Dreaming of Holistic Mission - An interview with Trust Dance Theatre Director Kim Hyung‑hee

Jinyoung Kim(Editorial Board Member)

Gospel and Culture

Keelan Cook, an American missiologist and professor, states that mission without culture cannot exist, and that in fulfilling the Church’s mission to make disciples of all nations, all peoples, and all cultural spheres, it is extremely important to present the Gospel in a way that people of a specific cultural context can understand. However, contextualization does not mean abandoning absolute truth, and since the Gospel is always conveyed in some cultural form, it is important to present the unchanging Gospel in a way that people can comprehend (Cook, 2019).

Even without quoting prominent scholars, Christians living in modern times can easily sense how significant and influential cultural ministry is. In particular, the end of the Cold War and the development of technology and media have greatly elevated the influence and status of culture. So how has the mission field paid attention to culture? In the late 19th century’s Western‑centered missions, mission was often misunderstood as civilizing. But in the 1950s–60s, Donald McGavran of Fuller Seminary and others argued that mission studies must systematically analyze culture and social structures, presenting the Homogeneous Unit Principle and the concept of Contextualization—arguing that people receive the Gospel more easily within culturally similar units (McAffee & Raper, 2014). Through this, the recognition that understanding and respecting local culture is important for effectively presenting the Gospel first emerged in mainstream mission.

Then in 1974 at the Lausanne Congress (Theologians from the Lausanne Movement), “Gospel and culture” became an important theme (Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, 1974), and in 1978 the Willowbank Report of the World Evangelical Fellowship explicitly stated that “the Gospel must be culturally contextualized,” giving rise to the theology of contextualization (Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, 1978). Since the 1990s, practical needs for cultural ministry in cross-cultural missions—such as among immigrants or in frontier missions—have increased. Furthermore, since the 2000s, with the arrival of the digital age, culture itself has become a factor exerting great influence across society, thereby further heightening the importance of cultural ministry.

Holistic Mission and Cultural Ministry

Recently, as the concept of holistic mission has emerged, the importance of cultural ministry in missions has grown even more. Holistic mission is a ministry that goes beyond soul salvation to include the full personal transformation, social justice, and material recovery of individuals. The concept of holistic mission rose as a major stream in missions when Samuel Escobar, René Padilla, and others at the 1974 Lausanne meeting demanded the integration of Gospel and social justice. In the 1983 Lausanne Covenant report, it stated explicitly that the Gospel and practical love cannot be separated, and discussions began in earnest (Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, 1983). Furthermore, moving into the 1990s and 2000s, the WCC, Lausanne, and the evangelical camp all adopted the concept of holistic mission, making it a key current in modern missions. Because holistic mission aims not only at individual salvation but at restoring the community, institutions, culture, and value systems surrounding the individuals being evangelized, it naturally connects with cultural ministry. In holistic mission, distorted cultural structures are both targets for restoration within the Gospel and tools for spreading the Gospel.

However, even though the direction pursued by holistic mission seems highly rational, the evangelical camp continues to express concern. First, if too focused on holistic mission concepts, there may be a tendency to prioritize social reform and transformation at the expense of soul salvation and world evangelization, diluting the essence of Gospel proclamation. Also, by overemphasizing holistic mission, simple Gospel evangelism that doesn’t directly impact societal well‑being may be regarded as lacking, even frowned upon (Guthrie, 2000). In other words, while culture is undeniably an important tool in mission, cultural ministry within holistic mission tends to focus on contributing to societal restoration through good cultural content, rather than aiming primarily at soul salvation. In some cases, even though the Gospel message may be deliberately excluded, the work may still be recognized as cultural ministry under the banner of holistic mission.

Thus, even if the intent of holistic mission is rational and good, if one becomes absorbed in the concept at the expense of the Church’s core purpose—soul salvation—then evangelism and discipleship will be neglected. Therefore, to obey the Great Commission Jesus commanded and to change the difficult realities faced by people groups, it is important to make Gospel evangelism and discipleship clear goals while supporting the recovery of those peoples in various ways. In this era where culture and media wield enormous influence—whether positively or negatively—it is clear that cultural ministry is indeed a useful and important ministry for transforming nations and societies.

Interview with Trust Dance Theatre Director Kim Hyung‑hee

Our institute, through an interview with Director Kim Hyung‑hee, who is engaged in cultural ministry through the Trust Dance Company, was able to look into the practical reality of holistic mission via cultural ministry. Director Kim pondered for a long time on how she could glorify God through dance, formed the Trust Dance Company, and began cultural ministry. She also founded and led “Cane & Movement,” a dance company for people with disabilities, breaking down barriers between the disabled and non‑disabled and instilling a social awareness that people with disabilities can also dance. Moreover, she visits unreached people groups where the Gospel has not been preached with the disabled dance troupe, bringing comfort to many souls and sharing the Gospel through dance. Significantly, by providing local field workers with a point of contact—dance performances—she enables souls who are comforted by those performances to long‑term fellowship with those workers and receive the Gospel. For example, about ten years ago when the Trust Dance Company visited the Caucasus region and performed, local people were deeply moved by the intense one‑hour performance, and even now, when they meet the field workers, they often talk about that performance. Below is the interview with Director Kim Hyung‑hee.

Q: Please introduce yourself.

A: Hello, I’m Kim Hyung‑hee. I majored in dance, and I thought a lot about how I could glorify God through art. At first, unlike visual art or music, I thought it would be hard to glorify God with dance, and I almost quit. But my husband encouraged me: “Why get rid of the talent God gave you? Become the best in the arts.” At the time I didn’t know what he meant, but over time I realized the influence of art. Art can spiritually awaken people or confuse them. But when they encounter God, they naturally return to God through art. So, over time I’ve been learning that there’s much to do for God’s glory through art.

Q: What led you to start the Trust Dance Company?

A: When I majored in dance, I wanted to become a good choreographer who creates and gives messages through dance. At first I focused on individuals as a creator, but as time passed I realized art can give messages about the times and society. So, in 1999 I founded the Trust Dance Company with the desire to give messages about various pains we’ve experienced, like the suffering of division. But while leading the dance troupe, I felt many limitations in making social messaging the goal. Then I realized you can go into an individual’s interior through dance and bring healing, so I studied how to express inner things through dance. Then out of desire to share the Gospel with nonbelievers, we began creating works based on the Gospel and started dance therapy that allows individuals to explore and express their wounds and words.

Dance therapy is meeting the subject, communicating improvisationally with them, helping them discover themselves, deepen it, and express it through dance to bring healing. By helping them draw out inner voices they can’t express verbally and express them through dance, they experience healing. Ultimately, our dance troupe dreams that life becomes dance and dance becomes prayer. And we minister with the belief that anyone can dance.

Q: What led you to start Cane & Movement, a dance company for the disabled?

A: I believe everyone must be able to tell the story of their body. So I visited the disabled ministry at Onnuri Church to find people who could dance. One person came to the troupe audition; though untrained, they expressed their story sincerely in their body, and everyone was shocked—that changed our perspective on dance. When that person joined, four others joined, and working with them in the troupe greatly changed our view on the disabled. People with disabilities are not just those who need our help. Anyone with a body can dance, and people with disabilities as well. Those initially few disabled dancers now always keep their position and become the driving force of our troupe.

(Photo: scene from Cane & Movement performance. Source = Cane & Movement)

(Photo: scene from Cane & Movement performance. Source = Cane & Movement)

Q: How is cultural ministry on mission fields different from ordinary overseas cultural performances?

A: When we go for an overseas cultural performance, we go simply to perform. But when we go to a mission field for cultural ministry, we go to communicate with the souls we meet there. Since 1997 we’ve done cultural ministry in mission fields like Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Tibet, and we’re especially grateful we can support local missionaries through cultural ministry. The contact point we create with locals through our performance means the field missionaries can continue fellowship and share the Gospel even after we return, which is gratifying.

Q: When you come with the troupe to cultural ministry in the field, what should field workers do to make cultural ministry more impactful?

A: We aren’t familiar with the language or local culture, so we need help in that area from field missionaries. Otherwise, there’s nothing particular they need to do; rather, I think we need to help the missionaries.

Q: What direction do you want the dance ministry to develop in the future?

A: I hope the troupe develops in a life‑saving direction. After starting Cane & Movement, I learned that the more help people with disabilities get, the more they improve. Not only people with disabilities, but nowadays there are many children with ADHD; I’d like to help them grow healthily through art.

Q: You recently began addiction‑recovery ministry through the dance troupe. What prompted this, and how is it being conducted?

A: One day I heard a deposition on recovery from something and it kept talking about drug addiction. A phrase that stuck with me was that there’s no proper addiction treatment program yet in Korea. They said there’s psychological counseling for addicts but no physical‑activity programs to keep them from having idle time that leads to addiction, helping them be active during the day so they sleep well at night. Hearing that, I thought I can do healing ministry by helping their bodies move. So I approached and said I wanted to serve with a ministry team doing addiction ministry.

Then I learned of a support group for addicts and started attending, hearing their stories and newly understanding the realities and difficulties addicts face. The evangelist doing addiction ministry said about one‑third of our population is addicted to some form. Addicts themselves struggle with life, but their parents are also very wounded and exhausted. Unlike people with disabilities, who when taught they listen well and rarely cause problems, addicts do not solve their issues over time—they continue to cause financial or sexual problems, cannot control themselves. So now that the disabled dance troupe has some structure, I felt my next ministry should be addiction recovery.

The addiction‑recovery ministry is very new, but on March 15 in Wonju we held the first concert. We met many addicts and their parents. I learned that those who can help addicts are people who have been healed from addiction themselves. Addiction recovery ministry takes a very long time; if people expect quick results, they’re often hurt. So it’s most effective when recovered addicts become leaders and serve others. Creating an environment where addiction can be broken is very important. Addiction can’t be solved by willpower alone. Right now we are meeting to help addicts and their parents recover. In the future, we’d like to build lodging at the troupe’s Wonju ALP (All Live Place) center so several addicts and their parents can stay while they recover from addiction. And the goal is for them to introspect and express their hearts through dance, experiencing healing and restoration.

Q: Please share difficulties and precautions you’re experiencing in addiction recovery ministry.

A: You can easily get exhausted serving addicts. Addiction recovery effects don’t appear immediately, so continually serving is very hard—you’ll be very disappointed. Yet through prayer and together with many people and co‑workers, it’s important. Addicts don’t trust people easily, so gaining their trust is very important. Rather than doctrinally presenting the Gospel, become a friend, listen, and wait for their heart to open.

Q: Addiction is also serious in most mission fields. How can field workers help locals struggling with addiction? What practical methods do you think are helpful?

A: First, empathy is extremely important when serving addicts. They are very sensitive at sensing whether someone’s heart is open or closed. So from the beginning, instead of doctrinal or one‑way sharing, you must listen with empathy so the addict can open their heart and share. And when teaching dance, just saying “dance” won’t work—they can’t. But by cutting newspaper and having them move arms without letting it fall, you can approach to get them dancing. It would be good if field missionaries learn practical approach methods for serving addicts. And you can’t approach only theoretically with Scripture. Through play and movement, the body opens, liking emerges, and the heart opens. And continuous attention and prayer are truly important. If possible, having such classes would be good.

Q: If it were possible to visit mission fields to do addiction‑recovery ministry like dance ministry, how could it take shape?

A: At first, introductory play and movement classes would be good; that way anyone will dance. Addiction recovery is a long‑term endeavor, so field missionaries would help, but through play and movement classes, opening hearts and learning to care for their bodies healthily would greatly assist addiction recovery.

Q: Ultimately addiction‑recovery ministry is about changing lifestyles and is long‑term. Do you think field workers can professionally learn and apply addiction recovery in the field?

A: First, if possible, it would be good to give missionaries play and movement classes too. Missionaries are busy with ministry, so they don’t have time to reflect on their own hearts or face themselves. Many don’t take good care of their bodies either. So I’d like to teach them how to use their bodies properly. If missionaries first learn and experience this, then teach locals struggling with addiction, that would be good.

Q: Finally, please share prayer requests if you have any.

A: We are building lodging at the Wonju ALP (All Live Place) Center for addiction recovery. Financially it’s a bit difficult, but I want to persevere and dedicate until the end. Please pray that many people live and are restored through this center. Also, now in my sixties, I want to live the rest of my life glorifying God, doing what I want without fear.

Dreaming of Holistic Mission

Through the interview with Director Kim Hyung‑hee, we were able to observe how the Trust Dance Company’s ministry materially contributes to soul salvation. Also, seeing how the Cane & Movement dance troupe and the addiction‑recovery ministry look into a single soul’s pain and help them heal and approach God through the tool of dance provides a case of holistic mission that saves one soul and makes disciples.

As noted earlier, if you approach holistic mission superficially and apply it to ministry without its primary purpose—soul salvation and discipleship—your church’s ministry can become no different from an NGO’s work. Yet you must not completely ignore the concept of holistic mission. God created humans as beings with body, soul, and spirit—the three are organically connected. Without this understanding, if our ministry remains purely doctrinal in presenting the Gospel, it’s hard to see a soul fully changed and restored in the Gospel. But we often forget this and, when ministering to souls, approach individuals not holistically but doctrinally. Furthermore, if we only impart knowledge of the Gospel to souls groaning in a society where God’s justice and order have collapsed, they might temporarily respond to the Gospel, but in the corrupt society they’ll fail again under temptations and sin.

Jesus, during the three years with His disciples, ate, drank, and lived with them to serve each person holistically. He rebuked Pharisees and scribes before the people to condemn the aged customs obscuring Gospel truth. Jesus did not ignore physical problems—He healed the sick—and did not neglect emotional issues—He comforted the wounded. He understood humans deeply as body‑spirit‑soul beings and served them holistically.

Looking at closer faith precursors, the missionaries who came to impoverished, marginalized Joseon did not stop at preaching or establishing churches. They built hospitals in Korea’s very poor medical environment and founded schools for proper education. They also strove to correct common bad habits among Joseon people. They served Korean society holistically and raised disciples who would transform Korean society through the Gospel. Therefore, you should not avoid holistic mission itself due to the risks it may bring. It is very important to keep evangelism and discipleship clearly as the goal while serving a soul and a people in multiple ways. When you serve a soul and a people holistically, leaders who can transform that people will be raised, and just as Joseon was changed, that nation too will be changed.

Ultimately, true holistic mission begins not from staying in your place doing what you can, but from going to a soul and a people to live and love with them. This connects to obeying the Great Commission: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” If holistic mission means serving a society and nation in various ways beyond merely preaching doctrine, then to restore a society’s corrupted culture and lifestyle, you must enter into that society, live with them, love, and devote yourself. And for a soul or a people to truly be restored, clear words of truth must be proclaimed, and a work of repentance must occur. Ultimately, only by obeying Jesus’ Great Commission can one truly undertake holistic mission. If the global Church and the Korean Church genuinely desire to fulfill the call of holistic mission, they must still go to the many unreached peoples who remain alienated from the Gospel.

References

Cook, K. (2019). Why Understanding Culture Helps Us Fulfill the Great Commission. https://cfc.sebts.edu/faith-and-culture/understanding-culture-helps-fulfill-great-commission/

Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization. (1974). The Lausanne Covenant [Evangelism and Culture section]

Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization. (1978). The Willowbank Report: Consultation on Gospel and Culture (Lausanne Occasional Paper No. 2)

Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization. (1983). Evangelism and Social Responsibility: An Evangelical Commitment (Lausanne Occasional Paper No. 21)

McAffee, M., & Raper, B. (2014, February 3). Donald McGavran and the Church Growth Movement. Helwys Society Forum

Guthrie, S. (2000). Missions in the Third Millennium: 21 Key Trends for the 21st Century.