Early Korean Mission Strategy and Structure 1880-1940: Bridging the Gap Between Traditional Mission Methods and Church Movements

Abstract

The early Korean Protestant church experienced growth and expansion to such a degree that one of its cities, Pyongyang, became known as “The Jerusalem of the East.”  Many missiologists look to the Korean Revival of 1907 as the spark of the rapid increase, when in fact the church had already been growing exponentially before that point. This article explores the underlying strategies and methods used by the missionaries and indigenous believers which allowed the church to grow quickly. The amount of evangelism and Bible distribution performed by untrained believers was exceptional and undoubtedly connected to the rapid expansion.