Trip strengthens Korean partnership
BY MARY KA KANAHAN
There is no “luke-warm” Christianity in South Korea. That’s one of the lessons I learned when I traveled to the Nambu Annual Conference of the Korean Methodist Church in Daejon, South Korea, the week after Easter.
The Revs. Dae Hwa Park from Oakdale-Emory UMC in Olney, Rod Miller, conference director of connectional ministry, his wife Carol, and I explored ways to develop ministry and mission between local churches in South Korea and the Baltimore-Washington Conference and strengthen the partnership begun 10 years ago.
Glen Mar UMC in Ellicott City, where I am a
pastor, and Oakdale Emory UMC have expressed interest in developing a deeper relationship with churches in South Korea.
“We are ambassadors for Christ, all of us,” Miller preached at his closing sermon the last night in South Korea. Inspired by Scripture in Ephesians 2:17-22, he summarized the themes of reconciliation and peace that pervaded the conversations we had with many clergy and church representatives in Seoul and Daejon.
“Please pray for the reunification of Korea by a peaceful process through the witness of the Gospel,” one retired pastor pleaded as we left.
With an emphasis on evangelical mission to places like India, China and Mongolia, the Korean Methodist churches of the Nambu Conference see the “world as their parish,” reflecting the perspective of John Wesley, Methodism’s founder.
We were inspired to learn that our Nambu Conference sisters and brothers want to build on the good relationships formed at the episcopal level by partnering with local congregations in the Baltimore-Washington Conference to share discipleship training and worldwide mission.
Two congregations showing great interest and a potential for partnership are Sansung and Holy Light Methodist churches, each with several thousand members.
These churches have foundations built on spiritual practices of daily and weekly congregational prayer, systematized discipleship formation through classes and small groups, and accountability among staff and church leaders.
Park preached on April 11, at two services at Holy Light Church attended by more than 3,500 people.
He shared our conference’s measures of “faith, fire and fruit” as part of his message. We found many people eager to learn more about how the Discipleship Adventure is being applied in local congregations that are becoming Acts 2 churches.
The passion and urgency for the message of the Gospel to transform lives made a lasting impression on us.
As I said, there is just no such thing as lukewarm Christianity there. This was evident in the radical hospitality of the bishops and clergy of the Nambu Conference, along with the 24/7 prayer rooms in Sansung church, and the multi-level systematized pathways for faith development of Holy Light.
Churches in South Korea express a hope and vision to reach the whole world with the saving love of Jesus Christ, especially the children of God in North Korea. We have a lot to share and learn together and with God, all things are possible.
The challenge now is for the leadership of Glen Mar and Oakdale Emory to prayerfully discern the next steps and be willing to take some risks in ministry and mission with Sansung and Holy Light churches.
At a closing dinner, Miller and the current Bishop Young Tai Park and three retired bishops of the Nambu Conference signed a resolution of recommitment to encourage the next steps in partnership.
“It is time to take things to the next level,” Miller said. “We’ll see where the Spirit leads.”
There is no “luke-warm” Christianity in South Korea. That’s one of the lessons I learned when I traveled to the Nambu Annual Conference of the Korean Methodist Church in Daejon, South Korea, the week after Easter.
The Revs. Dae Hwa Park from Oakdale-Emory UMC in Olney, Rod Miller, conference director of connectional ministry, his wife Carol, and I explored ways to develop ministry and mission between local churches in South Korea and the Baltimore-Washington Conference and strengthen the partnership begun 10 years ago.
Glen Mar UMC in Ellicott City, where I am a
pastor, and Oakdale Emory UMC have expressed interest in developing a deeper relationship with churches in South Korea.
“We are ambassadors for Christ, all of us,” Miller preached at his closing sermon the last night in South Korea. Inspired by Scripture in Ephesians 2:17-22, he summarized the themes of reconciliation and peace that pervaded the conversations we had with many clergy and church representatives in Seoul and Daejon. “Please pray for the reunification of Korea by a peaceful process through the witness of the Gospel,” one retired pastor pleaded as we left.
With an emphasis on evangelical mission to places like India, China and Mongolia, the Korean Methodist churches of the Nambu Conference see the “world as their parish,” reflecting the perspective of John Wesley, Methodism’s founder.
We were inspired to learn that our Nambu Conference sisters and brothers want to build on the good relationships formed at the episcopal level by partnering with local congregations in the Baltimore-Washington Conference to share discipleship training and worldwide mission.
Two congregations showing great interest and a potential for partnership are Sansung and Holy Light Methodist churches, each with several thousand members.
These churches have foundations built on spiritual practices of daily and weekly congregational prayer, systematized discipleship formation through classes and small groups, and accountability among staff and church leaders.
Park preached on April 11, at two services at Holy Light Church attended by more than 3,500 people.
He shared our conference’s measures of “faith, fire and fruit” as part of his message. We found many people eager to learn more about how the Discipleship Adventure is being applied in local congregations that are becoming Acts 2 churches.
The passion and urgency for the message of the Gospel to transform lives made a lasting impression on us.
As I said, there is just no such thing as lukewarm Christianity there. This was evident in the radical hospitality of the bishops and clergy of the Nambu Conference, along with the 24/7 prayer rooms in Sansung church, and the multi-level systematized pathways for faith development of Holy Light.
Churches in South Korea express a hope and vision to reach the whole world with the saving love of Jesus Christ, especially the children of God in North Korea. We have a lot to share and learn together and with God, all things are possible. The challenge now is for the leadership of Glen Mar and Oakdale Emory to prayerfully discern the next steps and be willing to take some risks in ministry and mission with Sansung and Holy Light churches.
At a closing dinner, Miller and the current Bishop Young Tai Park and three retired bishops of the Nambu Conference signed a resolution of recommitment to encourage the next steps in partnership.
“It is time to take things to the next level,” Miller said. “We’ll see where the Spirit leads.”
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