Author(s)

Kyo KumFollow

Date

5-2017

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Chair

Yoojung Lee

Keywords

Business Ministries, Influence of the Gospel, Work Places

Disciplines

Christianity | Comparative Methodologies and Theories | Other Religion | Practical Theology | Religion

Abstract

This study considers a new form of the church that can influence the society with the gospel in a more proactive way; it is a church in a corporation. As evangelism is becoming more difficult in Korea, Korean churches need to discover the contact point for the gospel. Existing churches attempted to make nonbelievers come to them, but the church in a corporation reaches out to nonbelievers in the workplace. Existing churches are established around people’s dwelling environment, but the church in the workplace provides a nexus for social life. There surfaces a need for a new form of the church that fits the pattern of life in the workplace by shifting the paradigm. While serving as a pastor of the E-Land Group for ten years, the researcher experienced the effectiveness of sharing the gospel message and nurturing Christians in the workplace for expanding the kingdom of God, as the number of Christians grew from less than ten percent of employees to 60-70% in several years. To identify theoretical principles for the thesis, this research studies essential resources concerning the biblical principles on the establishment of a church in a workplace and missional churches. Through surveys and interviews of twenty churches in the E-Land Group, the study also attempts to confirm what kinds of fruit are being produced and how dynamic changes are being made in those churches. The researcher suggests core principles to carry out the dynamic mission of churches in the workplace in businesses owned by Christians.

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