Pastor Hyun Kim from South Korea recently handed a copy of his doctorate to Rev Erlo Stegen. His Phd is titled “Protestant Communities as Mission Communities – a systematic and historical study”. Dr Kim was recently awarded his doctorate from the faculty of theology of North-West University (previously known as Potchefstroom University).
He writes in the beginning of the thesis: “On completion of this thesis, I would like to give thanks to the Triune God, who is the origin of community. This research led me to a deeper knowledge of the design of the Holy Trinity and their deep love for us. I wish that the church could be a more mature Christian community of love.”
In his abstract, Dr Kim writes: “… Mission is not only a matter of the scope of preaching the gospel to the ends of earth, but also a matter of content. The content of mission is a radical discipleship and whole gospel in all-inclusiveness, containing centripetal and centrifugal mission, Christian presence and Christian proclamation, and the New Commandment and the Great Commission. Community is an essence of church and an essence of mission.”
