Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary

Overview

Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary is a seminary operated by the Presbyterian Church of Korea (Tonghap) (PCK Tonghap) and is the denomination's principal institution for training pastors. The school regards itself as the continuation of the Presbyterian theological education that began in Pyongyang in 1901. Its motto is "Piety and Learning."

Founding and History

• Pyongyang period: In 1901, Samuel A. Moffett (Korean name Ma Po-sam-yeol), a missionary of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (Northern Presbyterian), began teaching two students, Bang Gi-chang and Kim Jong-seop, at his home in Pyongyang. Around 1903 the school adopted a curriculum consisting of a three-year preparatory course and a five-year regular course. Students attended classes for three months each year and spent the remaining nine months in ministry in local churches.
• First graduates: In June 1907, the school's first seven students graduated: Kil Sun-joo, Yang Jeon-baek, Seo Gyeong-jo, Han Seok-jin, Song In-seo, Bang Gi-chang, and Yi Ki-poong. They were ordained as pastors by the Independent Presbytery (Dongnohoe), organized that September as the first presbytery to encompass the Presbyterian churches of the entire country.
• Closure: In September 1938, after the 27th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Chosen passed a resolution endorsing Shinto shrine worship, the opening of the term scheduled for September 20 was postponed indefinitely, and the school eventually closed. In 1940 a so-called "later" Pyongyang Theological Seminary opened with the authorization of the Japanese Government-General of Korea, but only on the condition that it accept shrine worship.
• Reopening in Seoul: After liberation, in June 1948, the Presbyterian Theological Seminary opened on Namsan in Seoul, with Park Hyung-nong as its first president. During the Korean War, Han Kyung-chik and others continued teaching students in wartime refuge. In October 1952 the school received authorization from the Ministry of Education as the "Presbyterian Church in Korea Theological Seminary."
• After the denominational split: When the Presbyterian Church divided into the Tonghap and Hapdong branches in 1959, the seminary also split, and this school became the seminary of the Tonghap side. The two denominations differ over which cause of the split to emphasize: the question of membership in the World Council of Churches (WCC), the so-called "30 Million Hwan Incident," or the struggle for ecclesiastical power over the credentials of commissioners (delegates to the General Assembly).
• University status: The school was renamed Presbyterian Church in Korea Theological College in 1961, Presbyterian Theological College in 1973, and Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary in 1993.

Major Activities

In addition to undergraduate programs in theology, Christian education, and church music, the school operates several graduate schools. The Graduate School was authorized in 1966, the Graduate School of Theology in 1980, and the Graduate School of World Mission in 1993; the Graduate School of Education, the Graduate School of Church Music, and the Graduate School of Ministry were subsequently established. Of these, the Graduate School of Theology is the core program for training candidates for ordination in the PCK Tonghap.

Denominational Affiliation and Organization

The school belongs to the General Assembly of the PCK Tonghap. Chongshin University (of the Presbyterian Church in Korea, Hapdong) also claims to be the heir of the same Pyongyang Theological Seminary, and each school claims that tradition as its own. Some observers point out that because the school's governing body and student records were discontinued after the 1938 closure, it is difficult to regard either school as institutionally continuous with the Pyongyang Theological Seminary.

Controversy

On May 17, 2018, the International Day Against Homophobia, eight students attended chapel wearing matching rainbow-colored clothing and afterward posed for photographs holding a rainbow flag. The school regarded this as an act advocating homosexuality in violation of a 2017 resolution of the PCK Tonghap General Assembly. That resolution is reported to state that homosexuals and those who support or advocate homosexuality may not serve as church officers, seminary professors, or in similar positions. In July of that year the school imposed suspension, probation, and warnings on five students. The students and some alumni countered that their action was an expression of opposition to hatred.

A court later ruled the disciplinary measures invalid because of procedural defects, and the ruling became final when the school did not appeal. However, a separate claim for damages filed by the students was dismissed. In 2019, when two of the students involved failed the ordination examination, 51 professors issued a statement in their defense. In response, a group of professors opposed to the legalization of homosexuality issued a counterstatement, and the controversy continued. For details of the issues, see the article Homosexuality and the Church.