한국교회의 성장과 정체에 대한 연구

A Study on the Church Growing and Stagnation in Korean Churches

The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors of church growing and to identify the factors of decreasing church members at the same time. On the basis of the results few activating plans are recommended for the future church developing in Korea. Needless to say the existing reason of the church is to engage in mission work and to preach the gospel into the whole world. In order to fulfill this mission, church must be grown; if it is not so, there is no way for the church to be exist. Taking notice of this point the study presents the factors of church growing until 1990 and discusses the reason why the church stop from growing. Either growing or decreasing there were still two factors which affect the church development; one is social fact and the other is church itself. After Japanese era, the tragic division of the Korean peninsula causes social unrest so the great number of people sought the consolation and the churches were right there and after the Korean war the rapidly growing economic situation also facilitate the grassroots to become church members. Beside that facts, Korean churches has their own campaign to spread the gospel; mainly this was conducted by foreign missionaries and the leaderships of the Korean pastors. On the other hand, there were also few things which hinder the church growing. This can be divided into two parts; the social facts and the church itself as well. Since 1980, Korean society is getting more stable and economic situations of the households are becoming sufficient. Moreover the single society has been changed by what is called multi-cultural society. These were the causes of the decreasing number of the churches in Korea. Concerning the above mentioned factors, the Korean churches should find out the ways to revitalize its development by means of recovering the leaderships of the pastors, facilitating better church mission works, and building a close relationships with the local communities.