What Is Wrong with (Korean) Churches
7 min read
5 He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children,6 so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.7 Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.8 They would not be like their ancestors
—a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.— Psalm 78:5-8
It’s pretty alarming and puzzling how the millennials and Gen-Z of S. Korea (MZ generation) have abandoned the faith. The Baptist churches of S. Korea have reached out to the IMB and asked for help, because less than 2% of the MZ confess Jesus as their Savior and Lord, making them what missionary organizations call an unreached people group (UPG). How is that possible in a land of megachurches?
It’s not that the MZ are not spiritual. It’s just that they automatically and immediately reject anything related to the church. Some might even reject anything that uses the word “church.” And that is not complete speculation on my part. My nephew in Korea told me so explicitly.
But without church—without the body of Christ—how are they ever going to become the body of Christ?
Could it be that “our ancestors” failed to “teach their children” the word of God, as God commanded?
Probably, it’s unfair to blame the megachurches of S. Korea for losing an entire generation, and yet that is what has happened. Probably, there is plenty of blame to share with everyone, including the MZ generation. Because, like I always tell my own children, we may be responsible for many of their emotional and character issues, but as adults, they don’t get to use that as an excuse to not deal with those issues.
When it comes to matters of faith—which are the most important matters in existence—we all have to accept the responsibility that God has given to us. Are we going to teach our children the ways of Christ, or are we going to teach them to be rebellious, without loyalty to Christ and His church, lacking faithfulness to our Lord and to one another?
And I wonder whether the answer to that question is always going to be revealed in the next generation.
IMHO, I believe that the Korean churches has failed to be disciples and make disciples for the following reasons:
The separation of ministries based upon demographics. By its very nature, separating ministries along demographic lines teaches people to think, “what’s in it for me,” rather than “what’s in it for us.” It’s not that targeted ministries are not good and useful for discipleship, but the over-emphasis on targeted ministries has fostered a sense of individualism instead of a sense of family and community. Individualism doesn’t care about the next generation or the community.
The emphasis on spiritual performance over obedience. People tend to think of church as a venue for spiritual entertainment rather than as a Christ-centered community for developing Christ-centered relationships. And so most large churches are built on the strength of popular personalities who can attract a lot of entertainment-seeking people. But every true church must be built on love (Ephesians 4:16), not performance.
I’m sure that there must be other issues that have caused this alarming rate of abandoning the church by the MZ generation both in the ROK and here in the US.
Of course, in this world, it’s a lot easier to point out problems than it is to develop and execute meaningful solutions. But in matters of Christ and His church, that is not the case. The solution is simple. The solution is obedience to Christ: (1) Love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. (2) Love others as we love ourselves. (3) Bear witness as disciples of Jesus here, there, and to the ends of the earth. (4) Teach our children through love to do the same.
Christ is the only solution, and Christ is our only hope, as well. No matter how much of a mess we might make the church because of our disobedience, the word of God will prevail.
Father, the Church is in Your hands. Forgive us when we lose sight of Your word and follow after our own ways. We repeat the sin of Adam and Eve over and over again. But You are God, and You are sovereign. Make us into a people with Christ as our Center, with Christ as our King. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
