Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapShin)
| Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapShin) | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Reformed |
| Theology | Calvinist Evangelical |
| Polity | Presbyterian |
| Associations | Council of Presbyterian Churches in Korea[1] |
| Region | South Korea |
| Origin | 1981 |
| Separated from | Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong) |
| Congregations | 973 (2021)[2] |
| Members | 129,111 (2023)[3] |
| Official website | hapshin |
The Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapShin) - in Korean 대한예수교장로회(합신) - is a Reformed denomination formed in South Korea in 1981, by a splinter group of the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong).[4]
History
The Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong) faced internal conflicts in the 1970s and 1980s. As a result, the Presbyterian Church in Korea (BaekSeok) was formed in 1980 and the Presbyterian Church in Korea (GaeHyuk) in 1981 - in Korean 대한예수교 장로회(개혁).[4][5]
In 1998, the GaeHyuk Church adopted the name Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapShin) - in Korean 대한예수교장로회(합신) - to avoid be confused with other denominations that use the name GaeHyuk in South Korea.[6]
Since 2002, it has been in negotiations with the Kosin Presbyterian Church in Korea about a possible merger.[7][4][8]
Seminary
The denomination operates a seminary called the HapDong Theological Seminary.[9][10]
Demographics
| Year | Churches | Members |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 445 | 89,617 |
| 2000 | 508 | 101,158 |
| 2002 | 716 | 123,279 |
| 2004 | 772 | 128,711 |
| 2006 | 778 | 144,974 |
| 2008 | 799 | 150,241 |
| 2010 | 852 | 156,508 |
| 2012 | 883 | 154,709 |
| 2014 | 899 | 149,969 |
| 2016 | 924 | 151,516 |
| 2018 | 958 | 146,898 |
| 2020 | 972 | 138,968[11] |
| 2021 | 973 | 134,531[2][4] |
| 2022 | - | 129,491[12] |
| 2023 | - | 129,111[3] |
Between 1998 and 2010 the denomination grew steadily, peaking at 156,508 members. However, since then, it has begun to decline in membership.[11]
In 2017, the denomination had 151,742 members.[11][13] However, in 2021, the denomination's statistics reported 14,531 members in 973 churches.[2]
Despite the decline in membership, the number of churches has been growing steadily, as a result of new church planting with few members.[11]
Doctrine
The denomination subscribes to the Westminster Confession as a faithful exposition of biblical doctrine.[8]
Interchurch relations
The denomination is a member of the Council of Presbyterian Churches in Korea[1] and has a corresponding relationship with the Presbyterian Church in America.[14]
In 1989, it entered into an agreement with the Presbyterian Church in Japan.[5][8]
References
- ^ a b "Report of the 104th Meeting of the Council of Presbyterian Churches in Korea" (PDF). June 2, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Statistics of the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapShin)". Retrieved 2022-06-25.
- ^ a b "General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (HapShim) Reveals Firm Acknowledgment of 'Opposition to Female Pastors'". September 30, 2024. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Looking Back at the Pioneer Church". 18 December 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
- ^ a b "History of the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapShin)". Archived from the original on August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ "84th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Korea (GaeHyuk) Decides to Change Name to the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapShin)". Kidoc. September 29, 1999. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ "[고신5] 합신과 결합 계속 추진". September 19, 2012. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Interchurch Relations of the Liberated Reformed Churches in South Korea". Archived from the original on March 14, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ "HapDong Theological Seminary". Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ "About the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapShin) and HapDong Theological Seminary". 20 November 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Historical Statistics of the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapShin)". Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ "Hapdong Presbyterian Church of Korea, Recovering from the Crisis". September 25, 2023. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ "Korean Denominational Statistics". Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ "Interchurch Relations of the Presbyterian Church in America" (PDF). p. 160. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 28, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2021.