Kwonchal

Definition and Meaning

The term kwonchal is written with the Chinese characters 勸 ("to exhort") and 察 ("to observe"). It denotes a person who watches over and exhorts church members. Churches divide their members into districts by neighborhood or area of residence, and the kwonchal cares for the households and members within a district. The position is held by a layperson and does not involve ordination. A kwonchal is usually appointed for a one-year term by the session or the senior pastor.

Biblical and Historical Background

No office called kwonchal appears in the Bible. When churches explain the purpose of the position, however, they often point to several passages. Examples include the account of Moses appointing rulers of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens to care for the people (Exodus 18:21), the record of the early believers meeting and sharing fellowship in their homes (Acts 2:46), and the exhortation to bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2).

The kwonchal is generally understood to have arisen within the Korean church rather than to have been imported directly from Western church polity. Exactly when and where the title was first used is unclear. From early on, the Korean church placed great emphasis on district organization and pastoral visitation, and the position of kwonchal took shape within this tradition.

Practice in Korean Churches

The role of the kwonchal varies somewhat from church to church. Common responsibilities include the following:

• Keeping track of the attendance and circumstances of district members and reporting to the pastoral staff.
• Visiting the sick, newcomers, and families facing hardship, or accompanying the pastoral staff on visits.
• Preparing district worship services and relaying church announcements.

The relationship between the kwonchal and the district leader also differs among churches. In some churches, the district leader leads the district while the kwonchal assists through communication and visitation. In others, the kwonchal leads the district directly under the title "district kwonchal." In practice, the position is reportedly often held by women.

Among denominations, the title kwonchal is used mainly in Presbyterian churches. In Presbyterian churches, the kwonchal is generally treated not as a perpetual office (one held for life) defined by the church constitution but as a service position established by the local congregation. Methodist churches use a unit called the sokhoe (class meeting) in place of the district, with the class leader filling a similar role. Full Gospel churches typically use a structure of district leaders, area leaders, and parish leaders. In recent years, a growing number of churches have adopted small group, discipleship training, and house church models. In such churches, newer titles such as "shepherd," sunjang (cell leader), or "leader" have sometimes replaced the kwonchal.