Church Bazaar

Definition and Meaning

The word "bazaar" comes from Persian and originally meant a marketplace. In Korean usage, it refers to a charity market at which goods are collected and sold for a public purpose. At a church bazaar, members donate household items they no longer use or make goods to sell, such as side dishes, kimchi, and handicrafts. The proceeds go to designated purposes such as helping neighbors in need (relief), missions, scholarships, or church facilities. Besides raising funds, a bazaar is also regarded as an occasion for deepening fellowship among members and for inviting local residents to the church.

Biblical and Historical Background

The Bible does not describe a bazaar as such. Supporters of church bazaars point to the early believers who shared their possessions to help those in need (Acts 4:32-35) and to Paul's exhortation that the abundance of some should supply the want of others so that there may be equality (2 Corinthians 8:13-15). Some church members and pastors, however, cite the cleansing of the Temple, in which Jesus drove out those who were selling in the Temple (John 2:13-16), and hold that buying and selling within the church should be approached with caution. Because of this concern, many churches hold bazaars in an education building, courtyard, or parking lot rather than in the sanctuary.

Charity bazaars held by church women's groups to raise funds for missions and relief are reported to have been a common practice among English-speaking Protestant churches in the nineteenth century. In Korea, the practice is said to have taken root chiefly through women's church organizations.

Practice in Korean Churches

In Korean churches, bazaars are usually organized by the Women's Missionary Society. In the Korean Methodist Church, the equivalent organization is called the "Women's Mission Society." The Men's Mission Society or the young adult ministry sometimes runs the food stalls. Bazaars are often held during spring and autumn outdoor events, around Thanksgiving or Christmas, and during the kimjang (kimchi-making) season. Some churches combine the bazaar with an event in which kimchi is made and either sold or given to elderly people living alone.

The use of the proceeds varies from church to church. Typically a decision-making body such as the session or the board of officers, or the sponsoring group, determines the purpose in advance, and after the event the financial report is published in the church bulletin or by other means. Bazaars are held widely in Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, Baptist, Full Gospel, and other churches, regardless of denominational doctrine or polity. Differences in practice depend more on a church's size and region than on its denomination.

Churches differ in their judgment about how far sales activities within the church should be permitted. This question is sometimes discussed alongside debates over operating a church café.