다문화 사회에서 교회 역할

Abstract

Since the entry of foreigners with laborers focused into Korea in the late 1980s, the number of foreigners staying in Korea amounted to 2.18 million as of December 2017 and 2.37 million as of June 2018. This accounts for around 4.5% of the total population of Korea so we can say that Korea has already entered into the multicultural era. The first factor that led the Republic of Korea to become a multicultural society is the inflow of foreign workers due to economic growth. Second, marriage migrants are on the rise. Third, it is the vitalization of multilateral diplomacy. Fourth, it is the Korean wave impact. Fifth, it is because visa-free entry is allowed. In a multicultural society, the government is making efforts to improve various legal and non-legal systems. In addition, the government keeps expanding support for education and finance for migrants so that they can adapt to the Korean society. On the other hand, Korean churches are not prepared well for the age of multiculturalism, and it seems that their handling of this remains only applied to limited circumstances. Through the New and Old Testaments, God commanded the mission which can be fulfilled in a multicultural society as the essential function of the church. But it is considered that churches fall short of coping with the multicultural society by pursuing a realistic church rather than an ideal one. As a result, this study aims to present the necessity of the church’s role in the Korean society which entered into a multicultural society biblically and to suggest practical plans. As concrete measures, this study claimed that the structure of churches suitable for the multicultural era should have organizations in accordance with the essential function and it is necessary to draw up a budget accordingly. This study also stated that there is a need for education which can change the perception of church members in the multicultural era so that they can play an important role through such perception transition. Finally, as a way for each church to be able to carry out in order to overcome alienation and conflict as well as prejudice and discrimination and to make a healthy society, this study offered four proposals: first, opening the church facilities to the public; second, operating culture classroom; third, invitation feast; and fourth, pastoral visit. Through these, I hope that the Korean church will remember the truth of the cross and the spirit of sowing the seeds of the gospel throughout the peninsula with the spirit of emptying and lowering by the many senior believers and will serve the migrants, leading to a sound multicultural society.