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Diet of Worms
[History]The Diet of Worms was an imperial diet convened in 1521 by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at Worms, Germany. At this assembly Martin Luther refused the demand to recant his writings, and the Edict of Worms was subsequently issued, placing him outside the protection of the law.
Diet of Speyer
[History]The Diet of Speyer was an imperial diet of the Holy Roman Empire held in Speyer, Germany, during the Reformation. The name "Protestant" originated in the Protestation lodged by Lutheran princes and cities at the diet of 1529.
Evangelist (Jeondosa)
[Church Offices]In Korean Protestant churches, an evangelist (jeondosa) is a minister who serves in a congregation before ordination as a pastor and is responsible for duties such as education, pastoral visitation, and preaching. The position is usually held by theological students or seminary graduates.
Pastor Emeritus
[Church Offices]Pastor emeritus is an honorary title that a church confers on a retired pastor who served that congregation for many years, in recognition of that service. The title carries no authority to govern the church; it expresses honor and respect.
Bishop
[Church Offices]A bishop is an officeholder who oversees and leads multiple churches and ministers. The term derives from the New Testament Greek episkopos ("one who watches over"). In Korea, the Protestant term for bishop refers mainly to leaders of Methodist denominations, while the Anglican and Catholic churches use a different Korean term for the same office.
Annual Conference
[Organization & Polity]In Methodism, an annual conference is both the yearly meeting at which the clergy and lay representatives of a given region decide on the ordination of ministers, clergy membership and appointments, and the administration of local churches, and the regional unit over which that meeting has jurisdiction.
District Conference
[Organization & Polity]A district conference is an intermediate-level body formed by the churches of a given region in Methodist, Holiness, Baptist, and other denominations, or the meeting that such a body holds. It occupies roughly the same position as the presbytery in Presbyterian churches.
Responsive Reading
[Worship & Rites]A responsive reading is an element of worship, and also the text used for it, in which the leader and the congregation read a passage of Scripture, usually from the Psalms, alternately verse by verse. In Korean Protestant churches it is also known as seongsi gyodok, "the alternate reading of sacred poems."
Congregational Meeting
[Organization & Polity]A congregational meeting is an assembly of all the baptized (communicant) members registered in a local church, convened to decide important matters such as electing church officers, calling a pastor, and approving the budget. The name is used in Presbyterian churches; in Korea, other denominations use names such as "general business meeting," and the courts refer to it as a "general meeting of church members."
Particular Church
[Organization & Polity]A particular church is an individual local church that belongs to the whole church throughout the world, the universal church. The term is used chiefly in Presbyterian church constitutions. In Korean Protestant usage, the corresponding term can also refer to a branch congregation that a megachurch establishes in another area.
Denomination
[Organization & Polity]A denomination is an organized body formed by churches that share a common confession of faith and system of church government. Several denominations may exist within a single denominational tradition.
Prayer
[Christian Life]Prayer is an act of faith in which believers offer praise, thanksgiving, confession, and petition to God; Protestants commonly describe it as "conversation with God." Korean Protestant churches are known for their active prayer gatherings, such as early morning prayer meetings and praying aloud together (tongseong gido).
Thanksgiving Offering
[Christian Life]A thanksgiving offering is an offering given in gratitude for grace received from God. In Korean churches, it is commonly given separately from regular offerings, with the giver writing the reason for thanksgiving on an offering envelope.
Vacation Bible School
[Christian Life]Vacation Bible School is an educational event in which a church gathers children and youth for several days during the summer vacation for Bible teaching, singing, and recreational activities. It is also called Bible school or VBS.
Sunday School
[Christian Life]Sunday school is an educational program in which a church teaches the Bible and the Christian faith to children and youth on Sunday. Today it is also known as church school.
Tithe
[Christian Life]The tithe is an offering of one-tenth of one's income given to God. In Korean Protestantism it is the most prominent regular offering.
Ecumenical Movement
[History]The ecumenical movement, also called the church unity movement, is an effort by Christian churches divided into many denominations to cooperate and seek unity while acknowledging their differences. Its leading international body is the World Council of Churches (WCC); in South Korea, its leading body is the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK).
Youth With A Mission Korea (Yesu Jeondodan)
[Institutions]Youth With A Mission Korea (YWAM Korea), known in Korean as Yesu Jeondodan, is an interdenominational mission organization founded in 1973 by David E. Ross, an American Southern Presbyterian missionary, from a university student fellowship. Since 1980 it has operated as the Korean branch of the international mission organization Youth With A Mission (YWAM).
Lausanne Movement
[Institutions]The Lausanne Movement is an evangelical world mission movement that began at the International Congress on World Evangelization (the First Lausanne Congress), held in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1974. The Lausanne Covenant, adopted at that congress, is the movement's foundational document.
Proverbs
[Bible]Proverbs is an Old Testament book of wisdom literature whose 31 chapters contain short instructions and maxims gathered chiefly under the name of Solomon. It presents the fear of God as the beginning of wisdom.