Pastoral care at times of bereavement: Funeral rites for Korean Methodist Churches in the United States

Some ethnic churches in the United States have attempted to develop appropriate funeral rites that fit their specific cultural, social, and psychological needs. They have attempted to integrate their ethnical funeral cultures with the theological perspectives of their respective denominations. The Korean Methodist Church published The Korean Methodist Book of Worship [Yemoon] as a source of contextual liturgies. This service book includes culturally relevant funeral rites which are sufficiently comprehensive and reflective of Korean Methodists in South Korea. However, Korean American Methodist churches affiliated with the Korean Methodist Church tend to disregard the funeral rites outlined in The Korean Methodist Book of Worship, because the funeral rites in this book are not appropriate for or relevant to the contexts of Korean American immigrants.;Funeral rites are culturally shaped. Therefore, developing culturally relevant funeral rites that will address the experience of immigrants living between two cultures is called for. By studying traditional Korean religious beliefs and funeral practices, the theology of traditional Methodism, Korean American theology, the funeral rites of the United Methodist and Korean Methodist churches, and relevant pastoral care literature and research, this project provides suggestions for funeral rituals for American Korean Methodists.