mit vielen Kritiken von innen und außen konfrontiert. Da aber in diesen Kritiken verschiedene Forderungen impliziert sind, die sowohl persőnliche moralische Probleme der koreanischen Christen als auch Őffentlichkeitsfrage der koreanische Kirche umfassen, műssen diese Kritiken vorsichtig berűcksichtigt werden. Es ist allerdings keine Frage, daß die koreanische Kirche sich reformieren soll. Wir wissen auch, daß die Frage der Kirchenreform in der Kirchengeschichte immer wichtige Aufgabe der Theologie und Kirche war. In der Selbstverständnis der Kirche gehőrte diese Frage zu wesentlicher Frage der Kirche(ecclesia semper reformanda). Deswegen geht es bei uns nicht darum, ob die Kirche sich reformieren soll oder nicht, sondern darum, auf welchem Grund sie stehen soll, in welche Richtung sie gehen soll. Das ist gerade darum der Grund, aus der Frage 'was ist die Kirche' ausszugehen. Wenn man diese Frage beantworten versucht, kann man einigermaßen den Grund der Kirchenreform und ihre Richtung feststellen. Es geht dabei vor allem um die scharfe Unterscheidung und die angemessene Beziehung zwischen der Entstehungs-(i.e. dem Grund) und Gestaltungsdynamik(i.e. der Richtung) der Kirche, weil es schwer ist, ohne dies genau zu erkennen, űber die Kirchenreform zu diskutieren. Da die Frage nach Kirchenreform nur auf diesem differenzierten Erkenntnis hin angemessen zu beantworten ist, ist dieser Erkenntnis auch sehr wichtig fűr die missionarische Kirchenreform, weil sie zuerst die angemessene Gestaltung der Kirchenstruktur im Bezug auf die missionarischen Aufgaben der Kirche in der sich verändernden Welt sichtbar zu machen bedeutet.

This paper began by recognizing the critical issue that the emergence of AIC has impacted on the growth of African Christianity. The purpose of this study is to examine the reasons for the emergence and rapid growth of AICs, to briefly give typology of the churches, to describe the general theological characteristics of the churches, and to evaluate the significance of AICs for missiology. And finally 1 will try to give future direction and development of the churches Many scholars defined African independent church as a church which has been founded in Africa, by Africans, and for Africans. But later many African churches founded by European mi ssionaries became independent. So this term became inadequate and the term African indigenous churches was proposed. As mission-founded churches have been regarded as indigenous, it was also inadequate “ African initiated churches" and “ African instituted churches" are terms that avoid these difficulties. There are six causative factors of the emereæ nce and !!:rowth of AICs with which various scholars agree: ( 1) oppressive colonial situations making AICs be home of Africans as socio- political factor; (2) Protestant denom inationalism creating separate denominations ; (3) Bible translation giving AICs an ability to interpret the Bible; (4) accidental and incidental factors such as personal crisis and various epidemics; (5) strong reaction to western missions and colonialism; and (6) re]jgious factor as the most important one The AICs has contributed to shape African theology. Several theological characteristics of AICs can be pointed out. First, in AIC movement the emphasis on the Holy Spirit is the most crucial. The majority of AICs are of pentecostal type. Pneumatology of AICs is connected with the holistic African worldview. For them spirits pervade every aspect of individual and community life. This is evident in the prophetic and charismatic leaders. However, this view of the spirit can be an extension of traditional re]jgion. It may be a danger of producing syncretism. So AICs need to examine the biblical understanding of the spirit in order to avoid the false prophets who manipulate the Spirit. Second, many scholars point out an overemphasis on pneumatology in AICs so that Jesus may be superseded. But they insist that the divine healer is not the Spirit but Jesus Christ. For them Jesus Christ as the God' s mediator can be seen in the AIC leaders. They do not replace Jesus. Rather they reflect and concretize Jesus Christ. Third, soteriology of AICs is always related to divine healing. Many AICs portray Jesus Christ as the powerf비 conqueror over sickness and affliction. Prophets in AICs are the agents of God’s salvation as they try to meet people’s felt needs. In fact, salvation proc\aimed in AICs is holistic. AIC movements raise important questions for missiology. The remarkable growth of AICs and decline of MPCs request us to c\ose examination of mission methods and strategies of AICs. Before criticizing the movement we need to have an open mind to learn from them. In fact, AICs is an attempt of contextualization in the African context. Though AICs cannot be escaped from the blame of syncretism, if we are keenly aWare that contextualization is a process as it continues to develop more authentic theology which is based on the Scripture and re levant a given context. AICs motivated by the proc1amation of Spiri t- fi lled massage have shown a strong passion for mission. It’s missional effectiveness can be seen in providing the source and motivation of African people’s life.

Es handelt sich bei diesem Artikel um einen Versuch, wie man die Spaltung der Kirche und der Theologie in Korea zu überwinden. Die Verhältnisbestimmung der Mission und der Theologie bei Karl Barth hilft dieser Uberlegung analogisch. 1m Vortrag “Die Theologie und die Mission in der Gegenwart", den Barth am 11. April 1932 an der Brandenburgischen Missionskonferenz in Berlin gehalten hat, versuchte er zu Wlssen, wie die Theologie der Mission dient，was die Mission von der Theologie erwartet. Nach ihm steht auch die Theolgie “ irgendwo neben der Mission als Versuch kirchlichen Gehorsams". Er sieht die Missionswille und die Theologie als zwei unabhängige Handeln der Kirche mit eigenen Gultigkeit. Die koreanische Kirche steht der Theologie wie die meisten andere christliche Lander gegenüber. Vor allem die evangelikale oder konservative Kirchen sind stark dafur verantwortlich. Die methodistische Rivalen Koreas schlossen zwei Theologen 1992 aufgrund von Häresie aus der Kirche aus. Die Theologie scheint durch dieses Ereignis einen großen Schock zu errcahren. In diesem Zusammenhang muß man diese dualistische Spalrung zwischen der Kirche und der Theologie abbrechen. Dazu trägt die oben etwähnte Uberlegung von Barth analogisch bei. Es darf nochmals betont werden, daß sich die Theologie von der Kirche unterschedet. Aber Ihre Funktion in der Kirche und der Theologie liegt nicht gegenüber. In dieser Bescheidung werden die Kirche und die Theologie auf alle Fälle beieinander sein müssen. Mit anderen Wort müssen die Kirche und die Theologie fur gesundes Kirchenwachstum zusammendienen.

The internet is "an information flea market" in which people can easily access online magazines, world information and discussion groups. Electronic mail is fast becoming an essential tool for communication. However, it does not only deal with information and communication. A new vocabulary is showing up, such as, the world of cyberspace "and electronic community" which indicate the occurrence of a new type of life and perception called, the virtual world. Virtual means "almost as good as real" or even better than real. Virtua l reality creates an electronic environment-cyberspace that engages the senses so vividly that it feels reaL" Many people in the coming age will live in this space. This cyberspace is different from mass communication in that "it allows one the opportunity to speak as though to one person, yet reach millions."