Alguire encourages women's leadership in South Korea

Women should be allowed to have more active leadership roles in the Korean Methodist Church, the World Methodist Council's top official said during a recent event in Seoul, South Korea.

Council Chairperson Frances Alguire emphasized that need during a Feb. 6 worship service at the huge new Kum Nan Methodist Church. Speaking before more than 8,000 parishioners and backed by a 200-voice women's choir, Alguire noted that women made up more than half the world's population and composed more than half her audience that evening.

"There are many young women now who are anxious to pursue theological careers (in Korea)," she later told United Methodist News Service. Currently, women are not ordained in the Korean Methodist Church, and she said that some women told her privately they thought ordination eventually would be permitted but not until the next generation. "I said, 'Why wait another generation?' "

Alguire, who lives in New Buffalo, Mich., added that her presence there as the first woman to be elected chairperson of world Methodism "at least gave them a glimmer of hope that change does come, be it ever slow."

But, she said, there is no question of the faithful dedication of Korean Methodists. She called Kum Nan the most technically modern church facility she had ever seen, with a sanctuary seating more than 10,000 parishioners at a time. Two large projection screens and an elevated, swiveling pulpit, assist vision. Several of the meeting rooms in the 16-story building seat more than 1,000 people.

Alguire was invited to attend the dedication by the church's pastor, the Rev. Hong Do Kim, who is the brother of the Rev. Sun Do Kim, a member of the World Methodist Council presidium.

"His church has continued to grow and grow, and this is what it has resulted in," she said. In addition to four Sunday morning services, the church has a Wednesday midweek service and prayer services every day at 5 a.m.

On Feb. 6, Bishop Sunday Mbang, the council's vice chairperson and leader of the Methodist Church in Nigeria, preached at three Sunday morning services, drawing more than 26,000 worshippers. After a Feb. 7 ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Korean church, both Alguire and Mbang spoke to the more than 10,000 gathered.

Joining the dignitaries at a church dinner following the ceremony were two South Korean women who hold the World Methodist Council's "Order of Jerusalem" award – Mary Um and Oknah Kim Lah.