Australia’s oldest Korean church, the Korean Church of Melbourne, recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. The Church held its inaugural service at Burwood Presbyterian Church on the 8 July 1973.
Rev Alan Stuart, who was present at the first service, travelled from South Korea to attend the anniversary event last month.
“The Korean Church of Melbourne was inclusive from the beginning. Unity was very important in the Church at that time,” Mr Stuart said.
“People were able to worship naturally and easily in their own language. The Church also enabled students and families to find a home for the beginning of their sojourn in a foreign land.”
Despite being the oldest Korean Church in Australia, the congregation is demographically the youngest. More than 100 primary students attend Sunday school every week. And more than 400 students attend kindergarten, primary, secondary and tertiary Christian education programs.
The Church is also very active with many members serving as missionaries in Mongolia, China and North Korea.
The Church currently has plans to establish a scholarship to support second generation theological students and future leaders.
“Inter-generational mission is important to establish a healthy church which can carry out the Diaspora mission,” current minister Rev Dongwon Goh said.
“Church education for the next generation is the most important mission.”
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