STORIES OF FAITH

By: Joel Chung

What is our mission statement? Why does it mean? Read this post to find out. Please read to the end to see Joel’s reflection.

Stories of Faith

What is the mission statement of St. Timothy, and what is the thinking behind it?

Mission Statement:

Prophetic Community:

To share and live by the truth of the Word of God (have the scripture at the center)

Inclusive Community:

To welcome and embrace all people

Compassionate Community:

To reach out to the weak and vulnerable

Spiritual Community:

To cultivate the deeply rooted spiritually

Introduction

St. Timothy’s mission statement consists of four integral proclamations which aim to shape, reflect and represent the vision and character of our church. Being a prophetic, inclusive, compassionate and a spiritual community are the pillars that make up the identity of St. Timothy’s mission statement. The common needs of all generations and both congregations were taken into account when establishing the aforementioned statements. I sat down with Rev. In-Kee Moksanim and we went into depth about the inception, development and thinking behind our church’s mission statement. 

Prophetic Community

The first aspect, being a Prophetic community. The focus for the church was to have the scripture at the center. Present day churches seemed to have strayed away from the original church model during Jesus’ time. The scripture was the document that was closest to Jesus’ time, therefore, the goal was to build up the spirit of Jesus rather than the cultural aspect of the church. In order to understand what Jesus had in mind when he thought of the church, Rev. In-Kee emphasized the value and importance of studying the word of God. That’s why the scripture is at the centre of the church. 

Inclusive Community

The inclusive community aspect reflects the desire for the St. Tim’s community to be inclusive, regardless of culture, language, race etc. Whether members were Korean or not, the church had to be a place where everyone could feel special. Everyone was welcomed, loved and included. Members may have different political views, conservative, liberal, progressive or more traditional, it doesn’t matter, everyone is welcomed. This how Jesus treated others in the bible, so St. Timothy does its best to emulate that inclusive mindset.

Compassionate Community

St. Timothy’s current mission to work with those who may experience marginalization or alienation. Jesus, in his ministry never worked with people in the center, i.e., people who had all the power and privilege. He always worked with the poor, sinners, lepers, prostitutes and so on. Jesus spent a lot of time with these individuals, that’s why St. Tims carries out their ministry with the weak and vulnerable.

Spiritual Community

Being a Spiritual community is the fourth and most recent establishment of our mission statement, which was added just two years ago. St. Timothy should be a place where every member of both the KSM and ESM congregation can grow spiritually. The hope is that all congregation members can interact with one another on a deeper and more spiritual level. Going to church with more than just our human attitude but coming with a spiritual attitude is a focal point to cultivate a spiritually rooted community. Together, we are able to learn about God more profoundly.

Conclusion

St. Timothy’s current mission statement is a working definition, there may be new additions to the statement in the future, it’s not perfect. Who knows, the spirit may guide and inspire us. But, for now, the statement has been working well and our members feel they are important statements. The mission statement encourages us to work together and strive to fruitfully develop our beautiful community.

How does this affect my own faith?

After sitting down and discussing St. Timothy’s mission statements with Rev. In-Kee Kim, I earned a greater appreciation for our church and the values that they prioritize. I am beyond proud to be a member of the St. Timothian congregation and am ecstatic that the church has aligned their values in a way to truly reflect the same values that Jesus had back in the day. 

– Joel

Stories of Faith

By: Monica Park & Torrance Yoon

Hi-C is a time where real spiritual and personal growth occurs. We are so thankful to have had that space to grow at St. Tim’s! Read to the end to see Monica and Torrance’s personal reflections.

Stories of Faith

Growing Up at St. Timothy: Hi-C

St.Timothy has a rich history that correlates with the grand timeline of Korea itself, through stories of faith, we can see how our church has evolved into what it is today, how it has helped generations upon generations settle and become comfortable with who they are, and ultimately strengthen their faith in God . The Hi-C community is no exception to the evolution of our community, it has done wonders for many generations of young Korean teenagers. The amazing commonality for all generations of Hi-C was its ability to adapt to different times and generations of youth, this can be seen through the different age groups and former Hi-C congregations. Hi-C has helped each and every one of us in a different way, yet one underlying trait it has formed for many, was its ability to strengthen confidence, leadership, care, and forge a path for a successful future for all of us.

Feeling Small

Growing up in St.Timothy’s Hi-C varied amongst which generation you were a part of, it was also dependant on the age of the Hi-C members. Through the perspective of Lauren and Jonathan, their generation of Hi-C was built on cliques and friend groups. Division was the defining trait of their generation of Hi-C, it separated the young from older youths, it was a lot like a popularity contest. One thing that all interviewees can agree on while first joining Hi-C; being the youngest, often many find themselves disconnected, or not involved in the Hi-C events and activities. Personally, my experience was harder for me. I joined a year early to Hi-C because I was the only grade 6 in kids church, so they decided to let me go to Hi-C, I felt disconnected, as I couldn’t connect with the sermons, or the people there.  I felt like the friends I had in Hi-C were just the leftover outcasts from the cooler cliques and groups.

Spirituality

Jonathan Chung mentioned when he was younger that he didn’t really pay attention to sermons when he was younger. I think most of us can agree, as children we tend to ignore passages and sermons. In fact, most of our journeys in faith start after we reach the Hi-C. This is the time where we need the emotional support of the sermons. We are ready to start learning more detailed and look deeper into the meaning of passages. It was a place for us to grow up and take up leadership roles, develop skills, hobbies. Johnathan Cho shared that through the Hi-C, he was able to pursue his love for music through the praise team, as well as take leadership roles within the Hi-C. He mentioned without the Hi-C, his life would be lacking in his passion for music, his confidence in being able to lead, and his strength and faith in God. Hi-C is the foundation that holds the structure of our faith as we grow into adults. Lauren Lee went on a hiatus from church during her first year of university, she was going through a tough time, and she was unsure who to turn to, however the church came back to her, when she was asked to become a counsellor for the Hi-C summer retreat from pastor Simon. From then on, she has once again become a regular member of our congregation. Hi-C gives us all the opportunity to try things we would never normally attempt to do  outside of our comfort zone. Although many Hi-C members agree that there was some division amongst the different age groups, as of recently connections between the younger and older ages has gotten much better. Monica Park can testify to the fact that the older peers act as mentors, building up the youths confidence to make them leaders, praise team members, and active members of the Hi-C. If anything, it has become easier for these younger Hi-C members to build up there confidence.

How did this change the way I think about faith?

What bless the Lord meant for the Hi-C, myself, and former members included,  was the ability to unlock people’s inner passion, leadership, and strengthen confidence. Without realizing, we have been blessed time and time again by his love for us, most of us would not be confident in ourselves, our talents, our passions. God has taught us to enjoy a life of confidence while doing what we love.

– Torrance Yoon

Though my years in hi-c were limited to two short years, it really did have a crucial impact on my faith. Joining hi-c when I wasn’t the strongest in my faith journey, helped me get back on track. From Pastor Simon’s sermons to hi-c retreats, my two years apart of hi-c helped me learn more about not only God, but about myself too. Having a community like hi-c with you on your faith journey, really does help you both spiritually and mentally. Overall, I think my faith journey today is heavily influenced by my time in hi-c.

– Monica Park

Stories of Faith

By: Joshua Chung & Paul Jang

Learn about the past, present and future of the KSM congregation at St. Tim’s. Read to the end to see Josh and Paul’s personal reflections.

Stories of Faith

What role has the KSM played in the lives of 1st Generation Korean-Canadians? What is the future of this ministry?

The Role of the KSM in the lives of 1st Generation Korean-Canadians

What role has the KSM played in the lives of these 1st generation Korean-Canadians? To understand what effect the KSM has had, we interviewed some key members of the KSM congregation. The KSM has played an integral role in the lives of 1st Generation Korean-Canadians. 

From an educative perspective, there are many people who can say that they have learned a lot from the KSM. 

Women’s Gathering

Kate Lee, the church secretary recalls how one of her most memorable moments in the KSM was her first women’s gathering with the PCC. As someone who was educated in Korea, she had a limited worldview of various issues around the world. Although there was a language barrier, the women’s gathering was an eye opening experience for Kate, and is an event she eagerly anticipates next year. 

Parental Role

Reverend Soo Jin Chung sees the KSM as a parental role, in which they have both taken care of each other and learned from each other. During his time with the KSM Reverend Chung started out as a youth pastor and after being ordained has been serving the entire KSM congregation. Through serving Reverend Chung has been able to witness the beautiful journey of life. He has seen how the youth have matured into adults while also serving the older generations until the end of their journey. 

Solidarity & Community

In addition to playing an educative role in their lives, the KSM has also provided a strong sense of community for these 1st generation Korean-Canadians. 

The vast majority of these immigrants would not have been able to speak English very well and could not have integrated into Canadian society. The church was a place where these 1st generation Korean-Canadians could come together and interact with people who share the same language, culture and experiences. Most people would come to the church through a friend or relative. To many early Korean-Canadians, the church was another home away from home. 

Future of KSM

St. Timothy is a church that is built on the premise of two coexisting cultures living in harmony. The most substantial difference between the KSM and ESM congregations is the disparity in age. Since the majority of the KSM consists of 1st generation Korean-Canadians, the average age of the KSM congregation is over 65 years old. With an aging congregation, what does the future of our KSM and therefore St. Timothy look like? 

The immigration rate from Korea to Canada has gone down significantly over the years as the living conditions in Korea have drastically improved. With not that many immigrants coming to Canada, and an aging KSM congregation, will the number of KSM members slowly diminish? 

Diversify our Community

What can we do to keep a healthy number of members in our congregation? Although our church is built upon the identity of coexisting Korean and English speaking ministries, the future of St. Timothy does not have to remain in this mold. As our society and culture evolves our church can also go through change. St. Timothy does not have to remain as a Korean and English speaking church, as Ms. Kate Lee said, our church can open itself up and become more diverse. Expanding ourselves from English and Korean speakers to the children of God. 

How has this changed my thoughts about faith?

What does the future of St. Timothy hold?  What we uncovered during Ms. Kate Lee’s interview really made me wonder. What is the future of St. Timothy? The average age of the KSM congregation is 65 and up so then the ultimatum is; what happens when all of these people eventually pass on? I believe that even though the basis of St. Timothy church is built upon the idea of fitting in within two cultures; the Korean side and the Western side, there can be so much more. The future of St. Timothy is definitely uncertain and we will never know what may come of it. Truth be told, I am worried about this church’s future. Will there even be enough people to attend Sunday service? Do we need to go around recruiting people to fill the pews? All of these questions start to add up and the more you think about it, the greater the issue becomes. I do still hold hope in my heart for the future of the church but who knows. 

– Josh

How has this changed my thoughts about faith?

After interviewing some of the key members of the KSM, it was interesting to see how much some of them have learned through the KSM. Prior to my research, I thought the main role the church played in early Korean-Canadians lives was the social aspect. In which they were able to have their own community because they could not communicate as well with other Canadians. Before this project, I’ve had the future of the KSM in the back of my head, wondering what we would do in 10-15 years when a large number of the KSM will depart from us. I didn’t really think about the possibility of opening our church up to all kinds of people which I think is a possible solution. 

– Paul

Stories of Faith

By: Lauren Lee and Elisabeth Jong

Learn about the past, present and future of the KSM congregation at St. Tim’s. Read to the end to see Lauren and Elisabeth’s personal reflections.

Stories of Faith

Snapshot of the faith stories of ESM members

The story of one’s faith is a journey unique to each individual and this week we have the tremendous privilege of sharing a few narratives from our very own ESM congregation with you.

The stories explored in this post are those of Elder Dr. James Choe, Maeng Hong from the Women’s Bible Study Group, and Stephanie Choe from the Tuesday Bible Study Group.

James Choe’s Story

Faith Journey

Christianity itself was new to James’ family and was first introduced to him when his older brother started to attend church. James would accompany him when he was in middle school and high school although his faith itself wasn’t very important at the time as the whole rational for Christianity and the meaning behind it was still a challenging thing to fully comprehend. Despite this, the church still provided an opportunity for James and his brother to connect with Korean-speaking friends that had similar life experiences in an environment where there weren’t many Korean families.

For the duration of his time at university and medical school, James’ training grew to be increasingly rigorous which led to him attending church less frequently. It wasn’t until he started dating his current wife that he started to go to church more frequently, as this was one of her conditions to ensure that she married a Christian.

At the time, they both joined North York Presbyterian Church which unfortunately didn’t have a very strong ESM or KSM service for people their age. Their church made the decision to combine with the Living Stone Church led by Rev. In Kee Kim. The newly formed North York Living Stone Church (later renamed St. Timothy Presbyterian Church) brought its more vibrant ESM culture, helping to further initiate James’ faith journey. It continued to flourish after deciding to join the EM choir along with his wife and becoming one of the first Elders.

Becoming an Elder

James was one of the first two Elders elected in 2012 and served his full term of 6 years. As an Elder, James had many responsibilities including lots of planning, discussions, and meetings to ensure all details of church management is done, and also confirming that their visions are aligned with each other to plan for the future of not just the following year, but the next 5, 10 years.

Looking back, it was clear that becoming an Elder was a very pivotal moment in James’ faith as, in addition to all of these responsibilities, there were many sessions of bible studies, spiritual learning and growth and sharing over the years. 

James expressed his gratitude for the experience to being one of the first Elders as it helped him in so many aspects from the extent to which his faith grew, to the newly found understanding of what goes on in the church and helping to plan rather than simply attending worship. Even paving the way for other Elders to join in subsequent years was a privilege as it was a truly historic and necessary step for our St. Timothy Church.

Maeng Hong’s Story

Early childhood

Maeng Hong came to Montreal at the age of 6 after living in Korea. At the time, there was unfortunately a lack of a Korean community for Maeng and her family in Montreal. However, being one of five other girls, Maeng Hong found that her childhood was a fairly normal, happy, Christian childhood.

Faith Journey

Even from a young age, Maeng had always been a spiritual person, but felt she lacked an organized faith. Despite this, she attended church since she was young and although she took a break, she came back for her two sons so that they would have a community to turn to and be a part of.

Although there were many joys of childhood growing up, she hit a stage in her teenage years that was packed with uncertainty and questioning which took a long time to get through. Despite a few hardships along the way, Maeng made the commitment to get baptized a few years ago and admits that it truly feels like she was born again.

Currently, things have started to calm down a bit for Maeng as she continued to grow more secure in her faith. Maeng shared her knowledge of the fact that she knows her faith remains despite consistently being shaken because of her definition of what Christianity is versus other religions. She knows this because even when her faith wavers, she always finds her way back; her faith is always there even if it is underlying.

Joining Women’s Bible Study

For about 10 years, Maeng has been attending the Women’s Bible Study, which is led by Rev. Kim every Wednesday. This was a place where there is a lot of space for reflection and open talks that you generally don’t find in addition to a lot of love, which is one of the reasons she keeps coming back. This is a very comforting place that Maeng truly feels God’s presence in as people come with the common desire to understand and help one another.

The Bible Study is also not solely focussed around the Bible, as Maeng shared, but about their lives. And this is what the Bible could be about too; lives. People falling and then struggling to get up, to persevere and continue. The ability to do this could be derived from this power which helps us all to continue moving.

Stephanie Cho’s Story

Early childhood

Stephanie Cho is one of our congregation members who grew up in Canada in a very Westernized culture. She was born in Canada, as her parents immigrated when they were very young. There were some aspects of the way she was raised that were very traditional to the Korean culture, but more or less, her family lived their lives as Canadians with heavy influence on Canadian culture. Growing up alongside two older brothers, and being the only girl, was difficult at times. She would look up to them, and subsequently followed what they did. 

Faith Journey

Stephanie’s faith journey started at a young age. She grew up at Bethel Church until she was about 8 years old, and her parents decided to leave the church. For a few years, the family took time away from the church, and not long after, they found North York Livingstone Church (former St. Tims) and began to attend. They had various programs for elementary, Hi-C, ESM and KSM groups. In all, it seemed to suit the needs of the family of 5, both together and individually. 

She spent her younger years growing up in the church, and being part of the Praise Team has been an integral part of her life. Not only did it secure her continual attendance to church, but it also peaked her interest in learning more about God through the power that only music can generally provide. As serious and stoic that she may seem on the stage, her internal emotions are exhilarating as no words can fully encapture how it feels when their team gives all their energy and emotions to the congregation just as they are reciprocated right back.

“What is your faith story” is a question that Stephanie really struggled with as it felt like she never really had a faith story. Especially when comparing herself to people who had faith stories that were slightly more apparent than hers, it made her question if she has faith in the first place.

This is a difficult question to answer in general as it is simple to understand the textbook definition of what faith should be, but it isn’t as well defined in practice as it varies from one individual to another. However, despite consistent questioning around her belief in God during times of trouble, Stephanie recently started to truly believe that God has a plan for her. This leads to her to reflect on what she can do to try and strengthen her faith which is where Tuesday Bible Study played a large role in helping her realize that maybe that’s what her faith story is. 

Joining Tuesday Bible Study

Commonly referred to as “TBS,” Tuesday Bible Study is a group that came together a few years ago when Pastor Simon and a couple of other Young Adult congregation members took the initiative to approach Rev. Kim to start a new Bible Study group that met every Tuesday. This bible study group is open to a wide variety of people ranging from younger to older ages and everybody from different walks of faith. From people who identify Christians to those who don’t, and those who attend church on a regular basis to others who consider Tuesday Bible Study to be their own kind of church. Regardless of who they are, everyone is welcome to this very open, safe, non-judgmental space.

The first session that Stephanie joined was in the Fall of 2017 after Pastor Simon reached out to her. At the time, there wasn’t a very apparent YA (Young Adults) program at St. Tim’s mainly due to the fact that most of the students were going away to university. Pastor Simon suggested to Stephanie that attending the Tuesday Bible Study would be a good way to have a weekly time devoted to critically study the Bible. This helped to persuade her to try it out and now she has been attending ever since.

Here she was given the opportunity to critically think and discuss the Bible with others while also having the chance to share reflections of what they’ve studied and how it relates and impacts their lives. This was even more meaningful as it opened up the opportunity for them to listen to their peers and hear out their different perspectives as well.

As Stephanie reflected, she recognized the huge role that TBS had played in her life. Though she can’t say that everything they’ve learned has been retained to this day, TBS has truly made an impact on developing her idea of faith through the reflections developed and shared amongst everyone which in turn translates to this day. Although her personal conception of faith may still be unsure, through listening to the journeys of old and new friends really helped to put her spiritual life into perspective. That way, her everyday life and spiritual life don’t remain as separate entities, but become one.

St. Timothy Presbyterian Church

When looking through the various stories within our very own St. Timothy community, it was evident to see how our church has played a role in each of their journeys of faith through the programs held and the people in our congregation. When asked to describe our St. Timothy church in a word or sentence, this is what our people had to say.

“Looking back and raising two kids in the church setting too, it feels like St. Tims is a faith community and extension of an extended family for us.” – James Choe

“Forgiveness. There’s so many words to describe it, but the thing that is the most welcoming, inviting, inclusive is forgiveness.” – Maeng Hong

“Awesome community and supportive Pastoral Staff.” – Stephanie Choe

What does it mean to Bless the Lord?

One possible way to interpret what it means to Bless the Lord for the people of St. Tims is through the constant presence of God through the church. Throughout their years here at this church they have participated in various activities held by the church and through these times, their faith grew and they found ways of incorporating God into their lives outside of Sunday worship and bringing their lives to God.

“I think God is there. Now that I think about it, that article that I wrote, where I feel like I don’t recognize that feeling. Now that I’m talking about it, yeah. God is there because there is a common desire amongst us to understand each other, help each other and so it’s focused around the Bible…” – Maeng Hong

How does this affect the way we think about faith?

I think for me personally, it has really put into perspective what faith really is. It’s not this one, concrete thing that exists, but is something more fluid and constant that stays with us throughout our lives. Sometimes it’s difficult to see God in the moment, but when looking back at our lives we can truly see God’s presence as our faith continues to cultivate in God’s everlasting presence in our lives.

– Elisabeth Jong

Interviewing members of our community has made me realize how different everyone’s faith journey is. There are so many ups and downs, yet when we reflect in retrospect, I think we can see how God was there for us throughout it all. I’m able to think critically about my own faith and talk to people in the community about it because I feel like we all see each other as family and have the desire to be part of each other’s faith journeys.

– Lauren Lee

Stories of Faith

By: Joel Chung & Torrance Yoon

This blog post explains the role of Christianity and the history of Korean Christians during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Please read to the end to see Joel and Torrance’s personal reflections on the content of the post.

ESM Retreat

What role did Christianity play in people’s lives?

Introduction

The history of Korea has been filled with suffering, dictatorship, oppression, and colonialist control. Korea has constantly been victimized and belittled, often due to their Asian counterparts. Japanese occupation and oppression overwhelmed Korea with a harsh dictatorship, extreme ideologies, embarrassment, and humiliation. Any hope for freedom and liberation was shut down and destroyed by the tyranny of Japanese rule. Throughout the many years of oppression, social and religious groups were the source of the people’s hope for a better future. However, most of these groups that were forced to conform to the dictatorship of the Japanese governor general. Social and religious groups were under heavy surveillance by Japanese spies and infiltrators. Anything that the Japanese authorities viewed as rebellion was immediately shut down and redirected to assert Japanese culture and ideals on the people of Korea. Thankfully, one religious group stood tall against Japanese oppression: Christianity. Throughout history, we can see how Christians have worked alongside God to help liberate people to deliver them from evil.

Japanese Occupation and the Church

Japanese occupation from 1910 to 1945 shook the entire nation of Korea. During the first 10 years of the occupation, Korea was considered an ‘outer-territory’ of Japan. As a result, the people of Korea were stripped of their identity and any sense of power or authority they once had. The Korean elites were shamed, embarrassed, and humiliated, Korean leaders were overpowered and all of Korea could only watch the divide and oppression that was forced on their country. The people they looked up to, those that they had trusted to lead them, and even friends and family were put down to the lowest level. The sheer humiliation felt by the people put them in a docile state.

Japanese policy on the church promoted that Koreans turn on their own people as spies and infiltrators in congregations. These spies watched out for, and reported, any signs of rebellion against Japanese authority. It was a fearful time of division and isolation for many; who could they trust? Members of your church could be a spy, your friends could be a spy, and you would face serious consequences if they were. Constantly having to look over your shoulder created a hostile environment that many simply could not deal with. On top of losing authority and dignity, Koreans were divided within their own nation. Many converts, pastors, and members of the community of God left the church. Constant harassment and threats that they received after spies had reported to authorities for even the slightest mention of any type of rebellion-themed communions drove them out.

Despite being spied on, there were members who stayed and often sought out sermons about liberty, freedom. For the Japanese, the church was sign of resilience and uprising because it was the first sign of Korean freedom and choice. They sang hymns with themes that would give them strength such as ‘Onward, Christian Soldiers!” and studied many Biblical lessons along the same themes, such as David and Goliath, to receive hope. The people had a choice to make; a choice to seek purpose or risk treason against Japan. The members and converts who stayed felt the empowerment that God had given them. The hope that David could one day defeat Goliath, the hope they needed to soldier on through the turmoil they faced. This was the first hope of liberation the people had seen and felt since the seemingly unstoppable power of Japanese dictatorship had arrived. God took the hopelessness of these people and awoke a sense of purpose for the oppressed, working towards the freedom of their identity.

By 1914, the Korean Christian church had expanded to an estimated number of around 350,000 individuals. Although it was under heavy surveillance, the newly independent church opted to have ‘loyal recognition’ by giving up any political power they had. Although Christians lacked political power, mainstream Protestant Christianity was still a huge threat for Japan. The Korean congregation realized that they were nearly untouchable, leaving Japanese authoritarians with one option: to make sure an uprising was not a possibility. Christianity in Korea was the underlying drive that would not conform to Japanese practices, they demonstrated that freedom and liberation is the way of God. God and the church gave people back their identities and they were able to freely express how they felt. God was like a second authority that could fight against the Japanese. The people of Korea saw that, together in unity, they could stand together and resist Japanese tyranny. The agony and pain that the Koreans had faced were liberated by God.

Identity, Hope and Purpose

As policies became worse, it seemed hopeless for Christianity to prevail. Land and granaries were taken from Korean peasants, and were used as a new source of income for the Japanese. Policy was put in place to favor Japanese public servants, teachers, and any worker from Japan. They were even given swords to assert dominance and show authority over any Koreans as a sign of degradation to show that Koreans will always be under the Japanese. Racist policies on employment and education were put in place, Korean elites were to be replaced, the Korean language was to be exterminated, and Korean history was to be discredited and rewritten to fit Japanese perspective. Any form of media was banned by Japanese authority. It seemed that Japan had almost complete power over Korea. What was the point of living for Koreans? There was no sense of purpose for them; their social and political power had been completely stripped and life looked pointless. It seemed as if the best choice was to lose their identities, follow rewritten history, and conform to what the Japanese wanted. The only thing, although greatly oppressed, that wasn’t restricted was religious groups. Religion was the last source of purpose, hope and identity.

Christians urged the oppressed to view their social problems from a Christian perspective. There was a desire to save 20 million people from their world of grief, suffering and injustice using Christian practices. There was so much division within the people and no united opinions regarding their social problems. Christianity promoted solidarity through individuals being devoted to their service, establishing friendships, and focusing on assistance and service for each other. By practicing this type of Christianity people were able to bless each other while blessing the Lord. Christianity taught that the human spirit cannot be taken down by human hands or power, therefore, hope was provided to the hopeless. Thanks to the driving force of Christian movements to inspire Koreans to appropriate the fullness of the spirit, the Korean people found purpose.

Confidence in God

The 1930s was the time when Japanese oppression was at its worst. The people of Korea were being drafted to fight on behalf of Japan and were forced into labour for Japan’s benefit. Koreans were also forced to conform to Japanese shinto, where they must bow down to Japanese authority. The Christian Conservatives decided to fight and rebel against Japanese conforms; getting persecuted and made a martyr for their cause was better than losing their dignity and identity. There were, however, Koreans who believed that conforming to the Japanese rule was the only way to keep everyone safe. Although they bowed, in their hearts they knew they were never truly submissive towards the Japanese. Christian groups and associations came together and brainstormed ideas to solve the problems from a Christian perspective. There was an emphasis on employing non-violent means as the basis of peaceful resolution for the many conflicts.

Throughout all of the oppression, hopelessness, and suffering that Korean people faced, the Christian associations were able to work for the people. They demonstrated to us how “blessing the Lord” worked in the past. God has always been present and has been allowing the Holy Spirit to be present in the lives of the minjung (the oppressed). Missionaries, the church, and the Christian association rallied together to combat oppression at the time. Blessing the Lord meant to bless His people. All of God’s people, including the Christians and the minjung, were being connected by the Holy Spirit. Jesus lived among us and worked hard to spread the word and help the people, and God was also with the people throughout their hardship and suffering in Korea. Koreans were able to face life while being firm that God was with them. Similar to how we turn to God in our own lives, the people looked to Him for hope, guidance and support. Our context is very different yet we all find solace in God. God is with the oppressed, and with this knowledge the Korean Christians were able to turn to God and have confidence that He would eventually set them free.

Conclusion

Ultimately, all these events have taught generations of Korean people resilience by witnessing Christianity unfold in front of their eyes. By watching how strong they held together, they realized that Christianity and God brought people together and they understood that strength in their numbers would give them enough power to liberate themselves. Christianity played an instrumental role in educating the people on how to handle their societal issues even decades later. God has always been present in the lives of people, from a century ago to the present. He continues to work through the people so they can all bless each other and the Lord.

How does this affect the way I think about my faith?

Reading the texts of Korean resistance to the tyranny of the Japanese made me question my own faith. I pondered mainly on how I would react if I was pressured into discontinuing my following of faith and my identity. Would I have the same resilience to continue and stay true to God’s will? I wonder how long I could hold on to my faith in situations that many of my own ancestors had to struggle through. I believe in the word of God, however, I feel that I hold too dearly on to my physical life. I feel as though my life is where I draw the line; I fear death and hate the idea of leaving my loved ones, my environment, and my possessions. I hold on too much to the material objects of my life, and these readings have made me realize how fortunate and lucky I am to have had such strong ancestors who never gave up. Through them, I am able to continue my education and hard work to honour those who gave us the chance at a better future. I hope to one day be able to do something similar for those who come after me, and maybe I can eventually say that I have strong faith, and am ready to do anything in the name of Christ.

– Torrance

How does this affect the way I think about my faith?

Studying the history of the Korean people in the early 1900s has taught me the resilience that can be harnessed from Christian faith. All the oppression and adversity that generations upon generations have endured was, in large, thanks to the Christian practices that taught the people how to persist through their hard times. Christian faith is very much a real thing. I was always somewhat doubtful and my belief wavered, but after reading about the history of my own people and the role that Christianity played in their lives, my own belief in faith and its legitimacy have been strengthened. Life really was hard for the Koreans; it would’ve been so easy to just give up, escape, or conform to the bigger powers, yet many of them stood firm in their faith in God and eventually were able to overcome the evil that they faced.

– Joel

Stories of Faith