Korean Evangelical Presbyterian Church in America

The Korean Evangelical Presbyterian Church in America (KEPCA) - in Korean 미주복음주의장로회 - is a Presbyterian denomination, formed in 1997, by churches previously linked to Christian Presbyterian Church, when it dissolved.^[2][3][4][5]

Korean Evangelical Presbyterian Church in America
Classification	Protestant
Orientation	Reformed
Theology	Calvinist Evangelical
Polity	Presbyterian
Region	United States
Origin	1997
Separated from	Christian Presbyterian Church
Congregations	26 (2002)[1]
Official website	www.kepca.org

In 2021 Rev. Kwang-Chun Jang was elected president of the denomination.^[6]

History

In the 1990s, the Christian Reformed Church in North America (ICRAN) began to allow women's ordination. Such doctrinal change led to the formation of dissenting denominations. In 1991, a group of churches whose members were mostly from Korean ethnicity, under the leadership of Rev. Dr. John E. Kim, split off from ICRAN and formed the Christian Presbyterian Church (IPC) .^{[7][8][9][10]} In 1993, the first synod was held of the denomination, which at the time consisted of 20 churches and 6,000 members.^[11]

In 1995, the founding pastor of the IPC returned to South Korea and the denomination ceased to exist. Consequently, most of their churches were absorbed into the Southwest Korean Presbytery of Presbyterian Church in America.^[12] Other churches were not part of this union and formed the Korean Evangelical Presbyterian Church in America, in 1997.^[5]

In 2021 Rev. Kwang-Chun Jang was elected president of the denomination.^[6]

Structure

The denomination is made up of about 4 presbyteries^[5] and 26 churches.^[1]

Doctrine

The denomination practices women's ordination as missionaries.^[13]

References

1. "List of churches linked to the Korean Evangelical Presbyterian Church in America". Retrieved January 21, 2022.
2. "The 22nd Annual General Meeting of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in America". May 19, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
3. "General Assembly Evangelical Presbyterian Church in America appoints Pastor Jung-seop Han as pastor of Yeosurun Church in Chicago". February 20, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
4. "The General Assembly Evangelical Presbyterian Church in America 2020". February 20, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
5. "History of the Korean Evangelical Presbyterian Church in America". Retrieved January 21, 2022.
6. "Minutes of the 25th General Assembly of the Korean Evangelical Presbyterian Church in America" (PDF). Retrieved January 28, 2022.
7. "History of the Christian Presbyterian Church". September 3, 1994. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
8. "Christian Presbyterian Church". Reformiert Online. March 5, 2004. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
9. Clifton L. Holland (December 26, 2007). "Toward a Classification System of Religion Groups in The Americas by Major Traditions and Family Tipes". p. 35. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
10. Robert P. Swierenga (January 1, 2001). "Burn the wooden shoes: Modernity and Division in the Christian Reformed Church in North America". Retrieved January 21, 2022.
11. Gustav Spohn (August 14, 1993). "Many Koreans leave Reformed Christians and form new church". Retrieved January 21, 2022.
12. Don K. Clements (May 20, 2010). "Dr. John E. Kim, Korean-American Reformed Theologian and Pastor, Goes From History to Heaven in South Korea". Retrieved January 21, 2022.
13. "Evangelical Presbyterian Church in America ordains missionaries". August 17, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2022.