In his article for Ecclesial Futures, An-Wei Tan explores the declining Korean church population. In particular, he considers two phenomena: “believing without belonging” and the emergence of bi-vocational ministers.
In his article, Tan argues an ‘ecclesial future’ for the church in Korea is small churches led by bi-vocational ministers. Tan’s article proposes the adoption of small missional churches as an alternative approach for future church plants, arguing that embracing a focus on small missional churches can foster renewed faith commitment.
Tan’s article introduces the context of the church in Korea – its growth and its decline. He frames the decline through the lens of “believing without belonging”: people who identify as Christian but do not attend regular Sunday worship. He also discusses the rise in bi-vocational ministers: where the minister earns a living through means other than pastoral work while leading a church plant.
Tan is a bi-vocational minister himself. As well as teaching as an adjunct professor, he manages a café near the university. On Sundays, the café space becomes a place for worship. This approach allows Tan to engage with the local community, and hopes this article presents opportunities for exploration in response to the declining Korean church.
Tan writes from his study or his café and loves a cup of coffee to motivate him during his writing. He is thankful for the Academic Incubation Staff of the Korea IAMS Fellowship for their encouragement and help during the writing of this article.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: https://ecclesialfutures.org/article/view/13747