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History of the Holiness Church in Korea

The Beginning in Japan: The Oriental Missionary Society (1901)

According to reliable mission records, the Holiness Church Movement traces its roots back to Japan in the early 1900s.

The central figures in its founding were Rev. Charles E. Cowman and Mrs. Lettie B. Cowman, American missionaries, and the Japanese evangelist Rev. Juji Nakada.

In 1901, Cowman and Nakada established the Oriental Missionary Society (O.M.S.) in Tokyo. Their goal was clear — to spread the message of entire sanctification or holiness of heart and life, a teaching rooted in John Wesley’s doctrine and the holiness revivals of the late 19th century.

Nakada, being Japanese, served as the bridge to his own people, while Cowman focused on administration, teaching, and organizing mission outreach. Lettie Cowman supported the mission through prayer, hospitality, and writing devotional materials. Her later work, Streams in the Desert, became one of the world’s best-loved Christian devotionals.

Their Tokyo Mission Bible Training Institute quickly became a center of holiness teaching in East Asia — training Japanese, Chinese, and later Korean students for evangelism.

The Arrival of the Korean Pioneers in Japan

In the midst of Japan’s growing influence over Korea, two Korean men — Rev. Kim Sang-jun (김상준) and Rev. Lee Seon-joo (이선주) — felt a divine call to learn more about the holiness life and bring it back to their homeland.

Historical accounts state that around 1907–1908, Kim and Lee traveled from Korea to Japan and enrolled at the Tokyo Bible Institute, operated by the Oriental Missionary Society.

There, under the spiritual mentorship of Cowman and Nakada, they were deeply influenced by the holiness message — that salvation is not only forgiveness of sins but the cleansing and sanctification of the believer’s heart through the Holy Spirit.

Nakada’s passionate preaching and Cowman’s spiritual discipline molded these two Korean students. They were not only trained in theology but also in the spirit of self-denial, missionary endurance, and holy living.

The Return to Korea and the Birth of the Holiness Movement (1910–1911)

When Kim Sang-jun and Lee Seon-joo returned to Korea, they were filled with fire and conviction. They immediately began holding holiness meetings and revival services across regions like Seoul, Pyongyang, and Incheon.

With support from the Oriental Missionary Society, they officially established the Korean Holiness Church (대한성결교회) in 1910–1911 — the same period Korea was annexed under Japanese rule.

The new movement emphasized four spiritual pillars:

Regeneration (the new birth in Christ),

Entire Sanctification (a pure heart and holy life),

Divine Healing, and

The Second Coming of Christ.

The church’s growth was rapid, fueled by passionate preaching, revival meetings, and the distinct holiness emphasis that called believers not just to be saved, but to be entirely consecrated to God.

The Role of Rev. Thomas — The Missionary Who Gave All

Another significant name recorded in the OMS archives and early Korean Holiness Church documents is Rev. Thomas (Thomas H. Selby or Thomas depending on transliteration) — a missionary who embodied the sacrificial heart of the movement.

While ministering under Japanese occupation, Rev. Thomas was beaten by Japanese soldiers because of his Christian work and message. He suffered serious injuries, and the Japanese government was later compelled to compensate him with $50,000 — a very large sum in those days.

But in a powerful act of faith and sacrifice, Rev. Thomas refused to keep the money. Instead, he donated the entire amount for the construction of a Holiness Church building in Korea.

This event became one of the defining moments in the Holiness Church’s early years — a testimony of how suffering was transformed into blessing, and how the gospel continued to advance even under oppression.

His name remains honored among Holiness believers as one who “gave his wounds to God, and from them, God built His house.”

The Period of Growth and Institutional Formation (1920s–1930s)

By the 1920s, the Holiness Church in Korea had grown into a well-recognized evangelical body. Mission schools, Bible institutes, and training centers were established with the help of OMS missionaries and local leaders.

However, as the movement grew, it gradually began to organize into a formal denomination — with church boards, official statements, and administrative structure.

While this gave the church stability and legal recognition under Japanese governance, it also caused tension among some early pioneers who preferred the movement to remain free, spiritual, and revival-centered — a “holiness fellowship” rather than an institution.

The Sad Division: When the Pioneers Departed

Historical notes record that both Rev. Kim Sang-jun and Rev. Lee Seon-joo, though honored as founders, eventually withdrew from the organization as it became increasingly institutionalized.

Their departure was not born out of anger or rebellion, but of conviction — they believed the Holiness Movement was meant to remain a spiritual awakening, not a church denomination.

It was a painful parting. The two men who had brought the holiness flame to Korea now stepped aside, entrusting the future of the movement to God.

Still, they remained thankful, knowing that the seed they had planted would continue to bear fruit.

The Enduring Legacy: The Holiness Church in Korea and Beyond

Despite the early struggles, the Korean Holiness Church survived the hardships of war, persecution, and division. It continued to expand — through mission schools, Bible colleges, and foreign outreach.

After the Korean War (1950–1953), the church experienced renewed growth, and its ministries eventually reached other Asian countries, including the Philippines.

Today, the Holiness Church of Korea and its sister movements across Asia stand as living testimonies to the faith of Cowman, Nakada, Kim, Lee, and Thomas — individuals who obeyed God at all cost.

Their story is not one of human success, but of divine continuity — proof that Reflection and Continuation in the Philippines

In the Philippines, the Holiness Church continues to grow — rooted in the same message that began in Japan over a century ago:

“Holiness unto the Lord — a life set apart for His glory.”

The churches here remain a part of that spiritual lineage — carrying forward the same holiness message that once crossed seas through missionaries and humble students.

Though the original founders faced sorrow and separation, their legacy lives on wherever hearts are fully surrendered to Christ.

The Holiness Church Movement in Korea began through foreign missionaries but was carried forward by faithful Korean believers who were willing to study, suffer, and sacrifice for the gospel.

Their faith birthed one of the most enduring evangelical movements in East Asia — one that continues to thrive today, particularly in the Philippines, where the holiness message finds new life among believers who still proclaim:

“Be holy, for I am holy.”

(1 Peter 1:16)en men and women live wholly for God, their work never dies.

When I first heard the detailed account of how the Holiness Church in Korea was born, I was utterly stunned. The story was not just a record of dates and names — it was a living testimony of faith, courage, and divine purpose that thrived in one of the darkest times of human history.

It was during the Second National Holiness Seminar held in the Philippines on October 13–14, 2005, when a respected Holiness pastor, who had dedicated years to studying the movement’s origins, recounted the story in both depth and spirit. His words pierced my heart.

He told us how, in the early 1900s, Japan ruled over Korea with an iron hand. The Korean people suffered under strict control — even their national symbols, language, and culture were suppressed. Yet in those same years, the Holiness Movement was quietly growing — a spiritual fire that no empire could extinguish.

A Movement of Equality and Freedom

What struck me deeply was how this movement stood radically different from society.

During those times, women were considered of little value, often denied education, voice, and leadership. Yet within the Holiness Movement — influenced by the teaching of the Cowmans and Juji Nakada — women were recognized as equal heirs of God’s calling.

The pastor explained that both men and women studied together in the Tokyo Bible Institute and in the early Korean Holiness gatherings. They prayed together, preached together, and even led revival meetings.

This was unheard of in East Asian culture at that time. But the Holiness doctrine of entire sanctification emphasized that when the Holy Spirit fills a believer, gender, social class, or background no longer limits the work of God.

This spiritual equality became a revolutionary mark of the Holiness Church — a testimony that the Gospel does not only save souls but also restores dignity to all who believe.

Faith Under Imperial Rule

The pastor continued by telling how the Japanese government closely monitored Christian organizations. Churches were forbidden to raise the Korean flag, as any display of national identity was considered rebellion.

But the Holiness believers — out of both faith and quiet patriotism — continued to lift their flag during certain gatherings. It was not political defiance but an act of spiritual freedom — a declaration that Christ was their true King.

He said that historical photographs still exist today, preserved by Korean Holiness pastors, showing early believers raising the flag beside the cross. Those pictures remain as sacred evidence — proof that faith and national identity were intertwined in courage.

These photos, kept carefully for over a century, still inspire many. The pastor who told us the story held one such picture — faded, but powerful. He said it was handed down from a senior Korean Holiness minister who lived through those days.

Before the Church — The Gospel Tracts That Prepared the Way

Even before the official establishment of the Holiness Church in Korea, the message had already begun to spread. The pastor described how gospel tracts — printed materials distributed secretly by early missionaries and students trained in Japan — were the first seeds of the Holiness revival.

These tracts, often titled with words like “Holiness Unto the Lord” and “The Cleansing Fire of the Spirit”, circulated among young believers, farmers, and prayer groups. They were handwritten or mimeographed copies — small and fragile, yet powerful.

Through these printed pages, people encountered the teaching of entire sanctification long before there were official churches or buildings. Many of those who later became leaders in the movement first encountered God’s call through those gospel papers.

The pastor said with emotion, “Before there was a pulpit, there was a printed page — and God used even ink and paper to set hearts on fire.”

A Movement That Defied Darkness

Listening to that testimony in 2005, I, Jetro Concernman, felt as though I had stepped back in time — standing among those who risked their lives for the sake of holiness and truth.

This movement was not born in comfort, but in oppression. Not in wealth, but in sacrifice.

Men and women who could not lift their national flag lifted instead the banner of the cross.

Even under Japan’s watchful eye, they continued to gather, preach, print, and pray — believing that no earthly government could silence the kingdom of God.

A Legacy That Reaches the Philippines

As I sat listening that October evening, I realized that this fire — which began with Cowman, Nakada, Kim Sang-jun, Lee Seon-joo, and Thomas — had not only survived but had crossed oceans and generations.

The same message that had once burned in Tokyo and Seoul was now being preached in Manila, Quezon, and Davao. The Holiness Church in the Philippines, growing and alive, stands as living fruit of that century-old flame.

That night I wrote in my notes:

“The Holiness Church was born in fire, grew in persecution, and lives today in power. Its founders did not seek fame, only to make Christ known. Their story is not just history — it is heritage.”

The story that began in the early 1900s still speaks today. It reminds me that true holiness is not only a doctrine — it is a movement of hearts that refuses to bow to fear or compromise.

From the rain-soaked streets of Tokyo, to the fields of Korea, to the islands of the Philippines, this is one continuous story of faith that defied empires and lifted Christ above all.

And as I remember the passion of those early missionaries and Korean believers, I echo the same conviction:

“Holiness is not just a history — it is a living flame that must be kept burning.”