Interdenominational

Definition and Meaning

Korean dictionaries define chogyopa as "not being constrained by denomination," and it corresponds to the English word interdenominational. In the Korean church the term is used in two overlapping senses. The first refers to cooperation in which churches and members from several denominations take part together. The second refers to the state of belonging to no denomination at all, a sense that overlaps with independent church.

Proponents of interdenominationalism explain that the term does not signify a rejection of denominations as such. Rather, they describe it as a willingness to learn from other traditions instead of remaining solely within one denomination. They also point out that groups formed in opposition to denominations sometimes harden into yet another denomination within about a generation.

Biblical and Historical Background

Supporters of interdenominational cooperation commonly cite three passages:

• Jesus' prayer that his disciples might be one (John 17:21)
• The teaching that there is one body and one Spirit (Ephesians 4:3-6)
• Paul's rebuke of factional divisions within the church (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)

After the Reformation, Protestantism divided into many denominations. Efforts to join forces across denominational lines followed in fields such as missions, and this trend developed, by way of the Edinburgh Missionary Conference, into the ecumenical movement (the movement for church unity).

In Korea, cooperation was attempted from the earliest days of missionary work. The mission boards concluded comity agreements dividing mission territories so as to avoid overlap. In 1905 the General Council of Protestant Evangelical Missions in Korea was organized with the participation of four Presbyterian and two Methodist missions; the council declared its goal to be the establishment of a single Protestant church in Korea. This plan for one church was never realized. In 1924, however, the missionary-led cooperative body and the Korean-led Federal Council of Presbyterian and Methodist Churches merged to form the Korean National Christian Council. This body was shut down in 1937 because of Japanese colonial interference, was relaunched in 1946, and continues today as the National Council of Churches in Korea. Media reports describe the Christian Council of Korea as having emerged from the same roots.

Practice in the Korean Church

• Cooperative bodies and joint worship: Cooperative bodies whose members include multiple denominations are the principal channel for interdenominational cooperation. Worship services and rallies held jointly across denominational lines, such as the Union Easter Service, also take place.
• Mission organizations: Mission organizations active on university campuses and elsewhere are often run on an interdenominational basis. A representative example is Korea Campus Crusade for Christ, founded in 1958 by Joon Gon Kim.
• Associations of independent churches: In the late 1990s, churches and mission organizations not affiliated with any denomination formed the Korea Association of Independent Churches and Missions (KAICAM). According to figures the association provided to the Kukmin Ilbo, it comprises some 3,000 member churches and some 400 mission organizations. Some groups later split off and declared themselves an "independent denomination."
• Denominational perspectives: Denominations differ in their views on the appropriate scope of cooperation. Denominations that emphasize agreement in doctrine and confession of faith are cautious about joining with other denominations, while those actively engaged in the ecumenical movement pursue broader cooperation. These differences came to the surface in the WCC controversy and the schisms of Korean Presbyterianism.