기독교연합봉사회: 1950년대의 기독교 연합사업 연구

Abstract

Foreigner's social work in Korea began by Christian missionaries who had come to Korea in the late nineteenth century for the propagation of Christianity. In 1946, professional relief organizations such as Catholic Relief Service and Church World Service began to work in South Korea for the poor people who came south from North Korea and returned to Korea from Japan. In this situation, an interdenominational mission conference, meeting in Seoul in 1948, stressed the great need for social work and leadship training for rural communities. As a result of this conference, five missions working in South Korea decided to organize a cooperative project to be called, Union Christian Service Center to be located in Daejeon. Northern Presbyterian Mission, Methodist Mission, Salvation Army, United Church of Canada, and Southern Presbyterian Mission joined in the cooperative project of the Union Christian Service Center. Missionaries thought that in Daejeon, of all places in South Korea, there was the most favorable environment to make a great demonstration before the Korean people of the Christian unity of the missionaries. The Constitution of the Union Christian Service Center(1950) stated the purpose of the Center as “To provide a practical demonstration of the teaching of Jesus Christ to the every day life of the people of Korea and to train men and women to be leaders in service throughout Korea.” In the spring of 1953 the organization of the Union Christian Service Center completely formulated. Mr. Dean Schowengerdt, agriculturalsit, of the Methodist Mission, was assigned to work in the Center. Rev. Pai Min Soo bagan to work for training rural leaders. The Board of Directors approved the establishment of four separate projects within the overall programs: Amputee Rehabilitation under the Rev. R. A. Torrey, Rural leaders Training under the Rev. Pai Min Soo, Farm Demonstration under Mr. Schowengerdt, and Orphange under the Salvation Army. In 1955 a Tuberculosis Rest Home and a Baby-fold was added. The Union Christian Service Center had an link, both financially and personally, with pre-war Pyengyang Station of the Northern Presbyterian Mission and in this point it may be said as continuation of the rural works of Korean Churches during the Japanese rule. The Center was different from other Christian voluntary agencies from foreign countries in that it was organized in Korea by missionaries who had worked in Korea and had experienced Korea.