Solidarity for Church Reform

Overview

Solidarity for Church Reform (abbreviated in Korean as Gaehyeok Yeondae) is a Protestant Christian civic organization founded in 2002. Its stated goal is to advance the kingdom of God through the reform of the Korean church and, by means of healthy churches, the reform of society. It is not affiliated with any particular denomination; pastors and laypeople participate as individuals. The organization is known for having long led the movement against hereditary church succession, the practice of passing a senior pastorate to the pastor's child or another relative.

Founding and History

• The group held its first meeting in 2002 at Sanjeonghyeon Church and was formally launched at its founding general assembly on November 24 of the same year. The founding co-representatives were Rev. Park Deuk-hoon, Professor Paik Jong-kook (Gyeongsang National University), and Oh Se-taek.
• Its counseling on church problems had already begun in October 2002, before the founding assembly.
• On its tenth anniversary, the organization issued a ten-point declaration. Eight of the points addressed internal church reform, and two were directed toward society.
• In late 2012, together with the Christian Ethics Movement of Korea, the Barun Church Academy, and others, it formed the Solidarity Against Hereditary Church Succession (Sebanyeon). Solidarity for Church Reform became the coalition's secretariat organization, responsible for its day-to-day work.
• On November 26, 2022, it held its twentieth-anniversary event at Methodist Theological University. The twentieth-anniversary declaration issued on that occasion prompted discussion of bringing in younger leadership. At the regular general assembly that followed, three co-representatives were elected, including Kim Jong-mi, who had come from a background as a lay activist.

Major Activities

• Opposition to hereditary succession: Shortly after its founding, the organization opposed the hereditary succession of the senior pastorate at Daeheung Church in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province. It also regarded the transfer of the presidency of Korea Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) from Rev. Kim Joon-gon to his son-in-law, Rev. Park Sung-min, as a form of hereditary succession and raised objections. It has since continued to publicly criticize hereditary succession in megachurches.
• Counseling on church problems: It counsels and assists church members experiencing church disputes, including those arising from undemocratic church governance.
• Proposals for institutional reform: From its early years, it campaigned for democratic church bylaws drafted with the participation of members. More recently, it has observed the general assemblies of major denominations and offered policy proposals, such as institutional measures concerning pastoral retirement and the call of successors, and quotas for women and young people among assembly delegates.
• Joint worship services: It has also held joint commemorative worship services on Reformation Sunday.

Organization and Membership

Because it is not an association of denominations, it has no member denominations. Like-minded Christians participate as individual members. The organization is run by several co-representatives elected at the regular general assembly, together with an executive committee and a secretariat.

Assessment and Controversy

The Kyunghyang Shinmun has characterized Solidarity for Church Reform as a group of conservative reformers from the evangelical camp who place a high value on faith. In 2024, the organization issued a statement criticizing the "October 27 Korean Church 2 Million Joint Worship Service," organized jointly by several interdenominational bodies and denominations, for displaying discrimination and hatred. Christian Today reported criticism that it was a double standard for Solidarity for Church Reform to denounce another joint service while holding its own separate Reformation Sunday joint worship service on the same day.