제중원 신앙공동체 연구-제중원의 선교사적 역할에 대하여

Abstract

Abstract A Study of the Je Jung Won Congregation's Role in Early Korean Church Shin Jae-Eui Je Jung Won was built in 1885. The religious meeting at Je Jung Won was one of the earliest Christian communities in Korea, while Je Jung Won itself acted as a medical missionary institution. This congregation went beyond theological differences of the Presbyterian and the Methodist churches. The congregation at Je Jung Won administered baptism and communion services as well as performed regular Sunday services. So the meeting was close to an organized church. As a gathering of early missionaries, the Je Jung Won community made an impact on the course of missionary activities and Korean church history. A “union” church was established at Je Jung Won in November 1886. It was a church that included both Presbyterian and Methodist missionaries. At that time all missionary activities were illegal in Korea. This caused conflicts between pastoral missionaries and medical missionaries regarding missionary strategies. Eventually pastoral missionaries took the upper hand, and Sae Mun An Presbyterian Church, the first organized church in Korea, was established in September 1887. In this way the Je Jung Won congregation functioned as an incubator for both pastoral and medical missions in Korea.