23
Towards a More Effective Student Ministry
by Chung Myung-ye
of KSCF
The Current Problems
The
Korean Student Christian Federation (KSCF), consisting of a Christian group of
reformist students, was heading towards being a reformist movement. But now it
is faced with the tendency of reducing such position as a result of the
collapse in the 1990s of the East European socialist nations and the changes in
the political institution of the
Over the past seven years since the Uruguay Round Treatment
Conference was finalized, its protocol executed by the cabinet members from 125
nations including the 123 member-nations of GATT, China and Algeria in
Marrakech, Morocco on April 15, 1994. In this historical occasion, the GATT
system which had ruled as the world's trading system since 1947 ceased (it was
chiefly involved in tariff and the common treaties related to trading
practices) and was
24
replaced by the newly born World Trade
Organization (WTO) system.
The collapse of the cold war system and, along with it, the
commencement of the new international system of trading organization compels each
nation of the world to accept more influence and control of the capitalistic,
imperialist world. The world now is in the midst of the infinitely extending
economic competition. This requires that the nation should widely open to
foreign intercourse while cultivating its capacity to cope with the newly
developing international situation, and emphasizing the ideology of
competition. Faced with the need to
maintain local autonomy, the nation is now also tasked with settling down and
improving a new social structure to meet properly with the localization of the
new age.
The Korean church has grown steadily since the 1960s to the
1980s so much so that its quantitative growth makes for some 25% of the total
population of the nation. However in recent years, its growth rate has dwindled
and has become an object of criticism by the public because of such adverse
effects as excessive individualized faith, the church role is less in degree
than the expectation of society, faith being influenced by materialization and
immoral behaviours, etc. Hence, it is quite notable that the youth are leaving
their churches. Along with the changing situation of the nation, the reality
faced by the Christian student movement should be sought out among the new
generation born in the 1970s.
In the 1970s, South Korean society was more economically
stable as compared to the 1960s. This was due to the national economic
development plan initiated in the early 1960s. The post World War generation
had gone through the age of severe economic deficiency and was thus compelled
to deal with economic issues. On the contrary, the generations born during and
after the 1970s grew up in more affluent conditions and with higher education
although their freedoms were still restrained. The characteristics of the new
generation are the following: they refuse authoritative attitude by pursuing
individual freedom in their daily life; they are remarkably attached to their
personal life rather than collective patterns of life; they place much emphasis
on material value rather than the spiritual value; and they take
25
much more
interest in the real and practical aspects of life rather than on ideological
issues.
The university or college setting where the Christian
student movement exists is also undergoing massive changes. As the numbers of
colleges and universities, and the student population have immensely increased,
campus life has been affected by pluralized ideology, religions and religious
organizations. There are also varied
evangelization campaigns by different mission groups all claiming to spread the
gospel. It is known that some 20 or 30 different church denominational student
circles compete with each other in one campus in recruiting members. Since the colleges themselves have become
massive, there is also less of the academic atmosphere traditionally admired.
It is difficult to find the natural feature of the traditional cultivation of
character and formation of oneself through higher education. Instead what
prevails is the mere act of obtaining knowledge and skills under the rigid
bureaucratic education administration.
Initially, the student Christian movement
was assigned to carry out the student ministry that ought to be undertaken by
the churches and they proceeded with the work through their activities. However currently, the student Christian
movement and the church simply have a formal relationship and the student body
no longer receives financial support from the church. KSCF which carried out
the integral role of the combined student Christian movement has also lost its
integrity as a movement because of the establishment of the nationwide student
assembly with the support of the YMCA. This is a fact which has been argued
about among the concerned over the years. However, the student movement under the
KSCF has continued despite its various problems.
In recent years, the remaining member-colleges decreased (45
member colleges) and the Secretariat of KSCF faces big financial difficulty. If
this situation continues, a critical state would develop to the extent that
"the student movement body may become dissolved".
A
Prospect for the Future
The issues being reviewed by KSCF are not limited to
problems related to the Korean student Christian movement
26
in the past half century. Neither are these
issues unique to KSCF alone. They are in
fact issues faced by all the student Christian movements worldwide. Therefore,
overcoming the immediate problems of the Korean student Christian movement may
also lead toward a new path for the world Christian student movement.
The KSCF, in working towards being the ecumenical student
Christian movement, has been pursuing the goal of "social justice" as
one of the moral codes of the Christian faith and the liberalization of the
people suffering from all social evils Therefore, it has struggled with the
political circle which caused these social evils. In the course of this
struggle the distance between the students and the church started to develop.
The most conservative Christians have even turned their heads away from the
student movement. What sustained a
persistent student Christian movement are these factors: the passion and
dedication of the students toward the construction of a just society; the
positive and encouraging support from the churches overseas; and the struggling
attitudes of the common people for a new society And thus, while social
realities are indeed changing, we are readily prepared to meet the new
situation and continue to make effort in doing so.
First, the pattern of activity has been concentrated on
social action. In the past quarter of
the century, the student Christian movement has pursued the people-directed
social development project mainly through the Student Movement for Development
of Society. Although faith was always the basis or foundation of any social
action, the programs for pursuing social justice seem to have resulted in a
dichotomy between individuals' faith and the realities of life. By emphasizing the personal ethical life of
the individual Christian, the need to be nurtured and become mature in the
faith has been neglected. Individual personal faith and the maturity of a
dedicated Christian life together enable social action,
hence, both should be attained concurrently.
Second, the student Christian movement has expanded merely
through the initiative of students in the college and high school levels. But
the movement must continue as a joint effort between the students and the
church. The college department of the
YMCA, which used to be a part of the integrated student movement for the past
twenty-five
27
years, has
now been organized and is acting separately and independently. The KSCF, led by
the other denominations, has thus become alone.
It is good for the Christian student movement to be based on
each campus and led by the students themselves. However, in difficult
situations as these days, it is suggested that the movement proceed by
maintaining mutual relations with the church – that is, by accepting the
church's interest in student missions and by partially undertaking the role of
supplying leadership for such purpose.
The movement should also be more open so that other denominations may be
able to participate. In addition, the
present activity-centred nature of the movement needs to be modified or design
various programs that would be more appealing to the common Christian students.
Third, new projects of the movement and
strategies for financial procurement should be realized together at the same
time. Since the establishment of the KSCF in 1969, financial support came mostly
from the students and senior friends, those who once participated in the
movement. It is true that the movement also largely depended on foreign
missions fund of the churches overseas and the social development project.
After 1974, during the politically critical period, fund was easily raised. But
the Korean church which helped organize the integrated campus missions organization stopped its financial support and has
even become indifferent to the movement. In fact, the movement has already been
dropped from the church's range of priorities and interests. During the time
when the overseas missions fund was sufficient, the student movement faced no
financial difficulty. However, with the church's indifferent attitude and
waning interest in political issues, plus the 25% reduction of overseas
missions fund support, the Christian student movement just cannot continue in a
stable way.
In a self-assessment activity, it was pointed out that the
student movement's finance depended largely on the overseas missions fund
rather than on the Korean church. Such
reliance on overseas help rather than on local and self-support has caused a
chronic sickness which could hardly be cured.
It is undeniable that the church denominations have no concern
for the students and their movement. Basic to this is the church's lack of
consciousness of its mission toward the
28
common youth and students in particular, and
toward the Christian student movement in general. Initiating a new work for
student mission is possible only when the project could also re-direct the
mission theology of the student movement, financial supporters, church
denominations, and church leaders and .workers. When the
project becomes feasible, and with proper financial sources, it can be easily
realized.
Fourth, there is a need to put priority on strengthening the
leadership of the students and the various units of the Christian student body.
While at the same time work is done on organizing the mission’s board and
renewing the relationship of supporters for the movements, such as the
Christian professors associations within the campus and in the associations'
network. The average number of student members at each unit of the Christian
students’ body is usually less than 30. Membership of the first year students
has become remarkably lower than before.
Therefore, priority work is to strengthen the unit of the Christian
student body. The boards and
professors' associations organized for the support of student missions have now
become incompetent or even dissolved. Therefore, a board for each unit should
be reorganized and a mutual cooperation be established between the movement and
the Christian professors' associations. Also concurrently, a program on education
and leadership training should be formulated in each unit and special education
and other programs be initiated at the federation level.
Fifth, the order of priority of projects should be
established. The nature of the work pursued by KSCF tended to be on the side of
what was usually regarded as
politically progressive. It was therefore natural for the movement to be dubbed
by conservative groups as radical.
This writer would not wish to deny the role of the Christian
student movement in the many years of struggle against military dictatorship
that ruled the country and for the realization of democracy. However, at
present, the supply of new leadership is almost impossible due to the small
student participation, the emphasis on traditional student movement
participation, and the collapse of the reproductive structure of leadership.
Therefore it is suggested that much more wide-ranged programs enabling
participation of more
29
students should be formulated in various
forms, such as justice and peace related programs, national unification
program, programs related to environmental problems as well as women's
problems, and programs for education to meet the needs of the common Christian
students.
The present programs conducted during winter and summer each
year should be participated by students nationwide.
The winter program emphasizes on strengthening leadership of students for the
new school year while the summer program is a general gathering of all
Christian students. Both these nationwide meetings must be characteristic of
KSCF itself. The programs and materials must be adaptable to the unit student
associations. The materials should be published for possible adaptation and use
by other students and youth members of the church. Publications such as
magazines (e.g. monthly or semi-monthly) may also help strengthen the
relationship between the members, updating them on news and information,
moulding their understanding of common issues, sharpening their theological
viewpoint, and deepening their faith.
Looking ahead to universalization
and the open age of the nation, the students as well as the youth of the
churches and schools need to learn to live globally. Most Korean students have
no experience in travelling abroad. Through travelling and contacts with other
people, the new generation will experience many things useful for their life
even in changing situations. It is also foreseeable that many students would
likely do mission work in the so-called developing nations as part of their
world missions project. It is necessary
to formulate programs for inter-related and exchange activities between the
students and those from other countries. Through an international exchange
program, the students and youth would learn the way to live together with those
from other countries.
Sixth, through the Student Missions Policy Council and by
establishment of the Christian student movement policy suitable to the current
situations, a new history will be realized.
The World Student Christian Federation will observe its centennial
anniversary in 1995, thus, programs and other commemorative events are being
planned in addition to the development of future policy for the Christian
student movement. The WSCF Asia-Pacific Region
30
and the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) are
also preparing for the joint programme with focus on student missions on April
1-8, 1995 in
In this connection, KSCF also needs to open a policy
conference to extend the creative movement in the coming age. The October 1994
policy conference is one such program to explore the direction of the student
Christian movement. Through a series of policy conferences, program
implementation, and general assembly meetings, the KSCF should hopefully be
more prepared to lead the student Christian movement of the coming
century. Without properly strengthening
the leadership of students and youth, it is silly to talk about the future
growth of the church.
Rev. Chung Myung-gee
is the general secretary of the Korean Student Christian Federation.