Pastor Kim Sung-hak, right, reads a statement that he would return and give up the pastorship after disclosing realities that pastorships were sold repeatedly among churchmen at a press conference held in front of Daehan Sungkyeol Church (Korea Holiness Church) on Monday. (Photo provided by Solidarity for Church Reform Realization)

Not only that, but some churchgoers insult and despise other religions, such as trespassing into temples and damaging Buddhist statues. It seems that here and there, an astonishing proselytization phenomenon is taking place where a large number of the community is worrying about and berating the church, rather than the church worrying about and teaching the community.

A serving Protestant pastor turned in his pastorship, making the accusation that selling of senior pastorships was rampant within the church.

What was said by the education pastor Kim Seong-hak of the Balgeun Sesang Church (Bright World Church) in Seoul's Dapsimni-dong neighborhood at a press conference a couple of days ago was just an "open secret" coming to the surface, rather than anything shocking.

Some examples: Pastor A, in being named a senior pastor of Church B, made an "offering" of hundreds of millions of won. This money was used as a "retirement fund" for a pastor who was stepping down from the church. Several years later, Pastor A, caught in a sex scandal, was given several hundreds of millions of won as a "retirement fund."

This money was naturally paid by his successor. Adding a premium to the retirement fund, he made another offering to Church C, becoming senior pastor there.

This money, too, was used as a retirement fund for a pastor who was stepping down from Church C. This means the pastoral position was sold back to back for hundreds of millions of won in a loop.

The diseases from which the Korean Protestant world suffers are mammonism, economic growth worship, extreme right-wing anti-communism, aggressive and belligerent missionary styles, hostility towards other religions and so forth. The diseases are too many and too deep that it is at the point where one does not know where to place the scalpel.

If clergy and ordinary believers only work to ignore or bemoan the current situation, there is no hope. Church members must boldly step forward to realize concrete church reform after fully and fundamentally reflecting on the reality in which the church is being labeled a source of social illness rather than something our society absolutely needs.

In this regard, the "small church movement," which seeks to overcome the church obsession with size and renew church management format and content in a democratic and horizontal way, requires attention.

In Pastor Kim's decision to expose the internal situation of the church, even giving up his pastor position, we paradoxically discover hope that Protestant churches can be saved.