주일마다 저희교회에서 가서 스탠톤에서 드리는 예배에 관한 기사가 지역 신문에 났습니다. 기사전문입니다.
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It's faith in any language
Korean native strengthens community bonds by bringing Asian traditions to area
By Alice Mannette/staff
amannette@newsleader.com
Wolshin Grotjohn loves to sing hymns and read the Bible ?in her native Korean. Grotjohn, with the help of the Rev. Byung-Yul Ju of Charlottesville's Korean Community Presbyterian Church, has started afternoon services at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Staunton. They had their first service last week. Almost a dozen people attended.
"I hoped that if we could start a service here (in Staunton), more Korean people could have an opportunity to hear God's word in their own language, because God speaks through his word," said Grotjohn. "The service is an extension of the Charlottesville church. Covenant is letting us use their space."
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Grotjohn grew up in Gwangju, South Korea. She attended a large Presbyterian church. Her mother became Presbyterian at an early age and raised Grotjohn in the church. Her father never converted.
"There are many Presbyterians there," Grotjohn explained.
Roman Catholic missionaries arrived in Korea in the late 1700s, followed by Methodists and Presbyterians from Canada a little less than a century later. During this time period, many Christians were persecuted by the government, and thousands died. The newly landed Protestants converted many Koreans from Daoism, Buddhism and Shamanism to Christianity. They built primary schools, seminaries, hospitals and orphanages.
As of 1985, Protestants made up 16 percent of the Korean population, with Roman Catholics following at 5 percent. Aside from the Philippines, South Korea has the highest percentage of Christians of any East Asian or Southeast Asian country.
"One church in Seoul has 800,000 members," said John Vaughan, founder of Church Growth Today and the Megachurch Research Center. He said that the largest Korean church in the U.S. is in Los Angeles, with others scattered throughout the states. Church denominations range from Baptist to Methodist to Presbyterian to nondenominational.
Ju was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in Korea. He continued his studies at Liberty University in Lynchburg.
"I was praying for my future and God led me to this church (in Charlottesville)," he said.
Grotjohn asked if Ju could conduct services in Staunton once a month. Ju volunteered to come once a week instead.
"We want to encourage those people in Staunton," he said. "We want to help."
Other than the language, the Korean services performed at Covenant are the same as most Presbyterian ones. They just use a Korean hymnal and Bible. If the church is large enough, like Ju's Charlottesville congregation that has more than 130 adult congregants weekly ?with 50 to 70 additional children ?women will wear a traditional hanbok, a colorful dress to special services.
Grotjohn wants to reach the more than 60 Koreans in the Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County area. She also hopes to minister to the students from her homeland that attend Stuart Hall and Mary Baldwin College.
"I hope that anyone who knows any Koreans will let them know that we have started a Korean-language worship service," Grotjohn said. "We will have to see how many people are willing to come, to see if we will have an independent church. That may not happen, but Rev. Ju has been very kind in being willing to share his ministry with Korean people in Staunton."
Originally published May 26, 2006
*************
It's faith in any language
Korean native strengthens community bonds by bringing Asian traditions to area
By Alice Mannette/staff
amannette@newsleader.com
Wolshin Grotjohn loves to sing hymns and read the Bible ?in her native Korean. Grotjohn, with the help of the Rev. Byung-Yul Ju of Charlottesville's Korean Community Presbyterian Church, has started afternoon services at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Staunton. They had their first service last week. Almost a dozen people attended.
"I hoped that if we could start a service here (in Staunton), more Korean people could have an opportunity to hear God's word in their own language, because God speaks through his word," said Grotjohn. "The service is an extension of the Charlottesville church. Covenant is letting us use their space."
ADVERTISEMENT
Grotjohn grew up in Gwangju, South Korea. She attended a large Presbyterian church. Her mother became Presbyterian at an early age and raised Grotjohn in the church. Her father never converted.
"There are many Presbyterians there," Grotjohn explained.
Roman Catholic missionaries arrived in Korea in the late 1700s, followed by Methodists and Presbyterians from Canada a little less than a century later. During this time period, many Christians were persecuted by the government, and thousands died. The newly landed Protestants converted many Koreans from Daoism, Buddhism and Shamanism to Christianity. They built primary schools, seminaries, hospitals and orphanages.
As of 1985, Protestants made up 16 percent of the Korean population, with Roman Catholics following at 5 percent. Aside from the Philippines, South Korea has the highest percentage of Christians of any East Asian or Southeast Asian country.
"One church in Seoul has 800,000 members," said John Vaughan, founder of Church Growth Today and the Megachurch Research Center. He said that the largest Korean church in the U.S. is in Los Angeles, with others scattered throughout the states. Church denominations range from Baptist to Methodist to Presbyterian to nondenominational.
Ju was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in Korea. He continued his studies at Liberty University in Lynchburg.
"I was praying for my future and God led me to this church (in Charlottesville)," he said.
Grotjohn asked if Ju could conduct services in Staunton once a month. Ju volunteered to come once a week instead.
"We want to encourage those people in Staunton," he said. "We want to help."
Other than the language, the Korean services performed at Covenant are the same as most Presbyterian ones. They just use a Korean hymnal and Bible. If the church is large enough, like Ju's Charlottesville congregation that has more than 130 adult congregants weekly ?with 50 to 70 additional children ?women will wear a traditional hanbok, a colorful dress to special services.
Grotjohn wants to reach the more than 60 Koreans in the Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County area. She also hopes to minister to the students from her homeland that attend Stuart Hall and Mary Baldwin College.
"I hope that anyone who knows any Koreans will let them know that we have started a Korean-language worship service," Grotjohn said. "We will have to see how many people are willing to come, to see if we will have an independent church. That may not happen, but Rev. Ju has been very kind in being willing to share his ministry with Korean people in Staunton."
Originally published May 26, 2006
