Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapShin)
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| Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapShin) | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Reformed |
| Theology | Calvinist Evangelical |
| Polity | Presbyterian |
| Associations | Council of Presbyterian Churches in Korea[1] |
| Region | South Korea |
| Origin | 1981 |
| Separated from | Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong) |
| Congregations | 973 (2021)[2] |
| Members | 129,111 (2023)[3] |
| Official website | hapshin |
The Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapShin) - in Korean 대한예수교장로회(합신) - is a Reformed denomination formed in South Korea in 1981, by a splinter group of the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong).[4]
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The Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong) faced internal conflicts in the 1970s and 1980s. As a result, the Presbyterian Church in Korea (BaekSeok) was formed in 1980 and the Presbyterian Church in Korea (GaeHyuk) in 1981 - in Korean 대한예수교 장로회(개혁).[4][5]
In 1998, the GaeHyuk Church adopted the name Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapShin) - in Korean 대한예수교장로회(합신) - to avoid be confused with other denominations that use the name GaeHyuk in South Korea.[6]
Since 2002, it has been in negotiations with the Kosin Presbyterian Church in Korea about a possible merger.[7][4][8]
Seminary
The denomination operates a seminary called the Hapdong Theological Seminary.[9][10]
Demographics
| Year | Churches | Members |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 445 | 89,617 |
| 2000 | 508 | 101,158 |
| 2002 | 716 | 123,279 |
| 2004 | 772 | 128,711 |
| 2006 | 778 | 144,974 |
| 2008 | 799 | 150,241 |
| 2010 | 852 | 156,508 |
| 2012 | 883 | 154,709 |
| 2014 | 899 | 149,969 |
| 2016 | 924 | 151,516 |
| 2018 | 958 | 146,898 |
| 2020 | 972 | 138,968[11] |
| 2021 | 973 | 134,531[2][4] |
| 2022 | - | 129,491[12] |
| 2023 | - | 129,111[3] |
Between 1998 and 2010 the denomination grew steadily, peaking at 156,508 members. However, since then, it has begun to decline in membership.[11]
In 2017, the denomination had 151,742 members.[11][13] However, in 2021, the denomination's statistics reported 14,531 members in 973 churches.[2]
Despite the decline in membership, the number of churches has been growing steadily, as a result of new church planting with few members.[11]