Rhee's mission prompts some hostility and some progress By John H. Adams The Layman Online Wednesday, October 5, 2005 "Reconciliation is not easy," Syngman Rhee told The Layman Online in an hour-long telephone call today from his hotel room in Torrance, Calif. Rhee had been through a trying week. He accepted the invitation of what he terms the "loyalist" members of First Presbyterian Church in Torrance to provide some pastoral oversight. They are engaged in a legal and spiritual battle with what he calls the "dissident" members of the Torrance church, which officially became a congregation of the Korean Presbyterian Church in America on Sunday. The "dissidents" are the majority. They voted last year to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA) for a number of reasons, including the denomination's theological direction. They control the church's property, but the ownership of that property is not expected to be decided until June of 2006 by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge. The judge has ordered that both congregations should share the property in the interim. This is Rhee's tale of what has happened since he arrived in California. "I came here last Wednesday," he said. "I tried to find out what is happening among the loyalists." "I met two times with Rev. Sung Kyu Pak," the minister of the majority denomination. "It was very friendly. We have committed ourselves to each other to work this out in a Christian way." Rhee says he suggested that the "loyalists" be allowed to use the church for services at 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on Sundays. That would leave 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for Pak's congregation, which currently uses all four time slots. But Rhee said Pak could not make that decision, that the session would have to decide. "I agreed with that," Rhee said. But no time-sharing has been set yet. "After five months," Rhee said, "the loyalists are getting frustrated. We're not getting adequate response. Finally, we decided to go to church this past Sunday and hold services." They arrived about 8 a.m. to find most of the doors to the church locked, he said. "At 8:30, someone opened one side," Rhee said. Pak's congregation "had already begun its worship. Some of our people started to go in. I told them, 'You shall not interrupt worship.'" Rhee was well aware of what happened the last time the "loyalists" attended a worship service en masse at Torrance. Led by General Assembly Moderator Rick Ufford-Chase, a large contingent disrupted the services, broke the microphone and tried to shout down the worship leaders. Rhee took his group into the fellowship hall. There, about 400 people worshipped and celebrated World Communion Service. "The people's response was grateful for the opportunity to be worshiping in their home church," he said. No one from the "dissidents" interrupted them, he added. Rhee also led a second service, again including communion, that began shortly after the first concluded. He estimated 600 people attended the service. "We were about to worship without any intrusion," he said. "Then the people wanted to have lunch in the fellowship time." Most, including Rhee, left the fellowship hall to have lunch in a nearby park. From there, Rhee said, he could hear singing in the worship hall. He worried that it would disrupt the worship service by Pak's congregation. He returned to the fellowship hall and said he told the group, "I strongly instruct you not to do this." The group left quietly, he added. On Sunday afternoon, Pak was installed as the pastor and the Torrance "dissidents" were formally recognized as a congregation of the Korean Presbyterian Church in America. Rhee said he thought – "whether for right or wrong" – about attending that service. He decided to do so. He said he tried to slip in without being recognized, but a receptionist who knew him spotted him – and apparently tipped off others, he said. Rhee said he "slipped in" quietly, about 4:15 p.m., after the service was under way. Toward the end of the service, a former moderator of the Korean denomination was recognizing the various participants. He also recognized Rhee as a former moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Rhee recalled that the Korean denomination's leader said, "'I'm very honored and thankful for the presence of Dr. Syngman Rhee." Rhee said he felt like trying to disappear. "I didn't know what to do," he said. But he was surprised: "The church people applauded." The Korean leader mentioned Rhee's role earlier in the day of preventing the "loyalists" from creating a conflict at the church. More applause. Then Rhee left the service, deciding not to attend the reception that followed. Some of the members of the "loyalist" congregation also attended the afternoon service. A few were shocked to discover that Rhee was there. "They reported the 'bad news' that their pastor was present," Rhee said. "The telephone calls started coming in. They were accusing me of things. I patiently listened to every one of them – painfully, but understandingly." One of the elders suggested that Rhee move to another motel room so that they wouldn't be able to call him. But Rhee said let them call. He said he learned through their anger the depth of the bitterness over what has happened at Torrance, which was the largest Korean congregation in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Later, the Church Leadership Council – an interim group until the "loyalists" elect elders – affirmed Rhee's work in seeking reconciliation. With the council's affirmation, Rhee said he would continue to work to ensure that the "loyalists" reach a time-sharing agreement with Pak's congregation. Furthermore, he said, that although he had to return to Richmond, Va., for a week, he would come back to the Torrance congregation and serve as interim minister. In the meantime, Rhee said he hopes his work has produced some fruit. A meeting has been scheduled to talk about shared building use. Rhee and five members of his congregation will meet with Pak and five members of his congregation.

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