A Study on the Application of ESG in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Korea

Today, ESG has established itself as a social responsibility that even religious communities cannot avoid. Unlike previous studies that have explored the partial application of ESG in specific areas of Christianity, this study identifies the need for the Korean Adventist Church to implement ESG at the denominational level and proposes specific measures. To achieve this, we explore the core concepts of ESG and their relevance to the church, identify the theological basis for ESG implementation, and propose practical measures for ESG implementation in the Korean Adventist Church. The key elements of the ESG discourse: First, ‘concerns about sustainability’, ‘crisis management’, ‘recognition of the importance of non-financial factors’, and ’consideration of the values of all stakeholders’ are significantly related to the current crisis facing the church and the direction for overcoming it. Therefore, the Korean Adventist Church should consider implementing ESG. Second, ’eco-friendliness’(E), ’social responsibility’(S), and ’improvement of governance’(G) are linked to theological concepts such as ’stewardship’, ’diakonia ministry’, and ’relational leadership’, respectively. Third, the Korean Adventist Church can declare and administratively implement ESG at the denominational level to reduce various economic expenditures and prevent social damage. At the local church level, it is expected that by implementing activities to improve environmental issues, expand volunteerism, and strengthen the transparency and diversity of the church's governance structure, it will be able to gain trust from the local community, spread the good news, and improve the authoritarian culture within the church. This study contributes to revealing that the Korean Adventist Church can fulfill its public role and take missional opportunities through proactive ESG implementation.