Myungsung Presbyterian Church
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2022) |
| Myungsung Presbyterian Church | |
|---|---|
 The church in 2008 | |
 | |
| Country | South Korea |
| Denomination | Presbyterian |
| Membership | 100,000 |
| Website | http://www.msch.or.kr |
| History | |
| Status | Megachurch |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Style | Modern |
| Clergy | |
| Senior pastor(s) | Rev. Dr. Kim Sam-Whan |
| Myungsung Presbyterian Church | |
| Hangul | 명성교회 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 明聲敎會 |
| Revised Romanization | Myeongseong Gyohoe |
| McCune–Reischauer | Myŏngsŏng Kyohoe |
Myung Sung Presbyterian Church is the largest Presbyterian church in the world.[1] It is located in Myung-il-dong, Seoul, South Korea, with its Prayer Sanctuary in Wonju. Myung Sung Presbyterian Church has over thirty church plants, including Myung Sung First Presbyterian Church, founded in 2004, and Myung Sung Second Presbyterian Church, founded in 2006. There are an additional ten "screen" (video) churches. The founder and current senior pastor of the church is Dr. Kim Sam Whan.
History
[edit]Myungsung literally means "Voice (Sung in Korean) of Myungil-dong" (now Myeongil-dong).[2] The church was founded in 1980. Because there were many farms and orchards around the church, it had been renovated and developed into a huge [clarification needed] housing complex by the mid 1980s. In 1989, Myungsung Presbyterian Church was rebuilt on its current site, with a scale of almost 8754 m². In 1990, the senior pastor, Dr. Kim Sam Whan (김삼환), from Myungsung Church visited the Soviet Union (now Russia), and Poland for worship missions, as the first among the Protestant pastors in South Korea.[citation needed] In 2004, the church opened its affiliated hospital named MCM (Myungsung Christian Medical Center)[3] in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to serve untreated local people there. In 2012, a new main sanctuary was built beside the former building.
The church mottos are "Lord Only" and "Seven Year as One Day".
Mission Department
[edit]As of 2006 the Myungsung Mission Department has been able to support 56 nations through 92 families and 172 missionaries. Myungsung Church also supports small churches, schools, hospitals, community centers, and future leaders.
Controversies
[edit]The succession controversy at Myeongseong Church began in 2017 when the founding pastor's son, Rev. Kim Hana, was appointed as the successor. This sparked significant backlash within the Christian community and beyond. Although the Presbyterian Church of Korea (TongHap) initially validated the appointment, the decision was later overturned by the General Assembly, which replaced its court members. However, a settlement allowed Rev. Kim Hana to assume leadership in 2021. The issue was ultimately resolved in March 2023 when the Korean Supreme Court ruled in favor of Myeongseong Church, dismissing a lawsuit challenging his leadership.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ Jung, Bong Oh (10 October 2018). "명성교회, '명일동의 소리' →'세계 최대 장로교회'…잇단 논란에 명성 '흔들'" [Myeongseong Church, From 'Voice of Myeildong' to 'World's Largest Presbyterian Church'... Myeongseong Shaken Amidst Controversies]. DongA Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Home". msch.or.kr.
- ^ "MCM General Hospital Website – Myungsung Christian Medical Center, MCM, MID, MCM General Hospital". Archived from the original on 2019-08-29. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
- ^ Jang, Yeol (7 March 2023). "5년간 이어진 세습 논란…명성교회는 '목사' 지켰다" [Five-Year Succession Controversy: Myeongseong Church Retains Its Pastor]. The JoongAng (in Korean). Retrieved 13 September 2024.