Jeondosa (Korean Church Office)

Definition and Meaning

Jeondosa means "one who proclaims the Way (道), that is, the gospel." In Korean churches the term serves as the title of an office for ministers who have not been ordained as pastors. The position is usually held by someone enrolled in a graduate school of theology or by someone who has completed theological training and is preparing for ordination. Within the church a jeondosa is customarily addressed as jeondosa-nim. Unlike a pastor, a jeondosa generally does not administer the sacraments or pronounce the benediction.

Biblical and Historical Background

The word "evangelist" appears in the New Testament. Acts 21:8 mentions "Philip the evangelist," and 2 Timothy 4:5 exhorts, "do the work of an evangelist." Ephesians 4:11 lists "evangelists" among the ministries given to the church. However, the jeondosa office in present-day Korean churches is not regarded as identical to the ministry described in these passages. The office of jeondosa is defined by each denomination's church constitution.

During the early period of missions in Korea, Korean assistants called josa (助事, "helpers") and female evangelists called jeondo buin ("Bible women") reportedly assisted missionaries in evangelism and education. The present-day jeondosa office took shape within this tradition.

Practice in Korean Churches

Jeondosa are commonly divided into two categories according to their duties and terms of service.

• Education jeondosa (gyoyuk jeondosa): Part-time ministers who serve mainly on weekends. They oversee educational departments such as the Sunday school, the middle and high school youth department, and the young adult ministry. Many are graduate theological students.
• Full-time jeondosa (jeonim jeondosa): Ministers who work for the church full-time. In addition to educational departments, they handle pastoral visitation, administration, and parish district ministry.

The path to becoming a pastor varies by denomination.

• Presbyterian: In some denominations, such as the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Hapdong) and the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin), candidates complete graduate theological school and then pass through a licentiate (gangdosa) stage before ordination as pastors.
• Methodist: Candidates complete the membership process set by the annual conference and are then ordained.
• Other denominations: Most require denominational examinations and a period of supervised training.

The jeondosa office is also closely connected with the issue of the ordination of women. In denominations that do not permit the ordination of women as pastors, female ministers often serve as jeondosa for many years. Even in denominations that now permit women's ordination, most female ministers served only as jeondosa before the practice was introduced.

In recent years, the low pay and poor treatment of education jeondosa have frequently been raised as a concern both within and outside the church.