NR #1995-042: For Immediate Release Dr. John E. Kim Appointed President of World's Largest Reformed Seminary in Seoul, Korea by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service (May 26, 1995) URNS - Dr. John E. Kim, senior pastor of the 2800-member Los Angeles Christian Presbyterian Church, has accepted the presidency of Chongshin Theological Seminary in the South Korean capital city of Seoul. Founded in 1901 in Pyongyang, now the capital of North Korea, Chongshin Seminary was closed by the Japanese occupation government in 1938 due to the seminary's protests against enforced worship of the Japanese Emperor as part of Shinto religious rituals. At 1900 students, Chongshin is now the largest Reformed or Presbyterian seminary in the world, the largest theological institution in South Korea, and one of the largest seminaries of any theological orientation in the world. Kim will also serve as president of Chongshin University, an affiliated school with 1200 students. His new position propels him into a top leadership position of the Hapdong Presbyterian Church, at 2.5 million members one of the largest denominations in South Korea's rapidly-growing Christian community, which currently accounts for almost a quarter of South Korea's total population of 40 million. Kim said he accepted the Chongshin presidency "because of the immense challenge" and that his goals include "making Chongshin University and Seminary a center for Reformed theological studies." Kim's duties as president will include administration, limited teaching, and fundraising for a $13 million building project. While the presidency of Chongshin Seminary is a major promotion for Kim, it is by no means his first position of prominence. While pastoring in Los Angeles, Kim built his church up from no members in 1976 to become the second largest congregation of the Christian Reformed denomination. Kim also founded International Theological Seminary, a Los Angeles-based seminary largely serving students from third-world countries. In 1992, Kim worked together with Dr. Luder Whitlock, president of Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, Dr. Robert Godfrey, president of Westminster Theological Seminary, and Rev. Sam Sung Lee, the moderator of the Hapdong Presbyterian Church, to form the International Reformed Fellowship (IRF), a conservative ecumenical organization organized as an alternative to the World Council of Churches, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Reformed Ecumenical Council - an action for which Kim and Godfrey, both members of the CRC, were sharply criticized. Later in 1992, Kim led a secession from the CRC, taking with him a number of other ethnic Korean congregations totalling over forty percent of the CRC's Korean membership and becoming moderator of the newly formed Christian Presbyterian Church. Since seceding from the CRC, Kim's congregation has almost doubled in membership, growing from 1440 members at the time of the secession to 2800 members currently; the denomination now has over fifty pastors serving 20 local churches. Although Kim will no longer be living in the United States, he does continue to have a concern for other Reformed denominations in the United States and elsewhere. "I would like to make our university an interrelated part of the IRF movement," said Kim, with a goal to "make Reformed churches more biblical and evangelical." According to Rev. Jonathan Lee, education pastor at Los Angeles Christian Presbyterian church, Kim's departure for Korea came as a complete surprise. "Even the key elders and close friends of Dr. Kim only found out a couple of months before," said Lee. "Only in the middle of February did we find out that he had applied and was a strong candidate." "His leaving has affected a lot of aspects of life at our church since he was a charismatic leader," said Lee. "Personally we feel left out and empty, but we understand in God's will this is something we have to do. The congregation thinks of this as almost sending out a missionary to Korea." According to Lee, Los Angeles CPC has followed Kim's recommendation to call Rev. Young Jin Kim, who has served since 1993 as senior pastor of Bethel Korean Church in Baltimore, Maryland, and was previously head assistant pastor at Los Angeles CPC for two years. "We don't foresee any major change here, International Theological Seminary will be still supported by our church, Christian Presbyterian Church will be still our denomination, and the CPC denomination is already making plans to receive more ministers." Cross-References to Related Articles: #1993-013: Koreans Lead Formation of Conservative Alternative to Reformed Ecumenical Council, World Council of Churches; Pastor of Second Largest Christian Reformed Church Elected Co-President; Current Membership 3.75 Million, Rapid Growth Projected #1993-033: Koreans Call it Quits from Christian Reformed Denomination; John E. Kim Leads 15 Churches, CRC's Second-Largest Church to Secession; First General Synod of Korean Reformed Presbyterian Church in America to Meet in October, Expected to Have at Least 9 Classes, 55 Congregations #1993-043: Christian Presbyterian Church Takes Form as Many Koreans Depart Systematically from Christian Reformed Denomination #1993-044: First General Assembly of Christian Presbyterian Church Enrolls 41.4% of Christian Reformed Koreans #1994-014: Koreans in Christian Presbyterian Church Hold First Annual "CPC Day," Plan for Denominational Growth Contact List: Dr. Robert Godfrey, Corresponding Secretary, International Reformed Fellowship 1725 Bear Valley Parkway, Escondido, CA 92027 * O: (619) 480-8474 * H: (619) 741-1635 * FAX: (619) 480-0252 Dr. John E. Kim, President, Chongshin Theological Seminary 31-3 Dong-Jak Kuq, Sadang-Dong, Seoul, KOREA * FAX: 011-822-536-2602 Rev. Jonathan Lee, Education Pastor, Los Angeles Christian Presbyterian Church 2241 N. Eastern Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90032 * O: (213) 221-9531 * FAX: (213) 221-0345 Dr. Luder Whitlock, President, Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson 2201 Heritage Hill Dr., Jackson, MS 39221 * O: (601) 362-8432 * H: (601) 922-4988 ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr95-042.txt .