National Council of Churches in Korea

Overview

The National Council of Churches in Korea is a council of churches in which a number of Korean Protestant denominations and the Korean Orthodox Church participate together. It is abbreviated NCCK, and within Korean church circles it is commonly called Gyohoehyeop ("the Church Council"). It champions the ecumenical movement (the movement for church unity), which seeks cooperation and unity among different denominations. It is the successor to the Korean National Christian Council, organized in 1924.

Founding and History

• 1918: Separately from the union body made up solely of missionaries, Korean leaders of the Presbyterian Church and the Northern and Southern Methodist churches formed the Federal Council of Korean Presbyterian and Methodist Churches.
• 1924: On September 24, at Saemunan Church in Seoul, the missionary union body and the Korean churches' council merged to form the Korean National Christian Council (Joseon Yesugyo Yeonhap Gonguihoe). Its participants were the Korean Presbyterian and Northern and Southern Methodist churches, six foreign mission boards, the British and Foreign Bible Society, and the Korean Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). Its first president was the Rev. Cha Jae-myeong.
• 1931: The council was renamed the Korean Christian Federal Council.
• 1937: The council was dissolved amid Japanese colonial interference in religious affairs.
• 1946: The council was reorganized after Korea's liberation. It later operated under names such as the Korean Christian Federation before adopting its present name.
• 2011: With the admission of the Lutheran Church in Korea and the Korean Orthodox Church, membership grew to nine denominations.
• 2024: The council marked its centennial.

Principal Activities

• Cooperation with the worldwide church: The council works closely with the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), and national councils of churches in various countries.
• Social engagement: The council is known for its leading role in the movements for democratization and peaceful reunification (see The Church and the Democratization Movement and Reunification and the Church). It maintains bodies such as the Justice and Peace Committee and the Human Rights Center, and it has held prayer meetings calling for the enactment of the May 18 Special Act. In 2018, the seventieth anniversary of the Jeju April 3 Incident, it held a prayer meeting in Gwanghwamun Square and apologized to the victims' families and to the nation for the past participation of Christians in the massacres.
• Joint church events: Around 2010, the council held joint events with the Christian Council of Korea, including Easter services, June 25 (Korean War) joint rallies, and August 15 (Liberation Day) services.
• Preservation of historical records: Through an online archive, the council makes available the minutes of its general assemblies, Christian yearbooks, and other records dating back to the era of its predecessor bodies.

Member Denominations and Organization

According to a list from around 2018–2019 published on Wikipedia, the member denominations are as follows. Because membership may change, the current list should be confirmed on the NCCK's official website.

• Presbyterian Church of Korea (Tonghap)
• Korean Methodist Church
• Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea
• Anglican Church of Korea
• Salvation Army Korea Territory
• Korean Evangelical Church
• Korea Assemblies of God
• Lutheran Church in Korea
• Korean Orthodox Church

In addition to denominations, ecumenical organizations such as CBS (Christian Broadcasting System) and regional councils are also members. By custom, the presidency rotates annually among the member denominations. The president chairs the Executive Committee, while actual administrative authority rests with the general secretary.

Assessment and Controversy

The NCCK is generally regarded as a progressive ecumenical body. In 1989, conservative church leaders, including the Rev. Han Kyung-chik, founded the separate Christian Council of Korea, declaring that "national security and conservatism come first." From that point on, Korean Protestant ecumenical bodies divided into several streams according to their orientation. Opinions are also divided within member denominations over NCCK membership; in the denominational press of the Korean Methodist Church, for example, calls to withdraw from the NCCK and articles rebutting them have sparked debate.