Presbyterian Church in Korea (Koshin)

Presbyterian Church in Korea (Koshin)
Classification	Protestant
Orientation	Calvinist
Theology	Reformed Evangelical
Polity	Presbyterian
Associations	International Conference of Reformed Churches
Region	South Korea, USA, worldwide
Origin	1952 South Korea
Branched from	Presbyterian Church of Korea
Separations	Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong)
Congregations	1577
Members	362,000 total, 230,000 communicant baptised members
Ministers	2,300 ^[1]

The Presbyterian Church in Korea (Koshin) also called Korea-pa - is a Evangelical Reformed and Presbyterian denomination in the Republic of South Korea, but congregations are spread in North America and in many other countries.

History

The church was established by pastors who had resisted thev shrine worship and had been imptisoned by the Japanese. After liberation they organised the KyungNam Presbytery in Pyungyam. Three pastors KoRyu Seminary but the Presbyterian Church refused to recognize this seminary. Founders of KoRyu Seminary and BupDong presbytery established later, in September 11, 1952 the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Korea(Kosin).^[2]

On December 1960 it was united with the mainline Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong), but it lasted until 1963 when the church withdrew from the union and returned to its original form and continues to this day. Only 150 churches remained with the Presbyterian Church(Hapdong). In 1976 a split occurred in the church, the Presbyterian Church in Korea (KoRyuPa) was founded, but one part of this reunited with the Kosin church. The Kosin group developed steadily. The denominational headquarters is located in Seoul, South Korea. This consist a variety of offices, like General Secretary, publishig house, Department of Church Education, the Mission Training Institute.^[3]

In 2002 it celebrated its 50th anniversary.^[4]

Separations

In 1965 the Presbyterian Church in Korea (KoRyuPa) was formed.
In 1976 the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Ko-Ryu-Anti-Accusation)
In 1980 the Korea Jesus Presbyterian Church separated from the Koshin church.

Theology

The Presbyterian Church in Korea(Kosin) is a Reformed church, and affirms the histotic Presbyterian Confessions:

Apostles Creed^[5]

Statistics

The Presbyterian Church in Korea (Koshin) group has 34 Presbyteries form a General Assembly, 1577 churches and 230,000 baptized and 350,000 communicant and non-communicant members and 2,300 ordained pastors. There's no women ordination.^[6]

Institutions and Seminary

The Kosin University was started in the 1950s. It was authorised by the Korean Ministry of Education in 1970. Now has more than 4,300 students and 221 professors and 22 departments.
Korea Theological Seminary has 400 full-time students and was founded in 1946. It offers M.Div degrees authorised by the Ministry Education and a Th.M.^[7]
Kosin University Hospital is called the Gospel Clinic, presently has over 1,100 beds.
In Kosin University Graduate School they offer PHD's in Theology and Medicine and Public Health.^[8]

Missions

foreign missions - the church has 220 missionaries in 46 countries
home missions - the Committee of Evangelism is cmmitted to plant churches across South Korea and there 30 chaplains to the Korean military, the Committee of Evangelism in Rural Areas is in charge of planting churches in rural areas

International organisations

The Kosin group is a member of the International Conference of Reformed Churches. In mission field they work closely with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in the USA. The Presbyterian Church in Korea (Koshin) has sister church relations with the following churches:

References

External links

Official website

Christianity in Korea

Protestantism	Korea Baptist Convention Anglican Church of Korea Conservative Presbyterian Church in Korea Conservative Reformed Presbyterian Church in Korea Korean Christian Fundamentalist Assembly Korean Methodist Church Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea National Council of Churches in Korea Pure Presbyterian Church in Korea United Presbyterian Church in Korea Union Presbyterian Church in Korea World Mission Society Church of God Women Pastors Presbyterian Church in Korea Korea Campus Crusade for Christ Independent Reformed Church in Korea Independent Reformed Presbyterian Church in Korea Presbyterian Church of Korea branches: TongHap HoHun Fundamentalist GaeHyuk I. Jesus KoShin KoRyuPa HapDong JungAng Daeshin HapDongChongShin HapDongChunTong HapDongBokUm ChanYang BoSuHapDong BokUm YeJong JeongRip Logos HwanWon DokNoHoe JapDongJungAng YeJangHapBo DaeShin II BupTong NamBuk JeongTongChogHap HapDongBoSu SungHapChuk BoSuTongHap JeongTongChongHap HapDongChungYun HapDongJeongShin HanGukBoSu HapDongEunChong DongShin HapDongJinRi HapDongYunHap YunShin JangShin SunGyo HapDongYeChong ChanYang Ko-Ryu-Anti-Accusation HapDongChongShin I. HapDongChongShin II. HapDongSeungHoe JungRip PyungAhn HapDongChongHoe JeongTongGyeSeung HapDongTongHap HapDongBoSu I. HapDongBoSu II. DaeShin II. HapDongHwanWon HapDongBoSu IV. HapDongBoSu III. HapDongBoSu II. ChongHoe II. BoSuHapDong III. TongHapBoSu DaeHanShinChuk HapDongYeChong I HapDongSeongHoe GaeHyukHapDong I GaeHyukHapDong II HapDongGaeHyuk HapDongJangShin HoHun III ChongHoe II ChongHoe I HyukShin GaeHyukHapDong III DokNoHoe II BoSuJeongTong HapDongYeSun JaeGun Presbyterian Church in Korea (GaeHyuk) In North Korea Korean Christian Federation (state-controlled body) Bongsu Church (state-controlled body) Chilgol Church (state-controlled body)

Roman Catholic Church	Roman Catholicism in South Korea • Roman Catholicism in North Korea

Eastern Orthodox Church	Korean Orthodox Church

Missionaries	Gregorious de Cespedes Horace Newton Allen Henry Appenzeller James Scarth Gale Jonathan Goforth Rosetta Sherwood Hall George Heber Jones Bill Majors Nagasaka John Livingstone Nevius William Noble Donald Owens William D. Reynolds Robert Jermain Thomas Horace Grant Underwood Tom Vasel