Kyung-Chik Han (1902–2000) was a
Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
pastor
A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
and
church planter and the recipient of the 1992
Templeton Prize
The Templeton Prize is an annual award granted to a living person, in the estimation of the judges, "whose exemplary achievements advance Sir John Templeton's philanthropic vision: harnessing the power of the sciences to explore the deepest quest ...
for Progress in Religion.
Born in Kan-ri,
P'yŏngwŏn County,
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
, Han graduated from
Soongsil University
Soongsil University (SSU) is the first modern university in Korea, dating its history back to 1897. It was founded under the Christian missionary William M. Baird. The campus is located in 369 Sangdo-ro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
Histo ...
(
B. S. 1925), the
College of Emporia
The College of Emporia was a private college in Emporia, Kansas from 1882 to 1974, and was associated with the Presbyterian church.
When founded, it was one of two higher education institutions in the city of Emporia, the other at that time was t ...
(
B. A. 1926), and
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly of t ...
(
B. D. 1929). Ordained in 1933 by the
Presbyterian Church of Korea
Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK) was a Protestant denomination based in South Korea; it is currently separated into many branches.
History
The first Korean Presbyterian church was founded by Seo Sang-ryun in Hwanghae province in 1884. Short ...
, Han later founded
Youngnak Presbyterian Church in 1945, which he pastored until 1973 and served as a Pastor
Emeritus until his death. At the time that he received the
Templeton Prize
The Templeton Prize is an annual award granted to a living person, in the estimation of the judges, "whose exemplary achievements advance Sir John Templeton's philanthropic vision: harnessing the power of the sciences to explore the deepest quest ...
, membership of
Youngnak Presbyterian Church had grown to 60,000 making it the largest
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
church in the world and the church had fostered about 500 sister churches worldwide.
CHRONICLE - New York Times
''New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''
Legacy
Kyung-Chik Han is primarily known for his leadership and humility. While Young-nak is no longer the biggest church in South Korea, it is, however, the most prominent Protestant church in the country. Like Kyung-Chik Han himself, his church's earliest ministry was primarily to northern defectors and this remains a hallmark of Young-nak church to this day.
When he was awarded a Templeton prize, he sold it and gave the money to charity. When he retired he moved to a modest cabin in the mountains and ensured that his sons did not receive the inheritance from his ministry or assume his position as many ministers in Korea do. There is a small museum at Young-nak Church in his honour.
References
Bibliography
*''Just Three More Years to Live! The Story of Rev. Kyung-Chik Han''. 2005
{{DEFAULTSORT:Han, Kyung-Chik
Templeton Prize laureates
1902 births
2000 deaths
Princeton Theological Seminary alumni
South Korean Protestant ministers and clergy
South Korean Presbyterians
College of Emporia alumni
Soongsil University faculty