The Presbyterian Church of Korea’s Tonghap General Assembly resolved that Jeon Kwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church has “heresy-like tendencies.”
Around the same time, the Hapdong and Kosin Presbyterian denominations resolved or reconfirmed Pastor Jeong Dong-su of Sarang Baptist Church as “heretical.”
What did these decisions contain, given that the subject, wording of the judgments, and procedures differed by denomination?
3-Line Summary
1. The Presbyterian Tonghap denomination resolved Jeon Kwang-hoon as having heresy-like tendencies.
2. The vote was 642 in favor and 364 opposed.
3. The subjects and severity of denominational resolutions must be distinguished.
How the Resolution on Jeon Kwang-hoon Differs from the Previous Judgment
The 111th Regular General Assembly of the Presbyterian Tonghap denomination was held from September 15 to 17 at Seoul Dorim Church, and resolved Jeon Kwang-hoon as “a person with heresy-like tendencies.” According to reports by Christian Portal News and GOODTV News, this judgment raised the level from the previous resolution to “refrain from participation and monitor him carefully.”
The General Assembly adopted the research report of its Committee on Countermeasures Against Heresy and Pseudo-Christianity by a vote. There were 642 votes in favor and 364 against, and the committee cited as grounds for its judgment that statements related to Jeon’s soteriology, pneumatology, and doctrine of revelation had been repeated.
However, during the General Assembly’s debate, questions were also raised concerning the possibility of future disputes under civil law and the person involved’s right to defend himself. Peace Tree reported that opposing views were also expressed within the denomination, arguing that it is difficult to conclusively declare someone heretical based solely on claims of direct revelation and that the procedural legitimacy should be examined more closely.
Pastor Jeong Dong-su and the Resolutions by Hapdong and Kosin
On September 15, at its 111th Regular General Assembly, the Presbyterian Hapdong denomination unanimously reconfirmed its designation of Pastor Jeong Dong-su as “heretical.” After last year’s resolution, Pastor Jeong’s side filed a lawsuit questioning the quorum and the opportunity to provide an explanation, and the General Assembly processed the agenda again.
GOODTV News reported that the reconfirmation took place with 1,164 (1164) people in attendance at the meeting, meeting the quorum requirement. The Hapdong Committee for Investigation and Research on Damage Caused by Heresy and Pseudo-Christianity cited the doctrine of King James Bible exclusivism and claims related to soteriology and Reformed theology as problems.
The Presbyterian Kosin denomination also resolved Pastor Jeong as heretical at its 76th General Assembly, held on September 17 at Korea Theological Seminary in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do. News & Joy reported that, after Kosin adopted “careful monitoring and refraining from exchanges” in 2020 and adopted a theological verification report last year, it unanimously passed the emergency agenda. The Kosin side cited extreme anti-Calvinism and the claim that only Baptist churches are true churches, among other reasons.
Pastor Jeong’s side claimed that even in this reconfirmation there was no process for hearing the person involved’s explanation, and stated that the report did not accurately convey his biblical interpretations and writings. This is an explanation from the person involved’s side, separate from the judgments of the General Assembly and the research committee.
Pastor Jeong Ui-ho and Joy Church Also Become Subjects of Resolutions
The Presbyterian Hapshin denomination resolved to designate Pastor Jeong Ui-ho and Yongin Joy Church as “heretical” and to prohibit participation in and exchanges related to their activities. Daily Good News reported that although the judgment had been deferred for 1 year after accepting an expression of willingness to improve last year, the committee’s report that no substantive change had been confirmed in the subsequent review was reflected.
The General Assembly also decided to form a 9-member full-authority committee to investigate the matter involving the Central Seoul Presbytery, which had become controversial during the process of admitting Joy Church, and to establish a restoration procedure. Meanwhile, the Presbyterian Kosin denomination decided not to adopt as its official position the faculty research report concerning Pastor Son Hyeon-bo’s sermon, leaving it only as reference material.
Taken together, these General Assemblies show that even for matters related to the same “heresy,” the wording of the conclusions and follow-up measures differed by denomination, using terms such as heresy-like tendencies, heretical, and reference. Reports concerning individuals or organizations need to be read by distinguishing which denomination made which resolution and whether there is a rebuttal from the person involved or any additional research.
References
Tags #Heresy #PresbyterianTonghap #JeonKwanghoon #HeresyLikeTendencies #PresbyterianHapdong #JeongDongSu #SarangBaptistChurch #PresbyterianKosin #PresbyterianHapshin #JeongUiho #JoyChurch #DenominationalGeneralAssembly #Presbyterian