“A community of believers.” That’s how Renewal Community Church describes itself. Renewal Community Church started in 2016. It is located in Los Angeles Koreatown. The church strives to deliver God’s power to the world. Renewal Community Church seeks renewal from heaven daily.
Renewal Community Church emphasizes several key aspects. These include tasting the life of grace. They also seek to embrace the heart of gratitude with laughter. The church follows the cross of sacrifice with sincerity. It is a church where the Lord’s life is alive.
Renewal Community Church invites people to taste the grace of life. It encourages living a life full of the power of newness. The church has a special service every Wednesday. The service is called “Fall Special New Morning Gathering”.
Renewal Community Church has a contact form for inquiries. You can ask a question or share a story. You may also sign up for updates. The church is located at 1636 W. 8th Street Set. 315, Los Angeles, CA 90017. Their phone number is 213-509-5360.
However there is also a \uc0c8\ud798\uad50\ud68c in Seoul. It is listed as a religious denomination. The phone number is 02-333-2840 or 023332840. It is located in Mapo-gu, Seoul. The address is 404-1, 2nd floor, Mangwon-dong. The street address is 13 Poeun-ro 5-gil.
Saemoonan Church is another significant church in South Korea. It was the first organized Presbyterian church. Horace Grant Underwood founded it in 1887. He also founded Underwood School. This is now Kyungsin High School and Middle School. Underwood also founded Yonhi College now Yonsei University and Severance Hospital. Saemoonan is the oldest established church in South Korea. It is known as the Mother Church of Korean Protestantism.
Saemoonan Church has a rich history. Prominent figures were associated with it. Kim Kyu-sik, Ahn Chang-ho, and Choi Hyeon-bae were members. The church was founded in September 1887. Underwood baptized one person and appointed two elders. There were fourteen Koreans in the initial group. The church has had six different chapels. The latest chapel was constructed from 2014 to 2019.
Lee Sang-hak is the current senior pastor. He took over in 2017. Previously he was the senior pastor at Pohang Cheil Church. Architect Lee Eunseok designed the sixth chapel. The design attracted media attention. It features an unconventional design. It looks like a mother’s arms spread wide. It offers much community space.
The church modified the initial design significantly. The unique external facade remains from the original plan. It led to the building’s international recognition. Some feel the interior spaces do not match the exterior. Some architects believe it would have been better if the original plan was followed. Others are relieved that part of the original design was kept.
The sixth chapel has received multiple accolades. In 2019 it won the Architecture Master Prize. It was a finalist for Building of the Year in ArchDaily in 2020. Also in 2020 it received the Jury Award in the Architizer A+ Awards. In 2021 the chapel’s curved surface was on the cover of “The World’s Best Architecture”.
However, Lee Sang-hak’s appointment faced controversy. He left Pohang First Presbyterian Church without informing his congregation. This caused internal conflicts. Members felt betrayed. Lee explained his departure as “God’s will”.
There was also controversy over Lee Sang-hak’s dissertation. He focused on “Sin and Salvation Based on the Han Experience of Koreans.” He argued for healing instead of a judicial model of salvation. He used the term “illegitimate child” to refer to Jesus’ birth. Saemunan Church requested an investigation.
Saemoonan Presbyterian Church built a new church. It celebrated its 132nd anniversary. The church considers itself the Mother of all churches. The new church is a large multi-story building. Functionalism is a top priority. The building resembles a mother stretched out toward the sky. It keeps themes like “Loving God” and “Loving Neighbors” in mind.
The new Casavant organ at Saemoonan Presbyterian Church bears Opus number 3906. It contains 63 stops and 4,343 pipes. The organ is conceived in French Symphonic style.