Historic Ganghwa Island Church Burns Ahead of Christmas
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
Ganghwa Gyo-san Church, the island’s first Protestant church founded in 1893, caught fire early on Dec. 20 and the two-story worship hall was completely destroyed. No injuries were reported; local parishioners spotted smoke and 33 fire units and 72 firefighters extinguished the blaze after nearly six hours. The adjacent 1957 stone building that serves as the “Ganghwa Early Christian Mission History Museum” (강화 초대 기독교 선교 역사관) was spared along with its valuable exhibits documenting early Korean Protestant mission history, including models of a boat baptism and 1899 Christmas scenes. The church has deep local significance: Ganghwa has about 210 churches for a population of 70,000 and many century-old congregations, and Gyo-san Church played a key role in early conversions and missionary activity. The congregation held Sunday service at a nearby office building the day after the fire; the damaged 2003 worship hall will likely be demolished and rebuilt with support from the Methodist denomination. The pastor appealed for prayers and hopes the loss can become an opportunity for renewal, as similar recovery efforts have united local Buddhist and Christian communities in the past.
