Some Fear Hostility Toward Christians
During the early stages of the pandemic, a South Korean doomsday cult was blamed for being at the heart of the virus’ spread. The Shincheonji Church of Jesus, founded by controversial leader Lee Man-hee, is now being sued for $85 million by the city in which it’s headquartered.
The bad press from that group and subsequent outbreaks at Protestant churches are raising concerns that Christianity is getting a bad name in South Korea. Combined with recent dustups about political issues and father-to-son succession at megachurches, increased cases of Covid-19 “could reinforce people’s bad impression of Christianity here,” says Yoo Hye-rin, a Christian who’s currently worshiping online.
Recently, a non-Christian researcher says she noticed people avoiding empty subway seats near a woman whose bracelet featured a large cross. “I was also reluctant to sit next to her,” the researcher notes. “What if she had attended a big worship event like the ones Shincheonji held?”
On social media, comments have been critical of in-person church services, even with strict safety measures in place. “We are all suffering from the prolonged viral infection and doing our best to overcome this dire situation,” one person writes. “How is it that [churches] can stick with having large events at this time?”
One South Korean Christian points out that “love and care for others” is “the basic notion of Christianity” and that believers need to make efforts to minimize consequences. “It is understandable that some churches do not have infrastructure and therefore cannot hold online services,” he says, “but I think we have to hold off having mass events for now, and all churches have to help each other.”
Challenges and Opportunities
Poor communication may be partly to blame, says Christian studies professor Ahn Keun-jo. “Some churches have neglected communication with others as if they were on an isolated island,” he says. “However, this [pandemic] actually can be a good opportunity for some churches to show they are also aware of being part of society and are willing to contribute to society by actively joining social movements such as social distancing.”
UCCK’s Kim predicts that the painful pandemic will yield good fruit for Christ throughout South Korea. “The post-Covid-19 era will bring many changes,” he said before the Pentecost return to worship. “Korean churches entered a period of stagnation, but…we plan to bring revival to faith and prepare for the coming times.”
A Christian woman named Kim Min-kyung agrees. “When things are going bad and the situation is quite tough, people look for something to blame, and I think Christianity has become one of the targets,” she says. “I worship via online service every Sunday, and I pray that this difficult time for all of us passes soon.”
