Maynard W. Dorow

1. 10/29/1929 Garner, Iowa USA

 

Spouse/Family

Wife: Shirley Ann (nee Groh), b. 09/14/1931, Mason City, Iowa USA

1. 8/12/1956

Children: John Mark (1957, St.Louis, MO), Mary Angeline (1959, Seoul, Korea),

Peter Frederic (1961, Seoul, Korea), Sara Kathryn (1964 Seoul, Korea)

Dates of Service Field Call Assignment

1958 – 1998 South Korea Missionary

1968 – 1984 Seoul, South Korea Director, Lutheran Theological Academy

1984 – 1998 Yongin City, South Korea President, Luther Seminary, then Luther

Theological University (LTU), which is now

Luther University and Seminary

1998 Edmonton, Canada Concordia Seminary, Fall Semester,

Edmonton, Canada

1998-2007 Yongin City, South Korea Visiting Professor of New Testament,

two months annually through the

Theological Educators’ Fund

 

Biographical Summary

Maynard and Shirley Dorow helped to begin Lutheran mission work in Korea in 1958.  They retired in Arden Hills, Minnesota in 1998 after 40 years in Korea, and they returned annually to Korea for short-term teaching and volunteer service each spring through 2007 at Luther University and Seminary, a school Maynard helped found. In October, 2008, they and their family returned to Korea to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Lutheran work in Korea.

 

Maynard served as president of Luther Seminary in Korea for many years and worked to meet Korean Ministry of Education requirements to expand the school and to receive full accreditation and degree-granting status.  The school is now called Luther University and Seminary (LTU) and has a College of Theology and a College of Social Welfare with government approval to grant undergraduate as well as master’s degrees in both areas of study.  The graduate program in theology trains pastors for service in the Lutheran Church in Korea. The graduate program in social welfare trains social workers for community and church.  LTU is a Korean-language university.  The school is associated with the Lutheran Church in Korea which currently has 41 congregations.

 

In Korea Maynard also served as advisory pastor, working with young vicars to plant seven new churches from 1967-1994.  He was treasurer of the Lutheran Church in Korea for over 30 years, and he served on numerous committees for evangelism, education, worship and service.  He taught primarily New Testament courses at the seminary.

 

While in Korea Shirley taught at Seoul Foreign School (SFS), an international Christian school where the Dorow children attended kindergarten through high school, and Maynard served on the board of the school.  Shirley began the Junior Kindergarten at SFS, a program for 4-year olds.  She also taught English Conversation at Luther Seminary and at Kyunghee University and wrote English-language news releases and public relations materials for the seminary and church.  She wrote a Food Forum column in The Korea Times from 1974-76 and gave talks on Korean market foods and protein-complementarity cooking.

 

The Dorows enjoyed many opportunities for helping to host visitors and exchange professors from all over the world who wished to see the Christian churches of Korea in action and get to know more of the Lutheran work in Korea.  During his service at Luther University and Seminary (LTU) Maynard helped establish exchange programs with Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri and Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota as well as St. Olaf  College, Northfield, Minnesota.  Students from the USA attended classes taught by English-speaking professors at LTU, lived in the dormitory and took part in campus life for good cross-cultural experiences.  In turn the Korean students spent one month of intensive English study and cultural experiences at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota.

 

The Dorows spent two weeks in North Korea the spring of 2003, helping to monitor aid to Tuberculosis hospitals and agricultural groups in the north sent by Christian Friends of Korea (CFK).  They continue to serve as advisory members of the CFK board.

 

Maynard hails from Garner, Iowa. He was baptized, confirmed and ordained as pastor and commissioned as missionary to Korea at St. John’s Lutheran church, Garner, Iowa.  He graduated from St. Olaf College (’51) and Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri (’56) with a S.T.M. in 1963. He was given the honorary Doctor of Divinity from Concordia Seminary in 1983. He was awarded the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit Heung-In Medal from His Excellency, the president of the Republic of Korea, Kim Dae-jung, on June 18, 1998.  In May of 2004 he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from St. Olaf College.

 

Shirley (née Groh) is from Mason City, Iowa and was baptized, confirmed, consecrated as a deaconess (1953 – Lutheran Deaconess Program, Valparaiso University) and married at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Mason City.  The Dorows have three children living in the Twin Cities: (John/Julie; Mary; Peter/Monica) and four grandchildren (Adam/Jessica; Hannah; Jason; Matthew), and they have one daughter (Sara/Peter) living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

 

The Dorows are members of Jehovah Lutheran Church in St. Paul.

 

Note Bene

• 1963: S.T.M. from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO
• 1968 – 1984: Director, Lutheran Theological Academy (LTA) in Seoul, Korea
• 1984 – 1998: President of Luther Seminary, later called Luther Theological University (LTU), then called Luther University and Seminary
• 1967-1994: Advisory pastor working with young Korean vicars to plant seven new churches
• 1958 – 1965; 1972 – 1995: Treasurer, at first for Korea Lutheran Mission and then for Lutheran Church in Korea
• 1983: Honorary Doctor of Divinity from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO
• June, 1998: The Order of Diplomatic Service Merit Heung-In Medal from his Excellency Kim Dae-jung, the President of the Republic of Korea in honor of Dr. Dorow’s “distinguished service in the field of education and mission to the Republic of Korea and the United States of America and his valuable dedication and service to the Korean people.”
• May, 2004: Distinguished Alumni Award from St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN
• May 2009: Aeterna Moliri (Builder for Eternity) award from Concordia University, St. Paul, MN

 

Maynard’s writings include:

• “Developing a Ministry on Mission Fields in the Light of the New Testament Concepts of Church and Ministry” (typescript).  S. T. M. Dissertation, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, 1963.
• “Church, Ministry and Mission Fields.”  Concordia Theological Monthly, XXXV 8 (September, 1964), 455-469.
• “The Concept of the ‘Indigenous Church’ as Related to the Theological Training Program.”  Essay presented to the All-Asia Conference on Theological Training held at Baguio City, Philippines, October 20-29, 1964.  Printed by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
• “The Gospel in the Apostolic Age: Good News in Particularity.”  Essay presented to the faculty and students of the Asia Center for Theological Studies and Mission (ACTS) in Seoul, October 1, 1974.
• “The Primitive Church and its Historical Environment.”  A lecture presented to the faculty and students of the Asia Center for Theological Studies and Mission (ACTS), Seoul, February 3, 1975.
• “The Purpose of Luke-Acts.  Jews and Gentiles in the Lukan Writings.”  A Collection of Theological Essays in honor of Dr. John Kim Chul Hyun on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday.  Taegu, Korea: Keimung University Press, 1985.
• “The Lutheran Church in Korea: Its Background and Confessional Stance.”   Essay presented at the meeting of the Association of Confessional Lutheran Seminaries at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, September 17-20, 1985.
• “A Lutheran Challenge.  Korea’s Strategic Position for Mission in Asia.”  Unpublished essay, 1994.
• “Ten Things I have learned as a Missionary.”  Theology and Faith, IX (1998), 67-71.
• “The Lutheran Church in Korea: A Test Case for a Confessional Understanding of Church and Mission.”  The Lutherans in Mission.  Essays in Honor of Won Yong Ji.  Lutheran Society for Missiology Book Series, Eugene W. Bunkowske, Series Editor.  Fort Wayne, IN, 2000.
• “Missio Dei – Ecumenical, Confessional, Liturgical.  A Perspective from Korea.”  A convocation address delivered at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, January 17, 2001.
• “Worship is Mission.  Seeing the Eucharist as the Drama of God’s Mission to the World.”  Missio Apostolica, IX, 2 (November 2001), 78-83.

Phase 2 Information

 

Biggest missiological issue faced?

Maynard writes: “It is important to recognize that the Lutheran missionary effort begun in Korea in 1958 was a team effort.  Missionaries L. Paul Bartling, Maynard Dorow and Kurt Voss traveled to Korea together in 1958 and were joined in September of that year by Won Yong Ji, a Korean national who had finished his doctorate at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis that year.  Missionary Voss and family left the field after four years of service.  Missionary Hilbert W. Riemer came in 1961.  Other missionaries came for shorter periods.  The long-term teams were Bartling, Dorow and Riemer until the Bartling family left in 1975, and then Dorow and Riemer until they left the field in 1998 and 2004 respectively.

 

“Biggest theological issue - the most significant issues facing the Lutheran Mission were relating to the Christian churches already established in Korea and working in the context of the post Korean War social unrest and confusion.

”Roman Catholics had begun work in the later 19th century and Presbyterians and Methodists in 1885.  In 1958 Christians numbered about five percent of the population, seemingly small but large compared with the rest of Asia.  The churches were vigorous and growing.  Quite a number of denominations had begun work in Korea in the years immediately after the war, 1953 to 1958, including the Lutherans.

”There was turmoil both in society and in the church.  The war left the country divided into North Korea and South Korea, a division resulting from the aftermath of World War II.  During the Korean War tens of thousands of people fled from the North to the South, most to escape the exigencies of the harsh communist regime.  Christians in particular had fled the North because they were a particular target of persecution by the North Korean government.

”Thus in 1958 the Lutheran mission team entered a scene in South Korea where churches were struggling to absorb thousands of Christian refugees, the public was somewhat confused by the mix of newly arrived denominations, and aid agencies, both Christian and secular, were trying to relieve the hunger and suffering of a very poor country.

”In this setting our mission team prayed, studied, discussed and debated.  We sought the counsel of respected leaders of the established Korean churches.  We wanted to proceed with the work on the basis of sound theological principles and in the light of the real situation in Korea.  Following are the fundamental concepts that shaped the theology and the mission program: We recognized that Christ’s church was in Korea.  We saw that our first priority was to contribute to the up-building of the Korean church already established.  We recognized that our role was to contribute the particular Lutheran gifts to the mission momentum of the thousands of Korean churches scattered across the country.

”At the outset, then, this contribution to the existing church in Korea was made through ‘mass media’ – the Lutheran Hour whose broadcasts reached across the country; a follow-up Correspondence Course in Christianity which reached several hundred thousand people, both church members and non-members; publication of books on Biblical and Lutheran theology through Concordia-Sa, the publishing arm of the Lutheran Church in Korea.  The lead in these programs was taken by Dr. Ji whose language and academic skills, together with his gift of ‘vision,’ prepared him well for this role.  In addition Dr. Ji contributed to the broader church through participation in ecumenical associations such as the Christian Broadcasting System in Korea, the Korean Literature Society of Korea, and the Korean Bible Society.”

 

Most significant contribution during missionary service?

“An opportunity for me to make a significant contribution came in the area of theological training.  The first training of pastors was under the leadership of Won Yong Ji.  When he accepted appointment as Secretary for Asia with the Lutheran World Federation in 1968, the leadership in this area fell to me.  I served first as director of the ‘house of studies’ program called Lutheran Theological Academy and then later as president of Luther University and Seminary until my retirement in 1998.  It was my privilege to serve with a very capable faculty and staff who worked through the demanding process of gaining full university accreditation by the Korean Ministry of Education, so that the school could grant master’s degrees in both theology and social service.

”Together with the faculty and the Board of Regents I strove for high standards of education at the university and the seminary.  One of the key elements in this effort was facilitating advanced theological training for faculty and for pastors to enhance their teaching roles and to meet government requirements.

”I can mention also my small contribution in the area of human care, helping to develop and put into practice the concept that evangelistic outreach and human care ministry belong together.  This came about both in the university and seminary education and in practical ways as well.  Especially gratifying was the opportunity to serve as advisor to a layman who was assigned to develop community rehabilitation projects in the ‘slum’ area of Ok-soo Dong, Seoul.”

 

Connection to today’s mission?

“I have had the privilege of returning to Korea for two months each year in the spring to teach a course for the pastoral training (M. Div.) students.   During those stays I spoke several times in the university chapel and my wife, Shirley, and I were invited to visit churches on Sundays for preaching engagements.  This continued through the spring of 2007.”

 

Lessons Learned

• “We learned the importance of mastering the language of the country and of learning it well for the sake of good communication.”
• “Hand in hand with learning the language goes learning the culture of the country.  Both are essential for understanding the people and for gaining their trust.”
• “In the case of Korea it was important to have a sense of humility over against the three thousand year history of the people and their highly developed culture.”
• “We learned from our Korean compatriots the importance of long service by the missionary, for a long stay demonstrated commitment to the mission task and to the church.  It reflects a sense of identifying with the people and with their nation.
  The people of the country are the most effective missionaries and evangelists, so the expatriate’s most important role is the training of national leaders even as he works alongside them in planning and carrying out the program.”
• “We also learned the important role played by the missionary family, both the spouse and the children.  The family life reflects on the missionary and a positive image of the family can enhance the effectiveness of the missionary.”

 

Best Practices

• “Delegating responsibility to national leaders as soon as possible.”
• “Being sensitive to the national culture while teaching Lutheran doctrine and practice.”
• “Acting out our oneness in the church of Christ by participating in all aspects of the church life and by being open to doing things differently from one’s predisposition and expectation.”

 

Phase 3 Information

Inspiration for entering foreign missions?

Maynard writes, “I came from a family that was mission-minded in a broad sense, especially my mother who reached out to people with loving care.  While studying at the seminary I was moved by the example of students who were spending two-year vicarages in Japan and of graduating students who readily accepted calls to difficult mission assignments.

”During seminary days I felt that I was open to accepting a call to service anywhere in the world.  However, when the call to Korea came to hand, it came as something of a shock.  With the passing of some quiet days (i.e., hardly able to talk about it) and with the quiet excitement and encouragement of my wife, Shirley, it became clear that this was indeed God’s call to me.  My broader family was also supportive.”

Quotation by/about or brief story:

• From Maynard, “A Word of Thanks”

“Shirley and I are grateful for the privilege of living and working in Korea for forty years.  We gained much from knowing the hard-working, family-oriented and good humored people of that land, and from the lively faith and the faithful lives of the Christians.  They broadened our understanding of life and of the world and they enriched our worship of God.  For these blessings we thank them and we thank God who has used them to provide impetus for the church’s mission in Asia and beyond.”