地域社會福祉 向上을 위한 敎會의 役割에 관한 硏究

Abstract

Church performs the function of diakonia which is essential for missionary works aiming at realizing the world of the God on this globe. The function means a provision of social services to other worlds as well as a campaign of loving and respecting neighbors. Currently the practical model of diakonia is based on Charity Organization Society initiated by Thomas Chalmers of England and Settlement Movement by Samuel A. Barnett(1855-1913). The Model implies an embodiment of the event of Jesus Christ's incarnation. Thus the purpose of this study is to look for strategies to be adopted by the Korean Protestant Church for social welfare promotion in local community by introducing cases of diakonia performed by the Church and reviewing the census data collected by the General Council of Korean Christian Presbyters. From the study, the following strategies can be given. First, theological colleges run directly by the General Council should establish departments of social welfare for cultivating 'social welfare workers' and strengthen the effective training of volunteers, ultimately contributing to specialized diakonia and continuous motivation of the function. Second, budgets for affiliation of individualized churches should be increased and religious facilities should be converted and opened to become appropriate for the function of diakonia. Collaborative operations and events among local churches needed to be promoted. The function should pursue sharing its resources with local community by establishing partnership with the community. Third, The General Council should have the expert in diakonia which allows providing a variety of information and establish support systems for delivering new programs if necessary. And fourth, the social service network for connection and delivery among local communities is essential. Anyone should receive or provide social welfare services in any place by using the network. The network should be continuously supported in such way that the Internet hompages for basic units of local community are registered. In conclusion, church is required to activate diakonia by directing their focus out into social integration and avoid the individualism and campaign certain civil movements for solving problems and conflicts of the modern society and contributing to social changes. For the requirement, systems to make the social service network more effective should be made. Diakonia is not a means but purpose of missionary works, and comparable to the practical concept of the works.