충청ㆍ전라 지역 기독교 문화유산의 현황과 내력

Abstract

Christian cultural properties in Chungcheong and Jeolla Provinces include churches, hospitals, schools, and houses that missionaries built for their activities and living. Currently, there are 92 historic Christian buildings in that area--13 in Chungbuk, 4 in Daejeon, 15 in Chungnam, 15 in Jeonbuk, 11 in Kwangju, and 34 in Jeonnam. There are more churches(51) than any other facilities such as schools(15) and houses(15). Some were build in the 1900s(6), but most of them were built later in the 1920s(15), 1930s(20), and in the 1950s(22). This corresponds to the period of the massive growth of Korean Protestantism. In terms of denominations, those in Jeolla Provinces, the region dominated by the Presbyterian Church in the U.S., were mostly related to the Presbyterian church. In comparison, the so-called missionary mixture area, Chungchung Provinces, are characterized by a mixture of various denominational traditions including Anglican, Baptist, and Holiness as well as Presbyterian and Methodist. The mission station, the regional stronghold of the mission, was the center of Christian cultural properties in Chungchung and Jeolla Provinces. Local missionary works typically began with building a mission compound for themselves followed by hospitals, schools, and churches around the compound. The mission compound was established in the central city of the target region. These cities include Chungju(Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A), Jincheon(Anglican Church), Gongju(Methodist Episcopal Church), and Daejeon, Jeonju, Gwangju, Mokpo, and Suncheon(Presbyterian Church in the United States). Buildings in mission compounds were usually the first western buildings of the area, and stand as a symbol of modernization. The architectural style of churches, which are the dominant type of Christian cultural properties, changed from traditional Korean houses, such as straw-roofed houses, wooden chapels to western brick churches. Stone-concrete constructions were the general trend for the churches built after the 1950s. Unlike other historic buildings protected by the government, church buildings are in danger of damage or destined to be demolished in the course of church growth. A more systematic management of historic Christian buildings is necessary to protect the assets that represent the tradition of the previous generation.