Cornerstone Laying Ceremony

Definition and Meaning

The Korean term jeongcho (定礎) means "setting the foundation stone" and refers to laying the foundation of a building. The cornerstone laying ceremony is a service in which the cornerstone, or foundation stone, is set in a building under construction and the work of building is committed to God. The cornerstone usually bears the name of the church, the date of the laying (written in a form such as "In the Year of Our Lord ____, [month] [day]"), and a Scripture verse. Churches understand this stone not only as commemorating the beginning of the building but also as expressing the confession that the true foundation of the church is Jesus Christ.

Biblical and Historical Background

The Old Testament records worship offered as the foundation of the temple was laid. When the people who had returned from the Babylonian exile began the rebuilding of the temple and laid its foundation, the priests sounded trumpets and the Levites praised the LORD (Ezra 3:10–11). Zechariah prophesied that because the hands of Zerubbabel had laid the foundation of the house, his hands would also finish it (Zechariah 4:9).

In the New Testament, the cornerstone also serves as a symbol of Christ. The words of Psalm 118:22, "The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner," are applied to Jesus in the Gospels and in 1 Peter 2:6–7. Paul wrote that the church is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone" (Ephesians 2:20), and that "other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:11). Churches with strong liturgical traditions, such as the Catholic and Anglican churches, have preserved rites in which a bishop blesses the foundation stone.

Practice in Korean Churches

In Korean churches the cornerstone laying ceremony has become established as one of several services associated with church construction. Typically a groundbreaking service is held when the site is prepared and construction begins, and the cornerstone-laying service is held around the time the structural frame goes up. In the widely recognized sequence, these are followed by a service of entrance into the new building after its completion and a dedication service once the building debt has been fully repaid. Depending on the construction schedule, a church may not hold a separate cornerstone-laying service and may instead lay the cornerstone during the groundbreaking service or the service of entrance.

The service generally proceeds in the following order: hymns, prayer, Scripture reading, sermon, unveiling of the cornerstone, and benediction. The books of worship of various denominations, including Presbyterian and Methodist bodies, contain an order for the cornerstone-laying service. The senior pastor leads the service, and a leader of a higher governing body, such as the moderator of the presbytery or the district superintendent, is often invited to preach or to pronounce the benediction. In the Anglican Church of Korea, the service follows a form in which the bishop blesses the foundation stone. Some churches place a Bible, a church bulletin, a list of members, or other items inside or behind the cornerstone. Verses frequently inscribed on cornerstones include passages concerning foundations and the cornerstone, such as Psalm 118:22, 1 Corinthians 3:11, and Ephesians 2:20.