7th PhD success in 2008-09

Published on 26th May 2009

The Rev Shin Chul Lee has just been awarded the degree of Ph.D by the University of Wales. His research area in WEST related to Presbyterian Church Planting in Korea and was an historical and theological study with major implications for ecclesiology and missiology. We warmly congratulate him on this success. His main supervisor was Dr Eryl Davies (WEST) and supported as second supervisor by Professor D.P.Davies, Lampeter.
The contemporary situation concerning church planting in Korea is chaotic and usually undertaken by individuals rather than by churches. The result is unhealthy competition but sadly too the closure of a significant number of these church plants and also the considerable burden placed on individuals, often resulting in ill-health, financial difficulties and disillusionment. In this situation, the Rev Lee called on the Presbyterian denomination to undertake church planting in a more biblical and distinctively Presbyterian manner.
After a thorough study of Korean Presbyterian Church history over the past 120 years, he established that there had not been any distinctive Presbyterian model for church planting at all but that the Nevius Methods and, much later, Church Growth teaching had dominated approaches to church planting, even on the part of Presbyterian denominations. Further, there was no literature that described such an approach.
Turning to key Presbyterian documents and literature in the UK and America, Rev Lee established again that there was no such Presbyterian model available. Using Presbyterian Church principles and seeking to be as biblical as possible, he identified major principles by which to construct his own model for Presbyterian church planting in Korea.
The external examiner for the University of Wales was Professor John McIntosh (Edinburgh) and Dr Robert Letham (WEST). The examiners were extremely satisfied with this research and acknowledged its originality and that it represented a major contribution to Presbyterianism, especially in Korea but with relevance for Presbyterian denominations in the West also.
The Rev Lee teaches missiology in the Kosin Presbyterian denominational Seminary.

Other recent successful candidates are:

The Rev Paul G.Held, Los Angeles, who has served with East Europeans for over twenty five years. His main responsibility has been teaching theology in several Eastern European countries like Hungary, Romania, Russia and Ukraine.

His research subject was: ‘An historical and theological analysis of the doctrine of perseverance in some Eastern European Baptist Unions between 1890 and 2000 A.D with special reference to Hungary.  Dr Eryl Davies was his main supervisor.
Paul’s research area focused especially on the Baptist Unions in Hungary, Russia and Ukraine. He established that these Unions had moved theologically from a Calvinistic perspective on perseverance to an Arminian one. Communism was one major factor in this change through persecution, the imposing of church mergers and the weakening of doctrinal statements. Western theological influence, including Western trained Eastern Europeans, was also a significant theological factor in contributing to this theological move away from Calvinism.
Optimism is expressed in his Conclusion for the possibility and continuance of helpful dialogue regarding this doctrine within these Unions as it has huge pastoral implications as well as challenges for the unity and mission of the church.

Rev Levente Horvath, an ordained minister in the Hungarian Reformed church in Transylvania ( Romania), researched areas of historical theology and missiology and he was original and comprehensive in identifying and evaluating the changing concepts of mission in the Hungarian Reformed Church in Transylvania between 1895 and 1950. In 1993, the Rev Horvath was directed by the Bishop of Transylvania to become a missionary pastor in the district of Transylvania, specializing in ministry to alcoholics and people with other addictions as well. In this context, he established the Reformed Rescue Mission and he has a Therapy and Rehabilitation Centre near Kolozsvar. As a young man, Levente was involved with the underground church in Transylvania and when the Communist regime collapsed in Romania in 1991, he started a youth evangelistic ministry targeting University students. He also helped to found Koinonia Publishing at this time in order to communicate the Gospel to intellectuals. It was a privilege to fellowship with him in WEST. His supervisor was Dr Eryl Davies. We pray that Levente’s ministry will be even more fruitful in the coming years and that his research will contribute significantly to the life and witness of the Reformed Church in Transylvania.

Rev Kyung-U Ra , an ordained Presbyterian minister from South Korea, completed research under the title ‘An Investigation of the Influence of the Paschal-New Exodus Motif on the Description of Christ and His Work in the Gospel of John (Chapters One to Four)’.  His supervisors were Dr Tom Holland (at WEST) and Prof D P Davies (University of Wales, Lampeter).  This was a particularly valuable contribution to our understanding of the Old Testament underpinning to the apostle’s thinking and expression in these early chapters.  It forms part of a “project” spanning the whole of the Gospel of John under Dr Holland’s oversight.  We pray that the Lord will bless Kyung-U Ra and his family, who have been living in Bridgend, as he further serves the Church of Christ in the future.

The others:
Philip Ross (Scotland): The Right Use of the Law of God
Craig Sheppard (USA): American Church History
Roger Powell (England): The East African Revival and its Impact on English Evangelicalism