윌리엄 베어드의 교육사업

Abstract

William M. Baird was a missionary from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), who worked in Korea from his arrival in 1891 to his death in 1931. Among his long missionary life, he loved and paid a passionate attention to educational ministry. As a man of very conservative theology, Baird's aim in educational works was to build and strengthen native churches, which was over and against the civilizing mission ideology prevalent in the world. Therefore, his educational works realized John Nevius's church-oriented mission methods. Baird's mission schools did not intend to provide “secular” academical-professional education, but rather they were places where Christian workers were raised. For this reason, Soongsil Academy and Soongsil College taught the Bible regularly, but not non-Christian classics and English. Baird's educational ministry in Pyung Yang meant more than merely building and maintaining a few mission schools. He endeavored to realize what he thought was the ideal mission school system. Against all odds, his devotion paid off, and Pyung Yang's missionary educational system from elementary schools to college became a representative work of the northern Presbyterian mission in Korea. The ideals and system of the educational system Baird established, and Soongsil Academy and Soongsil College exerted great influence upon the Korea mission, and upon the Korean church as well. However, under the convulsive climate of late Yi Korea and Japanese colonial regime, Baird's educational system that aimed to raise church workers in small mission schools protected from "secular" influences could not last long.