Evaluation of the Presbyterian Church in Korea's use of assistant pastors : a reformed church polity perspective

[摘要] The Presbyterian Church in Korea (PCK) has an office of assistant pastor. The assistant pastorsare viewed as pastors, but there is a distinction between pastors and assistant pastors in bothpractical ministry and authority. Assistant pastors are inferior to the pastors in all respects, andtherefore the system can be defined as hierarchical. The system of assistant pastors hasoccasionally been questioned by some Presbyterian scholars based on an important principlewithin Presbyterian Church government, namely the unity and equality of the offices, but it is stillexercised in the PCK.Given this context, this study evaluates the justification of the use of assistant pastors in thePCK from a Reformed Church polity perspective. Both Presbyterian Church polity andReformed Church polity accept the unity and the quality of the offices. However, in this study itbecomes clear that Reformed Church polity not only accepts the unity and equality of the offices,but also implements in and through the relevant church orders. This study may serve as animpetus for the PCK to consider this problem in more depth, because Reformed Church polityhas always upheld this equality in the church without submission to any hierarchical structure.In an effort to achieve this aim, the study traces the historical establishment and development ofthe office of assistant pastors. In this process, the major problems of the office of assistantpastors are examined. As a foundation for the evaluation, the study conducts an investigationinto the Reformed principle of the offices, and analyses the church orders of contemporaryReformed denominations regarding pastors and assistant pastors. A consideration of therelationship between Scripture, confession and church order from the perspective of ReformedChurch polity is suggested that may guide the PCK‟s reconsideration of the matter, as well as ascientific basis to use a Reformed Church polity perspective in such an evaluation.This study aims to contribute to the solution of the problem from the perspective of the unity andequality of the offices and to motivate the PCK to deal with the problem of assistant pastors inview of the principle involved. It can also offer guidance to brother churches that struggle withthe same principle, but with different results by offering a way in which churches can encourageone another in the matter of church government based on the foundation of Christ, the King ofthe church. Die Presbiteriaanse Kerk in Korea (PKK) het ʼn amp van assistent-leraar. Die assistentleraarsword gesien as leraars, maar daar is ‟n onderskeid tussen leraars en assistentleraarsmet betrekking tot die praktiese bediening en die gesag wat aan dié spesifieke ampgekoppel word. Die assistent-leraar is ondergeskik aan die leraar in alle opsigte. Diekerkregeringstelsel van die PKK toon in hierdie opsig kenmerke van ʼn hiërargiesekerkregeringstelsel. Die aspek van assistent-leraars in die kerkregering van die PKK is al bytye deur sommige Presbiteriaanse kerkregtelikes bevraagteken. Die beginsel waaropdaardie kerkregtelikes hulle beroep, is die beginsel van die eenheid en gelykheid van al dieampte, maar die praktyk duur nietemin voort in die PKK.Gegewe hierdie konteks poog hierdie studie om die regverdiging vir die gebruik vanassistent-leraars in die PKK te evalueer vanuit ‟n Gereformeerde kerkregeringsperspektief.Die hoop is dat dit die PKK sal motiveer om hierdie probleem te heroorweeg aangesien dieGereformeerde kerkregering, wat die eenheid en gelykheid van die ampte as vertrekpuntbeskou, nog altyd die gelykheid onderhou het sonder enige hiërargie.Ten einde hierdie doel te bereik spoor die studie die historiese ontwikkeling van die praktykvan assistent-leraars na. In die proses word die belangrikste probleme wat dié praktyk aandie orde stel, aangedui. As ʼn basis vir die studie word die grondbeginsels van dieGereformeerde ampsbeskouing geformuleer, en die kerkordes van verskeie kontemporêreGereformeerde denominasies word ondersoek met betrekking tot leraars en assistentleraars.ʼn Heroorweging van die verhouding tussen die Skrif, die belydenis en die kerkordein Gereformeerde kerkregering bied ʼn riglyn vir die PKK se hersiening van die saak, sowelas wetenskaplike basis vir die gebruik van ʼn Gereformeerde kerkregeringsperspektief tydensso ʼn hersiening.Die bydrae van die studie berus op ʼn ondersoek van die probleem vanuit die Gereformeerdeperspektief van die eenheid en gelykheid van die ampte. Die studie dien as ʼn motivering virdie PKK om die probleem van assistent-leraars in die lig van die betrokke beginsels tehersien. Die studie kan verder leiding bied aan susterskerke wat met dieselfde beginselsukkel, al is die uitkomste anders, deur maniere te bied waarop kerke mekaar kanaanmoedig rakende kerkregering vanuit die fondasie van Christus, die Koning van die kerk.

[发布机构] North-West University