The Connecticut Conference maintains a vital and exciting ecumenical partnership with the Kyung-Ki Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in South Korea.

The Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ formed a covenanted relationship with the Kyung-Ki Presbytery in South Korea in 1994. The churches committed to build a relationship with each other, learn about each other’s culture, and grow in faith together.

While there are several ways to actively participate, at the local level individual Connecticut churches establish partnerships with individual Korean churches with the help of the Connecticut Conference Korean Partnership Committee.

Partners Visit Each Other

The Korean Partnership Committee sponsors opportunities to travel to South Korea to visit our partner churches.

• Each April we send delegates to the Kyung-Ki Presbytery’s Annual Meeting.
• Every four years the Connecticut Conference sponsors the Sacred Journey program in which youth in grades 9-12 have the opportunity to visit their partner churches (2010, 2014, 2018).
• Individual Connecticut churches also arrange for their own travel groups to visit partner churches.

Our partners are extremely gracious hosts, always providing homes at which to stay, meals, transportation, and plenty of activities.

The Kyung-Ki Presbytery provides similar travel opportunities for its churches.

• Each October South Korean pastors attend the CT Conference Annual Meeting.
• Every four years Korean youth participate in an exchange Sacred Journey program in CT (2012, 2016).
• CT women hosted Korean women at the Women of the UCC Conference in March 2010.

When Korean partners visit, they need a place to stay, meals, transportation, and activities to do – this is an excellent opportunity for Connecticut members to host our partners!

Partners Keep the Lines of Communication Open

Staying in touch is a crucial component to successful relationship development and ongoing management. Partners send greeting cards and small gifts at Christmastime or for other special events in their congregational life. They send photos of church members and photo directories with an explanation of what they receive. The ever-changing world of technology lets partners keep each other updated through email and social media outlets like Facebook. Even Sunday School classes match up students to create email-pals.

Partnership Cost

There are no fees required to partner with a Korean church, nor is there any expectation that either partner would make financial gifts to each other. Typical expenses associated with partnership include postage for mail, gifts presented during visits, hospitality when delegates visit, and perhaps a contribution toward registration at the Silver Lake Conference Center during the Sacred Journey youth program.

Getting Started

Churches interested in establishing a Partnership with a Korean church should contact the partnership chair, listed at top right.

To match your church with a Korean church, we will need the following information:

• Name, address, and phone of your church
• Name, address, and phone of contact person for your church
• Size of your church congregation
• Church setting: urban, rural, suburban, etc.
• Special interests and concerns of your congregation and community (mission and otherwise)
• Groups that would be involved in the Partnership, e.g. church school, youth group, mission committee, women's group, adult bible study, choir, families, pastors, the entire congregation

Korean Partnership Guide

This guide, available for reading online or downloading as a PDF, describes the partnerships which local churches may form with congregations in South Korea.