한국 월드비전(World Vision)의 배경과 창립과정

The World Vision was founded by Bob(Robert) Pierce, who was influenced by the evangelical movement that had newly begun in the United States after World War II. This evangelical movement defended traditional Christian messages while adapting to accommodate the changing new cultures. They also fought against communism that had threatened the free world after World War II. Bob Pierce visited China in 1947 and 1948 as a member of the evangelical mission society, Youth for Christ (YFC), where he helped the needy while engaging in missionary work. In particular, he captured the condition of China on film, revealing its situation vividly to the American society. When China became a communist country, Bob Pierce came to Korea in March 1950 and resumed the above mentioned ministry. Bob Pierce visited various regions of Korea, held vangelistic meetings, and observed orphanages with the help of missionaries who were working in Korea along with Pastor Han Kyung-jik. He also met President Syngman Rhee to discuss the threat of communism. The Korean War broke out immediately after he returned to his country. In September 1950, Bob Pierce founded the World Vision headquarters in the United states to systematically conduct Korean missionary work, and then, as its counterpart, established a Korean branch in 1953. World Vision was mainly responsible for helping the existing missionary groups in the beginning, but as it gradually developed children sponsorship programs, nowadays the organization came to provide the largest children sponsorship program in the world. World Vision sought to preserve traditional Christian beliefs while simultaneously adapting to the constantly changing world.