This study is to establish and introduce a new Christian welfare philosophy centered on "EMPOWER." A new Christian welfare philosophy is needed due to the growing welfare situation that Korean churches are facing today. A state's massive social welfare effort is highly specialized and capable of carrying out welfare in the areas beyond what the church can do. This disparity is likely to be amplified in the future. Therefore, today's churches are challenged to identify what the church can/ought to do for the welfare of society—that is, is it time to quit? This is precisely why today's church needs a biblically sound welfare philosophy that can accommodate and answer the present needs and demands of society.
The core message of the Bible is the ‘Kingdom of God' and proclamation of Jesus Christ reveals it should be understood both here-and-now and not-yet—both in the present and future. The Kingdom of God and Church is essential to achieve God's salvific plan and purpose. Based on this, the church's identity has to be missional and purposeful—i.e., the church is entrusted to spiritual responsibility as well as accountability to the world.
In order to stress that Christian welfare's need to root its foundation in the Kingdom of God, this dissertation examines ‘Tikkun Olam' and its proactive and multi-dimensional welfare efforts in contemporary world. Tikkun Olam means ‘repairing the world' and its audacious concept and vision propels an immense uniting force to the movement. Tikkun Olam also presents an ideal ideology that supplements and enhances traditional Jewish value giving a new meaning and purpose for the Jews—showing the need for sound philosophy that people can look after. However, the contemporary Tikkun Olam has deviated from its original value of what was once seeking God's sovereignty and Kingdom. Hardly any Kingdom of God can be traced in recent Tikkun Olam but only very human-centered welfare efforts remain. Tikkun Olam may suffer identity crisis and a world-view confusion.
Because God desires to establish His Kingdom through the church, there are ample findings from the Bible that mandates the church to cope with welfare (wellbeing) of society. From the beginning to the end, the Bible instructs the church to offer to the world what was entrusted by God. This dissertation claims that God has given the church the power, resources, and ability to carry out the mission and this activity is called ‘EMPOWER'. We can witness that the Bible repeatedly unveils ‘God-empowered-the-church to-empower-the-world' paradigm and can be traced throughout the Bible's entirety—i.e. in creation, Abraham, Moses, David, in prophets, in The Great Commission, and practiced by the New Testament churches. Therefore, EMPOWER welfare is God-designed way to establish the Kingdom of God.
How then, can today's church practice EMPOWER welfare? This dissertation suggests E.M.P.O.W.E.R. modeled in the Bible and what Tikkun Olam is already practicing in their activity:
Engaging EMPOWER
Missional EMPOWER
Palpable EMPOWER
Offering EMPOWER
Whole EMPOWER
Ethical EMPOWER
Religious/spiritual EMPOWER
When the church reaches out to others with E.M.P.O.W.E.R. the fruit of witnessing and establishing the Kingdom of God will result and the church will restore trustworthiness—what Korean churches are in desperate need due to alarming discrediting by society today.
This dissertation confirms the above claim through a case-study. A small church which cannot stand on their own feet puts all their effort not to miss opportunity to serve the community. An examination discloses that the church is aware of the EMPOWER principle and puts empowering the community and neighbors as primary goal of the church. The case-study confirms biblical truth that when the church acknowledges EMPOWERED by God to EMPOWER others, the church will work to establish the Kingdom of God. Also, regardless of church size, culture, or in any situation the church is facing, an EMPOWER practicing church will be an instrument of accommodating any needs and demands of society and will be a viable asset to social welfare.