Korea Global Partnership

Separated by language, culture and 6,915 miles, Methodists from the Baltimore-Washington Conference and South Korea recently revived a partnership that will unite them in prayer and possibility.

The relationship between the two groups goes back 130 years, when the Rev. John Goucher, pastor of what is now Lovely Lane UMC in Baltimore, had a vision of taking Christ to the people of Korea. In 2002, the Baltimore-Washington Conference and the Nambu (South) Conference of the Korean Methodist Church created a partnership. In 2014, that partnership was renewed.

The South Conference is made up of 23 districts, 581 churches, 987 clergy and 120,400 members. Its motto is “Saving Lives through Right Faith.” The partnership focuses on building up young-adult clergy leaders through cultural exchanges and nurturing global understanding of mission and ministry.

The Covenant between the Nambu Conference of the Korean Methodist Church and the Baltimore-Washington Conference of The United Methodist Church

As two communities of faith with a common Wesleyan history and theology, we will reach across denominations, languages and cultures and covenant to:

  • Grow in understanding of and appreciation for one another’s uniqueness — culture, history, and spirituality — in making disciples.
  • Build on the common Wesleyan traditions to spread scriptural holiness (personal and social) through evangelism and ministries of justice and mercy.
  • Strengthen the ability to make disciples of Jesus Christ around the world by learning from each other and developing common discipleship and mission strategies within our conferences and around the world.

Both conferences will endeavor to:

  1. Foster youth, young adult, laity and clergy leadership exchanges to develop deeper understanding of and appreciation for one another’s culture and ministry within our own conferences and around the world.
  2. Exchange visits and participation at annual conference sessions held in Korea and USA to deepen each other’s learning of the church today in our respective cultures.
  3. Identify specific areas of ministry and mission for each conference to focus on for the benefit of the other conference.
  4. Discuss the possibility of partnering in a ministry and/or mission in one or both countries or in a third country.
  5. Discuss the possibility of disciple training, teaching, and equipping together in a third location (China, Mongolia, Zimbabwe, Russia, etc.)
  6. Co-sponsor seminars, workshops, and/or retreats in both countries to focus on best learning practices for growing and strengthening disciples and building the church in our respective cultures.
  7. Attend a church growth or mission education event together and discuss learnings and implications.