District Conference

Definition and Meaning

The Korean term jibanghoe combines jibang (地方), meaning a particular region, and hoe (會), meaning a gathering or assembly. A district conference is a body formed by the local churches (individual congregations) within a region, and the meeting that this body holds is called by the same name. It is an intermediate level between the local church and the national General Assembly, occupying a position similar to that of the presbytery in Presbyterian churches. The degree of authority a district conference exercises over local churches varies widely according to the principles of church polity held by each denomination.

Biblical and Historical Background

The term "district conference" does not appear in the Bible. The Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 is often cited as a precedent for several churches gathering together to deliberate on an issue.

As an institution, the district conference arose from denominational traditions. In Methodism, a system of itinerant preachers developed from the time of John Wesley, and American Methodism organized groups of churches into districts, appointing superintendents to oversee them. The district conference and district superintendent system of Korean Methodism continues this line of development. Baptists have a tradition of associations in which local churches unite voluntarily, and the district conferences of Korean Baptists are understood to carry on this tradition. The Korean Holiness churches were influenced by the Methodist tradition, and the name "district conference" is also said to derive from that influence.

Practice in Korean Churches

Methodist

The Korean Methodist Church has a conference structure that proceeds from the charge conference to the district conference, the annual conference, and the General Conference. The district conference is composed of the pastors and lay representatives of the churches within the district and is led by the district superintendent, who oversees the churches of the district and handles its administration. The district conference deals with matters within the district, such as reviewing pastors as they advance through the stages of ministerial candidacy and establishing new churches. The annual conference, which stands above the district conference, is presided over by a bishop.

Holiness

In the Korea Evangelical Holiness Church and the Jesus Korea Holiness Church, the district conference is a judicatory (a body that governs and oversees churches) situated between the local church and the General Assembly. Its role most closely resembles that of the presbytery in Presbyterian churches. The district conference is represented by its president, and its members are the pastors and delegates of its member churches. The district conference is responsible for examining candidates for ordination, establishing and overseeing churches, and electing delegates to the General Assembly.

Baptist

The Korea Baptist Convention also has regional district conferences. However, because Baptists emphasize the autonomy of the local church, the district conference is not regarded as a higher body that can direct or overturn the decisions of local churches. Rather, it functions largely as a cooperative council in which the churches of a region gather for fellowship, cooperation, and joint ministry.