How Western Churches Can Learn from the Far East

SaRang Community Church

A Korean wave seems to be sweeping the world. You know the song "Gangnam Style" even if you've never walked down the main street in Gangnam Gu. The secretary general of the United Nations is Korean; the head of the World Bank is a Korean American. Many Western companies set up headquarters in Seoul so they can capture Asian markets. This is a stunning shift from the 1960s when Korea was dirt poor as a result of annexation by Japan and the devastation of the Korean conflict. Slowly the balance of socioeconomic power is shifting from West to East.

As economies in the Far East continue to grow, so also does the Korean church. Korea and China now follow the United States and India in sending the most missionaries. In fact, I am one of those missionaries sent by Korea to reach my native Wales. Consider the missionary reversal seen in the gospel partnership between Wales Evangelical School of Theology (WEST) and SaRang Community Church, Seoul. I was working in Korea when they recommended me to apply for the role of chief operating officer at WEST, a school they support financially and otherwise. SaRang's approach to the partnership has always countered expectations. Rather than demand to send their own administration from Korea, they recommended me, a Welshman, for the leadership role. Read more