Page 149 - A Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy

Since the 1970s, when the Church Growth movement was introduced in the Korean

church, much in the church has undergone dramatic change. That movement pursued visible,

quantitatively measurable success such as numerical, financial, and institutional growth. At that

time, the Korean economy was booming, facilitating the church’s achievement of its numerical

target. The secular success-ism crept insidiously into the Church as Korean preachers focused

on the methods and principles of the Church Growth movement. They set up growth goals and

blindly pushed the churches to accomplish these goals by adopting Church Growth tips without

first evaluating their validity. Excessive and cumbersome programs were developed and applied;

and in the course of doing so, worldwide mega-churches were birthed.

Regrettably, the overemphasis on Church Growth methodology weakened preaching,

teaching, and the centrality of the Scripture for the church. Consequently, a high view of

preaching as a central ministry began to diminish. Instead, preachers spent their time in

developing and adapting the programs for the church. Moreover, the time allotted for preaching

gradually lessened as preachers metamorphosed into program directors. At the risk of

generalization, it needs to be pointed out that in is incumbent upon the Korean church to recover

the centrality of preaching in her ministry for the sake of her congregation and for the sake of the

world.

The Synoptic writers testify unanimously of the centrality of preaching in Jesus’ ministry.

Though Jesus performed various ministries, he spent most of his time and energy in the ministry

2
of the Word. Osborn insists that “[t]hrough the four-part work Jesus’ preaching is a central and

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Adams, Speaking God’s Words, 47.