Presbyterian Church in Korea (Koshin)
| Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin) | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Calvinist |
| Theology | Reformed Evangelical |
| Polity | Presbyterian |
| Associations | International Conference of Reformed Churches |
| Region | South Korea, United States, 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 |
| Presbyterian Church in Korea | |
| Hangul | 대한예수교장로회(고신) |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 大韓예수敎長老會(高神) |
| Revised Romanization | Daehan yesugyo jangnohoe Gosin |
| McCune–Reischauer | Taehan yesugyo changnohoe Kosin |
The Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin) 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.
The key phrase used to identify the belief of Kosin is: "Life before God (CORAM DEO), Life within the authentic (Apostle's) faith". The denomination was built upon the faith of martyrs who rejected shrine worship during the Japanese oppression. The ministers who established the synod of Kosin believed that the purpose of the establishment is not in martyrdom, but it is in the continuing existence of the Apostle's faith and teaching, purity of life, as well as foundation of churches in Korea and the world under the reformed faith. In order to preserve the catholic Christian faith, The Kosin Presbyterian Church in Korea embraces the Bible as the principle scripture, but also employs Westminster Standards as the primary documents.
The Kosin Presbyterian Church in Korea proclaims the following phrases as the principles for life:
The Presbyterian mission began in Korea by a medical missionary, Dr. H. N. Allen of Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. On April 5, 1885, Presbyterian missionary named H.G. Underwood arrived in Korea and the Presbyterian mission in Korea began to bloom. In January 1893, Congregation of Presbyterian Missionaries was established and on May 15, 1901, Pyongyang Presbyterian Theological Seminary was established. After few years, on September 17, 1907, the synod of Joseon Presbyterian Church was organized.
In 1910, Japan enforced annexation of Joseon and proclaimed the slogan "Japan and Korea are One" as an effort to colonize Korea and other Asian countries using the idea of militaristic imperialism. The slogan was used to force people to become "japanized", by enforcing Japanese language, shrine worship and deification of the Japanese emperor, as well as enforcing Japanese culture. Christian schools were the first victim of Japanese colonization. While Japan exclaimed that, "shrine worship is not a religious ceremony but a nationalistic ceremony", many Christian schools resisted shrine worship and voluntarily closed. The churches in Korea was the next target and starting in 1935, many Christian denominations including Seventh-Day Adventist, Methodists, Salvationists, the Holiness Church, the Anglican church and Roman Catholic Church accepted the shrine worship.
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