선교지 건축 비용의 출처와 자립의 관계 - 태국 카렌침례 총회 보깨우 시찰회를 중심으로

Abstract

Establishing a self-supporting church in the mission field is an important aim. The realm of self-support includes not only the pastor’s salary and church management but also church construction. The key question of this study examines the relationship between the source of construction cost for a church in a mission field and self-support awareness. As a case study, I surveyed all 53 church constructions of 13 churches in Bokaeo area belonging to the Karen Baptist Convention in Thailand. The method of the current study was based on interviews with leaders who had a part in church construction. The main results of the study are as follows. Firstly, the proportion of external dependence of the cost involved in church construction is increasing. Secondly, unsupported or partially supported churches remain committed and self-reliant. Thirdly, there are many missionaries who can be commissioned to build a church in the Bokaeo area. Fourthly, the mission policies of missionaries and mission organizations are influencing on local churches. In the past, when the church in Bokaeo was less financially welloff, they took full ownership of building the church themselves. The economic situation has improved now, and alongside, external dependence has increased. This is because there are many missionary organizations supporting church construction. As a result, reliance on such external support has also increased. If missionaries want to maintain a selfsustaining church in the mission field, the provision of support for church building should be seriously reconsidered. Admittedly the support for church construction lies on good intentions, but contrary to expectations dependence increases as well with provision of such support. More important than the missionary’s intention is the missionary’s plan of action and method appropriate to the local situation.