The Presbyterian Church in Canada's Mission Work for Koreans in Japan 1927-1934: The Beginnig of Partnership Mission

The Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC) began its mission work to Koreans in Japan in 1927, after turning over the Mission in Korea to the United Church in Canada (UCC) through the negotiation triggered by Church Union in 1925. The majority of Koreans in Japan lived in poverty and were discriminated against by the Japanese. The PCC commission saw their hard life and made an agreement with churches in Korea to found a cooperative mission. This was a significant step toward a partnership mission between “older churches” and “younger churches.” The PCC’s mission work for Koreans in Japan encompassed both evangelism and social action. The missionaries led not only Sunday service and evangelical preaching but also night schools for adults and kindergartens. Korean churches in Japan grew and established an independent denomination in 1934, which was the first step to becoming a strong self-supporting church. The PCC’s mission work for Koreans in Japan was a pioneer model of partnership mission with growing “younger churches” in Korea in the 1920s. Further, this mission work demonstrates that after Church Union, the PCC was not unconcerned about social action. Rather, it sustained comprehensive mission work that encompassed both evangelism and social action.Master of Theology (ThM