| This is a study of Korean immigrants and their mission, investigating the way Scripture, self-identity, and mission are understood among Korean immigrants in the United States and Canada. The rationale for study was the observation that even though Korean immigrants have often formed very church-centered communities and are involved in mission in many ways, their sense of Christian identity as immigrants, and the missional implications of this status, remain largely undeveloped.;Through inductive study, employing grounded theory, including interviews and onsite visits, six Korean immigrant churches were analyzed. The research highlighted several key concepts and issues. These issues were further analyzed in the light of history, culture, Scripture, social location, and social change, employing a synthetic model of contextual theology.;This study concluded that the teaching of biblical truth in the light of immigration, a deeper understanding of Korean immigrant history, and new transformative theological paradigms can result in Korean immigrant Christians' identity transformation. This personal and communal identity transformation enables Korean immigrant churches and Christians to discover their missional potential as they build constructively upon their unique immigrant experiences.;This empirical, historical, social, biblical, theological, and missiological study shows the strategic value of the Korean Diaspora for world mission. It highlights the importance of Scripture, self-identity, and mission as key elements in developing a contextualized mission theology. The study can thus be a practical resource for mission ministry to Korean immigrants, and may stimulate mission ministry among other ethnic immigrant Christians in the United States and Canada.;Recommendations are made for further effective service for world mission, such as developing a discipling program, investigating Korean immigrants' unique portion of the world mission enterprise, practicing similar research in different settings of both Korean Diaspora and other ethnic Diaspora, and developing a contextualized and transformational leadership model for helping develop an active involvement for world mission. |
