About KAPC

2nd General Assembly
Delegates were sent to the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council (NAPARC). As a full member, our denomination stood shoulder to shoulder with other Reformed churches in the United States, becoming part of the worldwide community of faithful guardians of sound theology.
3rd General Assembly
The Constitution of the General Assembly was formally adopted, confirming that the foundation of our faith and polity is Reformed theology. The finalized Constitution consisted of eight parts:
The Twelve Articles of Faith
The Westminster Confession of Faith
The Westminster Larger Catechism
The Westminster Shorter Catechism
Form of Government
Constitutional Rules
Rules of Discipline
Directory of Worship
In addition, the International Reformed Theological Seminary was received under the Assembly.
4th General Assembly
The official seminary of the denomination, Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, was established to train pastors and missionaries with sound Reformed theology.
5th & 6th General Assemblies
Amendments were made to the Constitution, and the bylaws of the General Assembly were revised.
7th General Assembly
The bylaws were amended to state:
“The Examination Committee shall examine the academic qualifications and ministerial readiness of candidates who have graduated from the official denominational seminary or from seminaries approved by the General Assembly. The examination shall be conducted at the time and place determined by the committee, and the results shall be reported and confirmed during the session of the General Assembly.”
8th General Assembly
The Assembly resolved to prohibit pulpit fellowship with extreme liberal or unwholesome mystic groups. It also determined that each local church should contribute 10% of its pastor’s salary toward the minister’s retirement pension.
9th General Assembly
Approved the establishment of the Central and South America Presbytery (Paraguay).
10th General Assembly
Decided that all official publications of the denomination would be managed by the General Assembly’s Publication Department. Approved the establishment of a Latin American branch of the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and authorized the establishment of a seminary branch in Brazil.
11th General Assembly
Approved Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and granted permission to establish an Eastern branch of the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
12th General Assembly
Approved Ontario Theological Seminary.
13th General Assembly
Resolved to translate the Constitution into English and approved the establishment of additional branches of the South American Seminary.
14th General Assembly
Approved Washington Reformed Presbyterian Seminary and San Francisco Bible Theological College and Seminary. It also reaffirmed that pulpit fellowship would only be permitted with evangelical denominations.
15th General Assembly
Published the bilingual Korean-English Constitution and the Korean-English Catechism.
16th General Assembly
The Assembly established the official names of denominational seminaries:
Korean American Presbyterian Seminary of the West
Korean American Presbyterian Seminary of the East
Korean American Presbyterian Seminary of San Francisco
Korean American Presbyterian Seminary of the Capital
Korean American Presbyterian Seminary of the Midwest
The Latin American branch of the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary was officially named Reformed Presbyterian Seminary of Paraguay and approved as a recognized institution. Regent College & Seminary in Canada was also approved for academic recognition. The Assembly further resolved that the denominational contribution be set at 1% of each church’s annual operating budget—0.5% designated for the General Assembly and 0.5% for the presbytery.
17th General Assembly
Qualifications for membership in the Theological Committee and Examination Committee were restricted: “Only ministers with at least 10 years of ordained experience may serve. Seminary presidents and faculty members are not eligible for membership in the Theological Committee.”
18th General Assembly
Approved Brazil International Mission Theological College and the South American Reformed Presbyterian Seminary.
19th General Assembly
Authorized the South American Reformed Presbyterian Seminary to apply for ASIT. With the growth of presbyteries across North and South America, the denomination now had 8 official and approved seminaries. Additionally, with institutions such as Westminster Seminary among the approved schools, 30–40 ministers were being ordained annually.
20th General Assembly
The Standing Committee on Education and Research published a new adult Bible study curriculum on the Book of Acts.
21st General Assembly
Established an English Ministry Department and amended Article 2, Section 5, Clause 1 of the bylaws accordingly. It also revised the bylaws to allow officers to serve consecutive terms of up to four years.
22nd General Assembly
Reaffirmed that dual denominational membership was not permitted, and that ministers who had been disciplined and removed from office could not transfer to another presbytery. The Assembly adopted detailed operating regulations and amended the bylaws to hold the General Assembly after the third Sunday of May each year.
23rd General Assembly
Approved Washington Seminary (operated by the Northwest Presbytery). It also fixed the number of Standing Committee members at 9–12, with one-third rotating every two years.
24th General Assembly
Reconfirmed the adoption of the Constitution, which includes the Twelve Articles of Faith, the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, the Form of Government, Constitutional Rules, Rules of Discipline, and Directory of Worship.
25th General Assembly
Reaffirmed that no flags of any kind should be displayed within the sanctuary. Approved the establishment of an English-speaking Presbytery and organized a preparatory committee for its formation.
26th General Assembly
Formally established the North American Presbytery, the first English-speaking presbytery among Korean denominations in North America. Since all meetings are conducted in English, second-generation leaders and other English-speaking ministers were now free to serve fully.
27th General Assembly
Established the Special Seminary Oversight Committee, which for three years conducted on-site inspections of official and approved seminaries. This ensured that denominational theology remained clear and uncompromised amid rapid growth, while seminaries met consistent standards for the qualification of ministers.
28th General Assembly
In order to fulfill the Great Commission more effectively, the Assembly founded the KAPC World Mission Board. On July 11, 2005, with 20 organizing members, the Board was launched with a constitution and structure, making KAPC the first Korean denomination in North America to establish its own mission board.
29th General Assembly
Based on the report of the Special Seminary Oversight Committee, the Assembly approved the integration of Northern California Reformed Presbyterian Seminary and Western Reformed Presbyterian Seminary as one approved institution. It also authorized the establishment of a Canadian branch of the Eastern Reformed Presbyterian Seminary and resolved to organize pastor–elder prayer meetings in five regions.
30th General Assembly
Standardized the English naming format of presbyteries and resolved to preserve the complete records of the Assembly (1st–29th sessions) in PDF format.
31st General Assembly
Decided that ministerial identification cards would be valid for five years and should be applied for collectively by the presbytery clerk every three months.
32nd General Assembly
Strengthened administrative exchange with the Hapdong General Assembly and Chongshin Seminary in Korea. This partnership was further confirmed at the 93rd General Assembly of Hapdong (Sept. 22–26, 2008). The Assembly also published a 30-year history of the denomination and issued a revised edition of the Constitution.
33rd General Assembly
Resolved to unify the rules of all presbyteries, organized the Men’s and Women’s Missionary Unions, and held a major laypeople’s conference commemorating the 500th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth.
34th General Assembly
To enhance efficiency in revising the Constitution and regulations, a Standing Committee was established. The Assembly decided to restructure the Constitution with reference to those of the OPC and PCA. A formal relationship was established with the Hapshin denomination in Korea, and a sister-church relationship was signed with the Bulgarian Reformed Presbyterian Assembly. Friendship exchanges with the Reformed Presbyterian Church (Jogamdong Group, Korea) were set for further study. A milestone agreement on administrative exchange was also signed with the Hapdong General Assembly at its 95th General Assembly (Sept. 20–24, 2010), marking the only such formal partnership by Hapdong in North America.
35th General Assembly
After review, the Assembly declared the “New Apostolic Reformation” movement (IHOP) to be an unsound theology and practice contrary to Scripture, the Westminster Confession, and Reformed faith, thereby prohibiting all participation or fellowship with it. The Assembly also resolved that sitting officers of the General Assembly could not be nominated by the Nominating Committee for the following term.
36th General Assembly
Declared that the “VeriChip” cannot affect the saving grace of Jesus Christ. It also prohibited association with figures involved in the New Apostolic Movement, such as Elder Son Ki-chul and Rev. Kim Jong-pil. Furthermore, it ruled that InterCP’s mission philosophy and practices contradict Reformed principles, being anti-church, anti-intellectual, and irrational, and therefore banned fellowship with the group.
37th General Assembly
Based on the ruling of the Judicial Commission, and in accordance with the Book of Discipline, Chapter 7, Article 48 (“Summary Trial”) and Chapter 6, Article 42 (“Trial of Officers”), the Assembly dismissed 11 disorderly members and 9 defectors (see Judicial Commission records for names).
38th General Assembly
Resolved to publish a public declaration of comfort and condolence regarding the Sewol Ferry disaster in South Korea.
39th and 40th General Assemblies
From presbytery-wide voting results:
Revision of the Revised Version of the Korean Bible: Approved
Mandatory retirement age of 70 for ministers and elders: Defeated
Amendment to regulations on church property: Defeated
41st General Assembly
Signed an MOU with the Kosin Presbyterian Church, establishing active cooperation between the two denominations.
42nd General Assembly
Decided to hold pastor–elder prayer meetings in seven regions (East, West, Midwest, Canada, Southeast Asia, Central/South America, and the Korean-American Missionary International [KAMI]). Also resolved to hold an annual “KAPC Ministry and Theology Forum” for continuing education of pastors.
43rd General Assembly
Welcomed the largest-ever Korean delegation: 23 representatives from five denominations (Hapdong, Hapshin, Kosin, Daeshin, and the Reformed). The PRCC (Presbyterian and Reformed Commission on Chaplains) director also attended, providing updates on the ministry of military chaplains.
44th General Assembly
Due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, the Assembly was held virtually. The Assembly launched a campaign to support 60 struggling churches during the pandemic, which spread to presbyteries, encouraging local support for churches in need. The Standing Committee on Education hosted an online “Ministry and Theology Forum,” while the Education Department held an online seminar marking the 400th anniversary of the Puritans. For churches without children’s ministry leaders, educational programs were provided through the denominational website, supported by cooperation among many churches. Work on translating and publishing the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms neared completion. The denomination also carried out a major overhaul of its website to strengthen communication and networking.
45th General Assembly
Again held virtually due to the pandemic, with 311 delegates joining online from around the world. The long-lost Assembly banner (missing for nine years) was reproduced and presented. Friendly delegates from Korean denominations and greetings from former moderators were shared via video. The Assembly approved participation in the RBI (Retirement & Benefits, Inc.) program of the PCA and Napark churches as the denominational pension plan. It further resolved to allocate 10% of the annual budget as a subsidy for RBI participants. A standing committee for next-generation ministry was authorized to research and prepare educational initiatives for youth, including special seminars.
46th General Assembly
Marked by the largest number of pastors’ wives in attendance in Assembly history. Approved the establishment of a Theological Advisory Committee under the Department of Theology to safeguard Reformed identity and support ongoing theological study. Decided to join the PCA’s RBI retirement plan starting in 2022, while continuing to study support options for smaller churches with financial difficulties. The Assembly also launched a denomination-wide Bible writing contest.
47th General Assembly
Brought a major change in officer elections: a seven-member Election Committee (formed by current presbytery moderators) would oversee all elections. The office of Elder Vice Moderator was introduced, strengthening lay leadership within the Assembly. Plans were made to publish the denominational magazine twice annually, and to produce a video history commemorating 50 years of the denomination.
48th General Assembly
Further defined the rules and responsibilities for the newly established office of Elder Vice Moderator, highlighting the positive role of elders in the Assembly. Administrative restrictions previously placed on missionaries and military chaplains were lifted, restoring their full rights within the denomination. The Assembly also carefully examined whether all churches and institutions were faithfully upholding Reformed theological principles.
49th General Assembly
The 49th General Assembly decided to change the assembly date beginning with the 50th General Assembly, from the Tuesday following the third Sunday of May to the Tuesday following the first Sunday of May. This change was made to accommodate the graduation dates and schedules of pastoral examination candidates and to encourage greater participation from delegates.
Founded in 1978, the Korean Presbyterian Church Abroad (KPCA) is approaching its 50th anniversary. To prepare for this milestone, the 50th Anniversary Committee and the anniversary officers are organizing events, with past moderators invited to serve as honorary advisors. As we reflect on the past 50 years and trace the fingerprints of God’s work in our denomination, this General Assembly is also a time to look forward with hope and expectation for the next 50 years.