우크라이나 한인 선교사의 교회 개척 상황과그 선교적 과제

Abstract

In this paper, I will discuss about church planting of Korean Protestant missionaries in Ukraine, the country rooted in Orthodox Church for more than a thousand years. Since the Ukraine became independent from Soviet Union in August 1991, local Christians who endured hardship and Protestant missionaries brought a lot of changes in Ukraine such as politics, economy and religion. However, Protestant is only 2.2% of the Ukraine population. In the midst of this state, in 2015, 68 units of Korean missionaries were sent to and carry out ministry in the Ukraine. Early Korean missionaries’ ministry was focused on local Koreans; then, gradually approached natives. Since 1991, in 5 years, 11 units arrived to the Ukraine. Since then, Korean missionaries have been constantly dispatched to the Ukraine. Currently, about half of them work on church planting. Also, half of the missionaries work in Kiev and surrounding areas. Therefore, to find current church planting situation and its task, a survey was conducted with 20 Korean missionaries. And result is as following. First, the prayer was the first priority in preparation for church planting. Then followed information gathering and organizing a team for church planting, and preparing a building was the last priority. Like this, not focus on building, but start from Cell group gathering through evangelization. However, in the Ukraine, people influenced by beautiful Orthodox churches do not accept church without a building, which makes difficult to have a worship in Cell group. An obstacle to Korean missionaries is not only their culture, but also the language. Thus, early Korean missionaries worked with local Koreans who could translate them for church planting. Dr. Ralph D. Winter classified missionary and local leader relationship into four stages of development: stage one Pioneer, stage two Parents, stage three Partner, and stage four Participant. This is the way of European missionaries adapting to the Third World countries. Korean missionaries have to take approach in an opposite order, since their target is white Ukrainian rooted to Orthodox Church. So, first as Participant, then as Partner, then as Parent, and lastly, after becoming Pioneer, success to trained disciples and leave. Therefore, Korean missionaries should plant church using their strengths and opportunities: passionate prayer, devotion to mission, outstanding adapting ability, high education and various talents. Consequently, for localization, Korean missionaries should help to raise Self-Support, Self-Government, Self-Propagation, Self-Theologizing, Self- Missionizing in the Ukraine church.