? 3 OMF Bangkok Library • CHRISTIAN REVIVAL IN THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF THAILAND BETWEEN 1900 AND 1941. AN ECCLESIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION. BY SEUNG HO SON DISSERTATION PRESENTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH PROMOTER: PROF. P COERTZEN NOVEMBER 2003 Declaration I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the work contained in this dissertation is my own original work and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it at any university for a degree. Signature Date: September 18, 2003 ABSTRACT This study deals with Christian revival and specifically Christian reyival in the Presbyterian Church of Thailand. Above all, it is an in-depth ecclesiological analysis and evaluation of the Thai revival through John Sung's campaigns of 1938-1939. This is a first attempt to examine this revival from a holistic point of view. Between 1900 and 1941, missionary work in Thailand was carried on almost exclusively by missionaries of the American Presbyterian Mission (APM), and the revival was confined to the Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT) with which the missionaries were involved. The APM missionaries' theology of revival can be understood by surveying the theological controversy over revival within the American Presbyterian Churches. There is a remarkable resemblance between the problems of the Old-New Side split of 1741 in American Presbyterianism and the Thai revival of 1938-1939. The same problems, of ministerial qualifications, differing understandings of the nature of true revival,| and the essence of faith, reoccurred two hundred years later in Thailand. The historical, socio-cultural, religious, and political situation in Thailand played an important role in the reception of the gospel among the Thai, as well as in the results of John Sung's campaigns. This is why the fruit of his ministry was meagre compared to the results of his work in other Southeast Asian countries, even though the campaigns resulted in the greatest revival movement Thailand had yet experienced. John Sung (1901-1944), the greatest evangelist China has ever known, was conservative in his theology. His theology of revival was coincident with Old School American Presbyterianism, but some aspects of his evangelistic methods were identical with those of the New School. Despite his errors, God used him mightily for the Thai church. Forerunners of the revival movement prepared the ground for John Sung's Thai campaigns. Even though his itinerant ministry was conducted for only six weeks in 1938 and two months in 1939, there was a genuine spiritual revival, as is reflected in general church history, following the phenomena of conviction of sin and repentance, with restored worship and faith in God's Word, and eagerness for evangelism. The revival had positive and negative results. Nevertheless, the Thai church was prepared for the test of the nationalistic Buddhist movement of 1940-1941 and the people were equipped for the hardships of the Second World War. By using the Westminster Confession of Faith as a criterion for an ecclesiological evaluation of the campaigns, it is shown that John Sung did not instigate division within the church, even though his followers tried to set themselves apart. But his criticism of the missionaries and Thai church leaders disrupted the work of the officers of the church. ; • When the Thai supporters of the campaigns, out of their hunger for God's Word, asked for a Bible College to be established, the leaders of the APM, due to their own limitations, rejected the suggestion. In the end the APM and the CCT lost a golden opportunity for church growth. The most important reason was that neither could work in close cooperation with the other. The central issue now is whether the Thai church can learn from the lessons of the past. OPSOMMING Hierdie studie handel oor Christelike herlewing en spesifiek Christelike herlewing in die Presbiteriaanse Kerk van Thailand. Bowenal is dit 'n grondige ekklesiologiese analise en evaluering van die herlewing wat in Thailand deur John Sung se veldtogte in 1938 en 1939 teweeggebring is. Dit is 'n eerste poging om die herlewing vanuitl 'n holistiese oogpunt te bestudeer. Tussen 1900 en 1941 is sendingwerk in Thailand feitlik juitsluitlik deur sendelinge van die Amerikaanse Presbiteriaanse Sending (APS) onderneem, en die herlewing was beperk tot die Kerk van Christus in Thailand (KCT) waarin hierdie sendelinge werksaam was. Die APS-sendelinge se herlewingsteologie is begrypbaar wanneer ons die teologiese twispunte oor herlewing binne die Amerikaanse Presbiteriaanse Kerke bestudper. Daar is merkwaardige ooreenstemming tussen die skeuring van 1741 tussen die Ou en Nu^ve Bedeling in Amerikaanse Presbiterianisme en die herlewing van 1938-1939 in Thailand. Dieselfde probleme, te wete die kwalifikasies van bedienaars, verskille in die verstaan van die aard van ware herlewing en die wese van geloof, het twee honderd jaar later ook in Thailand opgeduik. Die historiese, sosio-kulturele en politieke situasie in Thailand het 'n belangrike rol gespeel in die ontvanklikheid vir die evangelie onder die Thai, sowel as in die resijiltate van John Sung se veldtogte. Dit is hoekom die vrug van sy bediening skamel was in v^rgelyking met die resultate van sy werk in ander Suidoos-Asiatiese lande, alhoewel die veldtogte wel gelei het tot die grootste herlewingsbeweging wat Thailand ooit beleef het. John Sung (1901-1944), die grootste evangelis wat China ooit geken het, het 'n konserwatiewe teologie heoefen. Sy herlewingsteologie het saamgeval met die Ou Skool van Amerikaanse Presbiterianisme, maar sommige aspekte van sy evangelisasiemetodes was identies aan diejvan die Nuwe Skool. Ten spyte van sy foute, het God horn kragtig gebruik in diens van die kerk in Thailand. Voorlopers van die herlewingsbeweging het die land vir John Sung se veldtogte in Thailand voorberei. Alhoewel sy rondreisende bediening slegs oor ses weke in 1938 en twee maande in 1939 gestrek het, was daar 'n ware geestelike herlewing soortgelyk aan wat in die algemene kerkgeskiedenis weerspieel word, wat gevolg het op 'n oortuiging van sonde en inkeer, met hernude aanbidding en geloof in die Woord van God en evangelisasie-ywer. Die herlewing het positiewe sowel as negatiewe gevolge gehad. Dit het nogtans die kerk in Thailand voorberei vir die toets van die nasionalistiese Boeddhistiese beweging van 1940-1941 en het mense toegerus vir die swaarkry van die Tweede Wereldoorlog. Aan die hand van pie Geloofsbelydenis van Westminster as 'n kriterium vir die ekklesiologiese evaluering van John Sung se veldtogte, word getoon dat hy nie verdeeldheid in die kerk aangespoor het nie, alhoewel sy volgelinge probeer het om hulself af te sonder. Sy kritiek op die sendelinge en kerkleiers in die kerk het egter die werk van die kerkbeamptes ontwrig. Toe die Thailandse ondersteuners van die veldtogte uit hul honger na die Woord van God die oprigting van 'n Bybelkollege versoek het, het die leiers van die APS die voorstel vanwee hul eie i tekortkominge van die hand gewys. So het die APS en die KCT 'n guide geleentheid vir kerkgroei verloor. Die vernaamste rede hiervoor was die onvermoe van beide om met mekaar saam te werk. Tans is die sentrale vraagstuk of die kerk in Thailand uit die lesse van die verlede kan leer. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To God be the glory for ever! Amen. i I am deeply grateful to all who have made their significant contribution to the completion of this study academically, spiritually and financially: Prof P Coertzen, Dr John R Davis, the National Women's Mission of the Korean Presbyterian Church (Kosin), many supporting churches, the Payap University Archives, the Historical Office of the Church of i Christ in Thailand, all the staff and students of the Phayao Bible College, my friends in the Korea Presbyterian Mission and the Overseas Missionary Fellowship, and my family (my wife Ok Kyung and son Joo Eun). Map of Thailand Myanmar Malaysia ABBREVIATIONS ABCFM: American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions AMA: American Missionary Association APM: American Presbyterian Mission CCS: Church of Christ in Siam j CCT: Church of Christ in Thailand OHT: Oral History Interview (Preserved at the Payap University Archives, Chiangmai, Thailand) PCUSA: Presbyterian Church in the United States of America SPG: Society for the Propagation of the Gospel WCF: Westminster Confession of Faith YMCA: Young Men's Christian Association i CHRISTIAN REVIVAL IN THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF THAILAND BETWEEN 1900 AND 1941. AN ECCLESIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS FIGURES/v TABLES/vi Chapter 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Motivation 1 1.2 Problem 1 1.3 Purpose 2 1.4 Hypothesis 2 1.5 Methodology 3 1.6 Delimitation 4 1.7 Structure 5 1.8 A definition of the meaning of revival 6 1.8.1 Definitions of terms related to revival 7 1.8.2 What revival is not 8 1.8.3 Changing the meaning of revival in church history. 11 1.8.4 Theology and definition of revival in Reformed tradition 12 1.8.4.1 God's agency and human agency in revival 12 1.8.4.2 God's Word and prayer as preparation for revival.. 13 1.8.4.3 Four results of revival 14 1.8.4.4 Definition of revival 15 1.9 A brief account of Thai church history (1828-1941) 16 1.9.1 Protestant beginnings (1828-1860) 17 1.9.2 The period of expansion (1860-1934) 20 1.9.3 The period of the formation of a national church (1934 1941) 23 1.10 Sources 26 Chapter 2. The causes and effects of the varied understandings of revival among American Presbyterian missionaries to Thailand 28 2.1 Introduction 28 2.2 A brief history of the division within the American Presbyterian Church before the Second World War 1 28 2.3 The theological controversy over revival within the American Presbyterian Churches.