Heresy Designation

Overview

A heresy designation is a formal determination by a denominational general assembly or an interdenominational church body, made after investigating the teachings of a particular individual or group, that those teachings have departed from orthodox doctrine. Korean Protestantism has no single authority representing all churches, so each denomination makes its own determinations. As a result, different denominations may reach different conclusions, of differing severity, about the same individual or group. For the underlying concepts, see the articles Heresy and Cult.

Criteria and Levels of Severity

The criteria compiled by heresy researchers within the church examine whether a teaching denies or seriously distorts any of the fundamental doctrines concerning God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, Scripture, the church, or salvation. When such teachings give rise to an organized group, they are sometimes classified as "heresy"; when they remain confined to an individual, they may instead be described as having "heretical tendencies." The heresy countermeasure bodies of Presbyterian denominations reportedly use as their standard the creeds contained in their denominational church constitutions, such as the Apostles' Creed and the Westminster Confession of Faith.

In addition to "heresy" and "cult," resolutions use a range of terms of varying severity, including "participation prohibited," "fellowship prohibited," "under close watch," and "fellowship to be avoided." A person regarded as shielding a heresy may also be designated by resolution as a "defender of heresy."

Procedure

Typically, upon receiving a request for investigation from a presbytery or the general assembly, a committee on heresy and cult countermeasures (abbreviated Idaewi in Korean) investigates the matter and prepares a report, which the regular general assembly then adopts by resolution. The committee's name varies by denomination. The operating bylaws of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (Tonghap) provide that a specialist committee member or the director of its counseling center drafts the report; the drafter must consult all of the denomination's previous designation cases. Around the tenure of General Assembly Moderator Lee Ki-chang, the General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in Korea (Hapdong) published the Guidelines for Designating Heresies and Cults, which set out in writing its designation criteria and its procedure for lifting designations. Under these guidelines, lifting a designation requires completing a recovery program at an accredited counseling center, making a public confession, and undergoing a period of recovery. A designation may be lifted only by resolution of the general assembly.

Cases of Differing Denominational Conclusions

• Ryu Kwang-su (World Evangelization Mission Association): Hapdong designated him a heretic at its 81st General Assembly (1996). The Kosin Presbyterian Church in Korea designated his movement an "unsound movement with heretical tendencies." By contrast, the Christian Council of Korea (CCK) later cleared him of heresy charges.
• Jeong Dong-su (Sarang Baptist Church): In 2020 Kosin resolved that he was to be kept "under close watch, with fellowship to be avoided." Hapdong designated him a heretic at its 110th General Assembly in 2025 and reaffirmed that resolution at its 111th General Assembly the following year.

Controversies over Lifting Designations

• CCK (2013 and 2015): On January 14, 2013, the CCK cleared Ryu Kwang-su of heresy charges by a vote of its executive committee, with 44 of the 67 voting members in favor. That same year it also cleared the late Rev. Park Yoon-sik (Pyunggang Cheil Church). Hapdong and Kosin announced that they did not recognize these decisions. A review was later conducted under President Lee Young-hoon, but in July 2015 the executive committee again adopted a report concluding that Ryu Kwang-su was not a heretic.
• Tonghap (2016): On September 12, 2016, General Assembly Moderator Chae Young-nam proclaimed a special amnesty covering cases involving Kim Ki-dong, Byun Seung-woo, Lee Myung-bum, and the late Park Yoon-sik, as well as the Church Union Newspaper. A total of 114 professors at Tonghap-affiliated seminaries issued a statement opposing the amnesty, and 79 professors from 18 seminaries issued a separate statement of opposition. On September 21, the General Assembly's officers withdrew the proclamation and issued an apology.

Arguments for and against Lifting Designations

Supporters of lifting designations cited several grounds. In 2016, Tonghap's special amnesty committee explained that it had selected for amnesty those persons, among individuals designated over non-essential matters, who were seeking to correct their errors. In 2015, the CCK's review committee reported that it had found no particular problems in Ryu Kwang-su's Christology or soteriology, and it judged that differences of view on ecclesiology did not rise to the level of heresy. At the 2013 CCK meeting, some also objected by asking whether Ryu's followers could be regarded as heretics forever. Opponents argue that a designation can be lifted only when there is an official document correcting or retracting each of the specific points on which it was based.