Telling a Life Story as Theological Reflection : Donald Owens, the First Korean Missionary in the Church of the Nazarene

Abstract

As James McClendon stresses out, the study of life stories is central to the study of theology. Thus, telling a life story of a historically meaningful figure in a theological perspective brings about a theological reflection which leads to the construction of a theology and its implication. Donald Owens was a significant person in the beginning history and the construction of the theological identity of the Church of the Nazarene in Korea. Thus it is valuable to investigate the life story of Donald Owens for the purpose of understanding not only of his theology, but also of the characteristics of the early Church of the Nazarene in Korea. This paper will explore Owens's personal, social, cultural and ecclesiastical background through which the characteristics of Owens's theology and Christian ministry will be understood and defined. In turns, the paper will deal with Owens's biographical summary beginning with the birthplace and hometowns, going on to the migration to California in his formative years, to moving back to the hometown in Missouri in his late teenage years. The conversion experience was an important event in which he became a Christian and decided to live according to God's will and guidance. The paper continues to talk about his army experience in Philippines and Japan right after the World War Two and to introduce the significant incidents in Bethany-Peniel College in which Owens was called to be a missionary and met a his lifelong friend and soul-mate, Adeline Lois Preuss. Donald Owens and his wife, Adeline Owens, came to Korea in 1954 with the objective to do educational missionary work for the Church of the Nazarene in Korea and ultimately stayed in Korea until the summer of 1965. Owens was a pioneering missionary, pastor, educator, theologian and church administrator who established the Nazarene Bible School (currently the Korea Nazarene University) as well as influenced the polity of the Church of the Nazarene in Korea. Donald Owens loved, cherished, and was proud of being the first Korean Nazarene missionary. The paper concludes that the life story of Donald Owens will indicate the historical connection between the Church of the Nazarene in America and the beginning era of the Church of the Nazarene in Korea. Moreover this paper will encourage the further study on the significance of the history and theology of the early Church of the Nazarene in Korea.