Approximately 300,000 Koreans live in the central Los Angeles (just west of down town) area with relatively shorter immigration history in America than other Asians. The numbers of Korean immigrants have increased since 1903; by 1905, a total of 7,226 Korean immigrants, and by 1970, 70,598 immigrants reached the United States (U. S.). Many Korean immigrants preferred to stay in the L.A. area in U.S. because of the good weather, many job opportunities, and mixed racial composition.
Korea Town, which extends from Beverly to Pico and from Crenshaw to Hoover, is still a core area of the Korean community even if Korean-concentrated towns were formed in other areas. Koreans, who had concentrated in low-rent districts of the ethnically mixed areas surrounding the central business district of Los Angeles in the beginning of the immigration, has scattered to other areas such as Gardena and Torrance in the south, Cerritos and Downey in the south-east, Pasadena, Burbank, and Glendale in the north-east, Van Nuys and Northridge in the north-west and Monetary Park and La Puente in the east. Korea Town serves as a launching station for many Korean newcomers. Korea Town has developed into a primarily Korean shopping and service area like Little Tokyo and China Town. Therefore, Koreans, who live and have business out of the Korea Town, also visit here to shop and to get information.
The crime rate has increased in the past 10 years. The rates of delinquency among teenagers have dramatically increased. Alcohol abuse is skyrocketing among teens, starting at earlier ages than in the past. Sexual experimentation, too, is starting earlier, leading to increases in teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, discontinued education, and other problems. Preliminary FBI data for 1995 showed the combined arrest rate of juveniles for violent crimes of murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault was 511.9 per 100,000 in 1995, that is 0.5%.
The Korean community is not an exception of this serious social and moral problems. Most Korean parents, who are first generation, work so hard from morning until late night that they can't share their time with their sons and daughters. Youngsters are lonely and bored during daytime. Even during nighttime, it is hard for youngsters to discuss their troubles with their parents because there is a gap in language and culture; youngsters are more used to English and the American way of life than their parents. The way to solve the problems should be studied.
In Korea Town, one of the most significant features is the church. Looking down the north side of town from the Santa Monica freeway (U.S. 10) westbound from Vermont to Western at night, one can see many red crosses. According to the Korean Business Directory, nine hundred seventeen (917) Korean churches are located in the Los Angeles area in 1996. Among them, 516 churches are concentrated within the L.A. city limits, and the majority are in the Olympic area. In contrast to the many Korean churches, only twenty-six Korean Buddhists temples are in Los Angeles, even though the number of Buddhist in Korea is disproportionately larger than churches. One of the probable explanations for this phenomenon is that to establish a Buddhist temple demands the ownership of the entire building because the temple requires a completely different and unique interior design and architectural style. On the other hand, a Christian church can simply be rented for Sunday afternoon services from other ethnic churches of the same denomination, a common practice in ethnically mixed metropolises.
Society usually thinks more law enforcement or regulation for the drug or other delinquency problems. But, this social issue cannot be assigned to one segment of society like prisons or police for solutions. The oppressed approach to these problems has not worked. An integrated approach of family and church, which bring people moral encouragement, will be a better way to lessen the problems. The Koran church have worked for the Korean community from the beginning of immigration history. The tradition of helping people is continuing to present time even if churches have some shortcomings.
America's Protestant missionaries came to Korea during the 1800s. The missionaries brought with them changes and a new vision and hope for the Korean people. A policy of seclusion, cast system, and shamanism were cast against the enlightenment of the Christian missionaries. With their help, Koreans started to build modern schools and hospitals and publish papers and journals.
Horace G. Underwood was the first official missionary who arrived in Korea on July 01, 1884. He was dispatched by the U.S. North Presbyterian Church Association. A year later, H. G. Appenseller arrived in Korea on April 05, 1885 as a Baptist missionary. In 1909, the Presbyterian association built 605 schools with 14,708 students, and the Baptist association built 200 schools with 6,423 students. (Han Kook Kyo Hwe Soo Nan Yuk Sa, The history of Korean Church)
The Presbyterian churches rapidly grew in quantity and quality in Korea because of the effort of the many Presbyterian missions from the very beginning of the Korean church history. Missionary Underwood proposed the establishment of a "General Assembly" under the American North Presbyterian church in Korea (The Story of Religion in America, pp207).
At the time of the first Korean church's establishment, Korea was under the imperialistic Japanese colonial rule. Japan needed a foothold to establish themselves on the Asian continent, and their nearest foothold for this was Korea. Korea was the innocent lamb to the desires of the Japanese imperialistic aim.
In the early 1900s, Japanese imperialism infiltrated officially not only Korea but also China and the Soviet Union. In those days, many Christians were severely oppressed by Japanese. For example, minister Ki Chul Zoo was pushed to walk on the nail plate, which was designed to run nails into the sole of his feet . during walking, because he believed Jesus . Christ not the Japanese empire. He finally . choose death by walking the nail plate rather . than to give up Jesus Christ. Under oppression . Figure 1. Nail Plate of Japanese imperialism, many Korean Christians wanted to move to a place of freedom for religion. It was like the European Puritans who left their homelands to find the freedom of religion at the time of Religious Reformation. The people who helped Korean Christians to immigrate to the U.S. were the American missionaries who were active in Korea.
American trading vessel "Gellic," which included 101 Koreans, left Inchon Harbor, Korea on December 22, 1902 and arrived at Honolulu, Hawaii on January 13, 1903. From this point, the history of Korean immigration began, and 18 of these Korean immigrant believers gave their first worship service at the Korean United Presbyterian Church under the North American Presbyterian Los Angeles General Assembly.
From the humble beginnings of that 1906 Korean immigrant church, the Korean churches have grown to 1200 churches in California with about 900 of these churches in Los Angeles county in 1994. The number of Koreans in California is 450,000. (Korean Church Directory of California, 1995 The Korean Christian Press) As can be seen from the above number, the Los Angeles region have been the epicenter of the Korean immigrant church as well as the political and economical center.
There seem to be three reasons why the ethnic church had become a focal point of Korean immigrants' social interaction in the U.S. First, the immigrants' need for a religious or spiritual (Christian) fellowship. Many Koreans were already church affiliates prior to their emigration from Korea, and undoubtedly they would like do continue a Christian fellowship in the new country. Their need for spiritual fellowship may have been even more intensified because of the marginal situation they faced as immigrants. Mr. Lee, who moved to Los Angeles in early 1970s, said this:
We came here, of course, for our own personal and very human reason--for a better education, for financial well-being, for greater career opportunities and the like. But we now find that we do not wholly control our circumstances by ourselves. We find ourselves in a wildness, living as aliens and strangers. And the inescapable question arises from the depth of our being: What is the real meaning of our immigrant existence in America? What is the spiritual meaning of our alien status?
In a similar quest for one's existential meaning, many non-Christians may have joined the ethnic church in addition to their need for an ethnic fellowship. Among the immigrants, the social, psychological, and religious motives for attending the ethnic church were intertwined because of their marginal existential conditions in "the strange land." The Korean immigrants appeared to crave both types of fellowship-spiritual and ethnic fellowship. The Korean ethnic church provided the best of both fellowships for the immigrant as shown in the following.
Table 2. The roles of Korean ethnic church
ethnic fellowship Christian fellowship
Korean ethnic church YES YES
Korean voluntary association YES NO
American church NO YES
American voluntary association NO NO
The second reason for the immigrants' pervasive participation in the ethnic church is the inclusive nature of the church as a social institution. Regardless of sex, age, or socioeconomic status, every Korean immigrant is invited to join the ethnic church whereas other voluntary ethnic associations have specific requirements for membership such as age, school, and locality. As compared with other ethnic associations, the ethnic church also provided for primary group and secondary group interaction at least once a week. In other words, the immigrants were drawn together in the ethnic church not only to meet intimate friends but also to see "new faces" other than their family members, relatives, and close friends. In short, they missed both the informal and formal aspects of the Korean society back home, and the ethnic church seemed to provide a microcosm of both. Both reasons above would be an answer why more church affiliates are here in Los Angeles than in Korea.
The third major reason for immigrant's gravitation to their ethnic church dealt with the idea and practice of religious pluralism inherent in the American society. As Herberg points out at the "Protestant, Catholic, Jew. Garden City, N.Y., 1955): In American religious pluralism is thus not merely a historical and political fact: it is, in the mind of the American, the primordial condition of things, an essential aspect of the American way of life, and therefore, in itself, an aspect of religious belief. Americans, in other words, believe that the plurality of religious group is a proper and legitimate condition.
Since racial and ethnic separatism was not officially encouraged in American culture, but religious distinctiveness was, ethnic church in the U.S. had been found to be the most convenient vehicle for enhancing and preserving ethnic culture and identity. The proliferation of Korean ethnic churches and the immigrants' pervasive involvement in them were in a way encouraged by the host society. It is not uncommon to observe that many American churches help to establish Korean ethnic churches in their districts. The fundamental roles of Christian and ethnic fellowship are still running in present Korean church.
In Case of Wilshire Korean Presbyterian Church, located at the corner of Magnolia and Washington Boulevard, approximately 50% of church members are from Korea Town for the Sunday service, according to the office woman of the church. Some drive as much as two hours to get there. Originally, many lived nearer to this church, but since they moved elsewhere. But, the need to continue with the friendship is the prevailing reason why the long drives are endured each Sunday. This friendship can take many faces. Koreans desire, in most cases, to marry other Koreans. What wonderful source of potential marriage partners than your community church. Also, other reasons such as business partners or customer pool may be located within the church. And the desire is to conduct business matter with socializing after the church services. While other reasons such as non existence of a Korean church in the new residential region may be the cause of the desire to return to the old church.
Based on the data, few questions can be raised like "why so many Korean churches exist?" "Why are there so many Presbyterian churches in the Korean community?" "What are the roles of Korean church?" "What effect do these churches have on the Korean community?" "What problems exist inside these churches?"
In America, there are more Baptists than Presbyterians. However, the opposite is true in the Korean community at Los Angeles and also in Korea. This is because of the massive early missionary work done in Korea by the Presbyterian church as explained earlier. With their effort and name recognition, many Koreans preferred the ideology of the Presbyterian church. Therefore, there are much more Presbyterians as illustrated by the table below.
Table 1. Korean churches in Korea in 1995
Number of churches Number of people
Presbyterian church 14,434 5,262,044
Methodist Church 4,463 1,314,680
Holiness Church 2,535 724,369
others (include Baptist) 7,000 2,500,000
sum 28,432 9,819,093
As shown above, there are approximately 30,000 churches and 10 million believers in Korea. This number means around 23% of the total population of Korea are Christians. (The Christian Press, September 28, 1996) When numbers of believers are divided by numbers of churches (9,819,093/28,432), there are 345 believers per church.
In Los Angeles Korea Town, according to Reverend Kim Jung Hoon, about 30% of the Korean immigrants are believed to be Christians. Since there are about 120,000 Koreans living in Korea Town, 34,000 believers and 70 persons per church are estimated by calculation. (12,000 people X0.28 =34,000 believers, 34,000 belivers/516 churches at Korea Town =70 believers/church) And as pointed earlier, approximately 50% of the churches are Presbyterian in Los Angeles.
Now, contrasting the Los Angeles Korean churches with those churches at Korea, about five more percent of Christians are here, and far lesser church members are included per church in Los Angeles. At Korea, there are 345 members per church; while in Los Angeles, there are only 70 members per church. The similarity in both of these situations is that in both cases the Presbyterian church is greater than 50% of the preference.
Four different reasons can be given to explain why the churches are smaller in size in Los Angeles in comparison to Korea. First, Korean population density is far lesser here in Los Angeles than in Korea. There are almost all Koreans living in Korea. Whereas in Los Angeles, many diverse groups live here in much larger area. Therefore, many small churches are needed to accommodate the small number of parishioners spread out in large region.
Second, although the first Korean church was established 90 years ago, since the majority of the immigrants arrived only recently, the majority of these churches are less than 10 years old. That can be interpreted as the possibility of growth. These churches are on their growth period. They have not yet matured.
Third, the individual churches are way too small and too weak by themselves. Therefore, they must align themselves with larger organizations for support. However, as there are many recent graduates from seminaries from U.S. and from Korea, these individuals desire to establish themselves in their own church instead of association with some organization. There is a proverb in Korea that says better to be chicken head than horse's tail. Even in my own church, many junior pastors dissociated themselves from our large father organization, the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. and established themselves in small independent churches without the support or the framework of the large organization.
Fourth, many capable or famous pastors who studied in United States and have great leadership prefer to return to Korea and shepherd the herd in Korea rather than in Los Angeles. Many reasons there must be. But, life in the United States is harsher. Here, a Korean pastor must endure the hardship of being an immigrant himself. His parishioners are also living the harsh lifestyle of long hours in a foreign country where language and cultural conflicts exist. Here in the massive melting pot or the tossed salad of various group of people have their conflicts as was seen during the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. But, security from all these uncertain lifestyle exists at Korea. The pastors do not have to worry about their English proficiency. They do not have to worry about the immigrant issues since the whole country is their own.
Then, what is the meaning of small church, whole members are only 70people in average, to the youngsters? Small churches give members intimate relationship. They know each other fairly well about their personalities, individual's degree of religious belief, or other trivial incident happen to them. They have more chance to be familiar with each other than bigger churches. It influences youngsters negatively as well as positively. Youngsters feel more comfortable with church members. They might feel them like relatives. But, when they have serious troubles such as crime, drug, or sex without marriage, they would be embarrassed more than bigger church member because there would be no secret in small church. This make offender have bad, guilty feeling. Worse thing of small church is that they usually don't have professional counselor. Offended youngsters have nowhere to go in church. They might leave church forever. Intimate, primary group will rather push them out of church in case of the undesired things happen.
The other shortcomings of small church in Los Angeles , Korea Town is the unstabilized youngster's group, while few big churches like Chunghyun, Dong-Yang Sungyo, have very well organized group system for adolescents. The church provide lot of financial aid to activate youngster group. Many counselors work with youngsters. Contrasting small church, big church would embraces more trouble maker to be assimilated within the group.
The fundamental group in each Presbyterian church is Elders' Meeting which consisted with elders and deacons. The certain numbers of Elders' Meeting of each church form a synod which is upper organization than Elders' Meeting. Then, few synod come together to make General Assembly which is highest organization in certain denomination such as Presbyterian, Baptism, Methodist, or Holiness. Each church has the responsibility as a lower organization of the synod and assembly, and they also has a right to be saved when it needs some help.
When Korean churches moved back here at Los Angeles in America, they confronted difficulties to join the General Assembly of American churches. Korean churches in Los Angeles organize the synod by only Korean churches, or some of them are connected to the synod in Korea. Only few churches are registered in the American synod and General Assembly.
There are several reasons why they can't assimilated to the American churches. First, Korean churches , whose major members are first generation of immigrants, have had hard time to overcome the differences of language, custom, and tradition between Korea and America. Korean language is much easier and understandable for them, so all the process of worship including preaching and hymns are done by Korean language. Many conductor of choir brought the hymns for choir from Korea, which are written by the Korean composers because they believe those songs are suitable for Korean believers feel God's love and bless. Most of the church members memorize the "Lord's Prayer" by Korean language not by English.
Second, many ministers in Los Angeles graduated divinity school in Korea, and most of them were already included one of the synod in Korea. They still has interrelationship with church or Bible college in Los Angeles and synod in Korea. For example, "Calvin Bible College and seminary" which is located in 4055 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90010 is under the synod in Korea. It's curriculum and the examination dates are decided by the synod in Korea, and it follow the synod's direction in Korea. Therefore, the students who study under this system follow more Korean way than American way even if they study in Korea.
Third, there are difference in system and doctrine between the synod in America and Korea. For example, most of conservative Presbyterian churches of Korea don't permit woman minister or woman elder, while most of American churches recognize woman as a minister or elder. Korean churches, whose system are controlled by male, don't allow female take any more right, and they try to keep those duty as their own. The selection way and term of elder and deacon are different from American synod. The deacon is nominated by the minister and Elders' Meeting, and elder is elected by members of church; this is same in both American and Korean systems. There are difference of term of elder ; elder is the permanent job after once elected in Korean system, while the term is only four years in American Presbyterian system. American church re-elect half of elders every two years.
Three reason above are the barrier to join the American synod. Therefore, many Korean churches themselves organize the upper organization like synod whose members are only Korean churches in L.A.. Some churches are interrelated to the synods in Korea, and very few Korean churches are members of American synod. Wilshire Korean Presbyterian Church is a member of American synod, and it has a white woman reverend for the education of youth. But it still follows a lot of Korean ways. Therefore, this church is on the intermediate position between Korean and American churches. This phenomenon leads Korean churches cannot be assimilated into the American system and society as well as the retarded development in church itself. Korean churches can keep their tradition and independence in foreign country, but they could not be in the boundary of American churches. Therefore, they will be separated like oil and water. It is very difficult to solve this problem in a day because the causes of problems come from the conservative doctrines and tradition of religion over 100 years. Inter-exchange of idea, share time to discuss the problems, or ecumenical movement between Korean and American churches would be considered to release the sturdy relationship between churches.
Young people of present time will grow to the main body of future church. They have advantage in English, which was one of the barriers of first generations. Therefore, it is easier for them to work with American churches. They will develop Korean church with harmonized church with other ethnic ones.
The question is "can second generation keep the conservatism of Christianity in Korean church?" Now churches show a special interest of the education of second generation within church to permanently keep the conservatism and Puritanism of Korean church. At "The Christian Press" on September 14, 1996 (Korean version) dealt the "Urgent Need for Educational Plan for Second Generation within Church" on the top the first page. In summary, it said, 1) teaching second generation the leadership of church, 2) encouraging the will of independence, 3) recommending to study theology, and 4) reinforcing to visit Korea to observe and learn the Korean church. This article stress the importance of Korean way and shows persistent will to teach the young the traditional Korean values. Because current Korean church leaders believe American churches are deteriorated due to too much looseness and self-indulgence.
Contrasting strong ego-centric attitude described above, better way to absorb second generation is described below. First effort is finding bilingual leaders as ministers or assistant to minister, who can share the thinking and feeling with second generation to counsel the problems and lead them. Youth prefer English. However, the church officers like elders or ministers prefer the Korean language. This attempt reveals the intention to accept new idea and thinking of youth. Bilingual ministers should be the capable man or woman to satisfy both sides at the same time. They can fulfill the responsibility to develop Korean churches of the future. A help wanted advertisement for bilingual church leader can be easily seen at the classified part of the daily Korean paper. But there are limitation to search such a good bilingual minters because absolute number of bilingual minister are restricted. Supply does not reach the demand. There are of course the competition to have good bilingual ministers or assistant. Some churches suggest fancy car as an incentive to work there.
The other effort to keep the youth is providing spaces and circumstances of studying SAT as well as bible during weekdays. Few churches even hire famous SAT teachers to teach high school students. Some churches provide volunteer teachers. Ministers, therefore, anticipate positive effect from such volunteerism. Some of such positive effects are increased participation and activity of church work. This furnishes methods for the youth to overcome the societal problems such as drugs, alcohol, and gang violence. But the short coming of this program is on the selection of good teachers who can do dual functions as a person who transfer knowledge and as a counselor who can hear the youth's problem. The other defect is that this kind of program needs too much money. With strict budget problem of many churches, finance limit the work of the church.
The "Han-Guel Hakyuo (Saturday Korean language school) is another common program in Korean churches. This program teaches the youngsters, who don't know Korean language, reading, writing, and speaking. In case of "Oriental Mission Church," every Saturday, 9-12 A.M. is assigned for this program. This is church's endeavor to encourage the young people to take an ethnic identity.
"Oriental Mission Church" opens the "AWANA" at every Friday, 7-9 P.M. for the young students, from six to thirteen years old. Students apply every spring and fall semester with only $20 fee. Disciplined teacher let students memorize the one to verses of Bible every week as well as interesting games. Award is given for the well-memorizing person. Young students and their parents are satisfied on this program, and the members are increasing, now. Only few large churches open this "AWANA" program. Overall, the Korean church's works for young people is significant. They are trying to keep young people as their active member, and it's more successful in large church than small church.
The other activity is helping other people. Youngsters open bazaar to raise money for charity. They sometimes make Korean traditional food-Kimpop, cookies, dolls, or flower baskets to sell. They usually make money by selling those items to their own adult-church-members after main service of Sunday. Adults thank for young people's participation even though they pay somehow for the bazaar materials. Young people visit an orphanage or an asylum for the aged as the means of charity. Churches expect that young people's such experience might be a base stone for large-scale work for their own churches later.
Recent years, one of the good signs of Korean church is that increasing number of people apply for the seminary school, especially in young people. For example, Sung Whan Kim, who already graduated University of California in Los Angeles, entered the Fuller Theological Seminary School of World Mission to be a minister. He hopes to be one of the leader Reverends in Korean churches. He have great hope for the Korean churches. The Reverend Pill Sup Lee said it is very good wishes for Korean church that many capable people like S. W. Kim themselves to enroll the professional Bible school.
The members of Korean church have increased. In 1996, there are 917 churches in Los Angeles area. Approximately 50 % of churches are Presbyterian in Korea Town. It is almost same to churches in Korea, homeland. Korean churches were influenced by the Presbyterian missionaries in Korea at the first time. 70 people per church on average in Korea Town are calculated. This small churches bring bad effects to the youngsters who have serious troubles because the bad news penetrate to whole church member, and offenders have nowhere to go in church.
Few big churches have encouraged youngster's activities more than small churches. Professional counselors, bilingual leaders, and various programs for young people are given by big Korean churches. Han-Guel Hakyuo (Korean language school) teaches young people Korean, and awana let students memorize Bible. The good sign about Korean churches' fate is that many capable people apply to Seminary school, and 30% of Koreans in L.A. are the registered Christian. Therefore, it is expected that second and third generations, who are flounce in English, will manage Korean churches well and will develop it better than now.
This paper dealt with only the Korean churches' works for young people because lack of time. Korean churches' works for adults or community would be another interesting area. How do Korean churches affect Korean, Mexican, Black, or White community? It would be good, bad, or non influence.