KRCNED
화 란 한 인 교 회
History
Brother Lee Ki Hang’s home. Rev. Seo Chul Won (Professor of Chongshin University) and Elder Son Bong Ho (Honorary Professor of Seoul National University) led the home worship alternately, until 6 January 1980, the congregation hired the Immanuel church building, the current place of worship, held an overwhelming inaugural service there, and put up the church signboard as the Korean Reformed Church in the Netherlands.
Since its foundation in the Netherlands our church has been the parent church for the Koreans in the Netherlands. We have named ourselves in English the Korean Reformed Church in the Netherlands (KRCN) in line with our identity and vision whereby reformation of the church and of a believer's life come as the most important. The Korean Church has undergone a remarkable period of revival unprecedented in the world, but in the hope that it will ripen further into maturity, KRCN produced and passed its article of incorporation with a framework that includes the policy reflecting the church’s goal, the steering committee comprising the pastor, elders, and deacons, and the term limit for the pastor and elder and registered the church with the Dutch Ministry of Justice in 21 November 1982.
On the other hand, unlike the churches in Korea, we KRCN are an independent non-denominational church and have been a spiritual refuge for the Koreans and other sojourners in the Netherlands. As we were the only Korean church in the Netherlands, we also had the Catholic believers worshipping together in our congregation in the early days until they founded later a Catholic Church in Amsterdam later. In 1986 we began providing worship services to preach the gospel to the crew of Korean vessels harboured in Rotterdam; then later in 1990, ‘the sea crew mission committee’ was organised and went in operation. As the number Korean residents in Rotterdam kept growing, it was suggested by the Rotterdam region cell group that they would need a separate church to meet the specific mission demand in the Rotterdam region; as a result on 2 October 1994 the Korean Reformed Church of Rotterdam was founded.
Service every week without ceasing; in addition, offered Sunday afternoon Bible study, Wednesday prayer service, bi-weekly regional cell service, and special early morning prayer service. For the growing children, we began to hold Hangeul (the Korean Language) classes in the church which later developed into a qualified independent Korean school.
We have held a bazaar every year and helped, in Korea, Gimpo Home for Mentally Retarded Children, Missionary of the Severely Disabled, Seoul Gospel Hospital, Korea Rehabilitation Center, Children with Leukemia, Food with Love Mission, and various other groups and churches suffering from flood; outside Korea, earthquake struck India, and the south of Sudan in famine.
Every year we have collected Passion Week fasting offertory, Easter offertory and Christmas offertory and used them in sending Bibles to the Hungarian Church, Yanbian Korean Church, Moscow Korean Church; helping Europe Milal missionaries, evangelising Korean refugee applicants to Germany; poor relief for the refugees in Kenya, Bangladesh, Mozambique, Rwanda, Kosovo, and Bosnia; missionary support to Sierra Leone, Bulgaria and Nepal; helping Dorcas who who preaches the gospel through serving food to Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa and Open Doors, a support group for persecuted churches and believers around the world.
Our Women's Choir has joined in an event help by the Dutch Reformed Church as part of our effort to stay in unity. We also took the initiative to actively support and serve various Korean events held in the Netherlands. Our race of effort continued in organising the Korean-Netherlands Mission Community for the brother and sisters who were adopted and published Korean-Dutch Bible.
As we thank the grace of God that has guarded our church until now on one hand and look back to our lack and sinfulness on the other, we hope to fulfill our mission as a spiritual home and a friendly neighbor for the Koreans and other sojourners staying in the Netherlands in accordance with the founding purpose. In addition, we would like to serve as a base for mission work toward the whole world, by keeping in touch and cooperating with Dutch local churches and immigrant churches. Furthermore, we are committed to making every effort to keep the unity of the church as the Holy Spirit has enabled it and will strive for God's sovereignty to come in all spheres of life.
[ Those who have served and is serving ]
Pastors
Over the years many pastors who came to the Netherlands to study theology have served as preachers. Currently Rev. Gim Goanghyen pastors the church as the 7th Church Minister.
1st Rev. Jang Hee Jong 8.1.1984 - 30.4.1989 (served 5 years 3 months), current pastor at Daegu Myeongduk Church
2nd Rev. Kim Soon Sung, 19.11.1989 - 17.7.1994 (served 4 years 8 months), current professor at Korea Theological Seminary
3rd Rev. Choi Hong Seok 18.6.1995 - 1.2.1998 (served 2 years 8 months), former professor at Chongshin University
4th Rev. Yoo Gyeong Seon, 15.11.1998 - 29.1.2000 (served 1 year 2 months), pastor at Jin Gwan Methodist Church
5th Rev. Ahn Jae Gyeong, 1.8.2002 - 19.7.2009 (served 7 years)
Acting Pastor Rev. Park Tae Hyeon 2.8.2009 - 3.1.2010
Preaching Pastor Rev. Cho Seong Jae 10.1.2010 - 27.6.2010
6th Rev. Park Tae Hyeon 1.7.2010 - 17.2.2013 (served 2 years 8 months)
Acting Pastor Rev. Gim Goang Hyen 11.3.2013 - 30.11.2013
7th Rev. Gim Goang Hyen 30.11.2013 -
Elders
Elders Lee Ki Hand, Lee Jeong Ryeol, Park Hyeong Soon, Lee Yeong Hwan, Kim Yong Woon, and Choi Tae Soon have served so far.
And Elders Kim Myeong Jae, Yoon Won and Han Moon Kab are in service now.