The existence of this church owes to a controversy over leadership (cf. no. 18). In 1967, with the financial support of the ICCC, Pastor Song Jae-Muk, former moderator of HoHun, separated from HoHun and founded HwanWon. Soon complications developed. In 1969 the GenAssy of HwanWon accepted the services of a missionary of the Westminster Biblical Mission, Robert S. Rapp, sent by the ICCC. Rapp took responsibility for a theological seminary which was to train conservative candidates for the ministry. A disagreement between Pastor Ma Du-Won, the the ICCC representative for Korea, and Rapp on the appropriate management of the theological seminary ended with the dismissal of Rapp by the ICCC. But Rapp stayed with HwanWon, while the group supporting and supported by Pastor Ma Du-Won started BubTong (no. 21). In 1977 HwanWon suffered a further split: JangShin (no. 22) came into existence. Since HwanWon had lost much of its strength, the new moderator, Kim Dong-Hyuk, decided to unite with the independent JungAng presby and with JeongTong (cf. no. 20). The united church was given the name HapDongHwanWon (no. 20). The group refusing these new developments continued membership in HwanWon.
|
