Presbyterian Church in Korea (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).

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).

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.

Since 2002, it has been in negotiations with the Kosin Presbyterian Church in Korea about a possible merger.

Seminary

The denomination operates a seminary called the Hapdong Theological Seminary.

Demographics

Year ChurchesMembers 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 972 138,9682021 973 134,5312022 - 129,4912023 - 129,111

Between 1998 and 2010 the denomination grew steadily, peaking at 156,508 members. However, since then, it has begun to decline in membership.

In 2017, the denomination had 151,742 members. However, in 2021, the denomination's statistics reported 14,531 members in 973 churches.

Despite the decline in membership, the number of churches has been growing steadily, as a result of new church planting with few members. Doctrine The denomination subscribes to the Westminster Confession as a faithful exposition of biblical doctrine. Interchurch relations The denomination is a member of the Council of Presbyterian Churches in Korea and has a corresponding relationship with the Presbyterian Church in America.

In 1989, it entered into an agreement with the Presbyterian Church in Japan.

References