Maeul Ministry: The Missional Church in Rural Korea

Contents

Editor’s Introduction 1

Pilgrimage Towards Life-Flourishing Culture and Community
Seong-won Park 7

State of the 21st Century Global Village and Maeul Ministry’s
Focus on Communal Joy
Young-sang Ro 27

Dosimri Church
Mission in Life and Action: Local Community and the Church
(Ministry Practice)
Dong-wan Hong 47
Church that Builds Maeul Community: Missiological Assessment of
Dosimri Church (Theological Reflection)
Hae Lyong Cho 67

Songak Church
Envisioning the Kingdom of God: The Story of Songak Church
and its Village (Ministry Practice)
Jong-myeong Lee 89
Raising up a Korean Rural Village into a Kingdom of God: Missiological
Reflection based on the Concept of Missional Church (Theological
Reflection)
Byung-bae Hwang 101

Ssangsaem Jayeon Church
Life of Spirituality, Nature, and Culture: Life-Flourishing Ministry
for Co-existence with Nature (Ministry Practice)
Younggee Back 121
Missional Leadership for a Missional Church (Theological Reflection)
Bokyoung Park 137

Sion Church
Culture as Basis for Co-existence (Ministry Practice)
Young-jin Kim 157
Sion Church’s Co-existence with Local Community and Life and
Thoughts of Pastor Young-jin Kim (Theological Reflection)
Douil Kim 173

Gujwa Jeil Church
Maeul Education Community of Care and Learning: Gujwa Jeil Church
Embracing the Future Generation (Ministry Practice)
Mi-ran Park 191
Maeul Education Community of Service, Learning, and Celebration:
Gujwa Jeil Church (Theological Reflection)
Ahram Kang 209

Haenam Saerom Church
A Church that Responds to the Needs of the Community
(Ministry Practice)
Ho-gun Lee 231
Maeul Ministry Observation of Haenam Saerom Church
(Theological Reflection)
Chang Hyon Pak 245

Contributors 259

About the Editors:

Eun-ha Cho studied Theology and Christian Education at Yonsei University. Currently she is a Professor of Christian Education at Mokwon University Department of Theology. She served as the President of Korean Society of Christian Religious Education, the Chair of Education Committee of Life Hope Christian Suicide Prevention Center, and the General Secretary of the Korea Association of Accredited Theological Schools.

Kook-Il Han studied Christian Education, Theology, and Church History at Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary, and then got his doctorate at Heidelberg University on missiology. He served as President of the Korean Society of Mission Studies, taught at Youngnam Theological University and Seminary and at PUTS as a Professor of Missiology until retirement in 2020. Today he is the Director of Workplace Mission Research Center for the Presbyterian Church of Korea, and the Co-Director of Family, Church, and Maeul Research Center.

These are stories of pastors and theologians who committed most of their church ministry and study on maeul ministry. The intriguing stories are sure to challenge and inspire you to apply some of the examples. It will surely make a difference in your ministry. I guarantee it.
Douil Kim, Professor of Christian Education,
Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary

The book introduces various cases of Korean missional churches initiated out of the Korean context, and each case is juxtaposed by scholars’ reflections. Each case is unique and inquiring. The book shows how churches focusing on maeul (village) ministry in South Korea can be agents of God’s mission in their context.
Bokyoung Park, President of International Association for Mission Studies

This book captures the efforts of rural Korean churches to embody the essence of missional church. What sets it apart is its foundation on the vivid practical experiences and faith confessions of pastors in the field, evaluated through perspectives of missiologists. These stories will expand the horizon of the missional church in the world.
Kyung-ho Han, Executive Committee Member,
Asia Rural Mission Association