My 1999 trip to South Korea was supposed to be a few weeks. Little did I know that the journey would turn into 25 years. By God’s “happy little accident,” I wound up doing international ministry at a megachurch. Visiting the motherland and taking a semester abroad in college was one thing. Living here and serving in ministry was a whole other level of adjustment and adaptability. Throughout my ministry, I have seen the landscape of Korea change as this little nation became a major player on the global stage in economy, culture, and even spirituality. In the midst of Korea’s national development, there has been a transformation for English church ministries. From being a novelty niche ministry in the basement of a Korean church to becoming a major global influence, the international church in Korea has come a long way.
What does English ministry (EM) church look like in South Korea?
When I first came to Korea in the late 90s, there weren’t many English ministries. Some megachurches had them, but the majority were filled with native Koreans wanting to learn English. It was hard to find an international Christian community. The church where I began serving had the “monopoly” on EMs, with about 3,000 in attendance across four different campuses. Since then, many independent EMs have come onto the scene and made a deep impact in Korea. Also in recent years, bilingual services have become popular, especially among young people who have lived abroad and prefer a more Western atmosphere, but don’t have the language ability for a full-on English ministry.
In recent years, international churches have been on the frontlines of outreach to North Korea, serving the homeless, raising awareness against human trafficking, orphanage ministry, and world missions. There have also been collaborative prayer movements to intercede on behalf of Korea, especially in the midst of present political turmoil and unrest.
What’s been happening in Korea on the church scene?
As the international community grows, churches play a vital role in spiritual growth, discipleship, and evangelism. English ministries in the U.S. have been talking about becoming multicultural or multi-ethnic for the past 30 years with some success, but the process has been difficult. EMs in Korea have broken many of those barriers. As I look out at my own church, I see people from every continent represented. Europeans worship with Asians. North and South Americans are in small groups with Africans and Australians. Communities are built around the common denominator of knowing Jesus and desiring to grow more in him.
One of the exciting things about English ministry in Korea is the collaboration, networking, and friendships forged among pastors and leaders, especially in the Seoul metropolitan area. In the early 2000s, what began as a fellowship of EM pastors and army chaplains who missed Western food birthed a network of churches called AIM-Korea (Association of International Ministries in Korea). We gathered on the U.S. military post to eat and fellowship. As this became a regular meeting, we began planning joint services and events. Today, about 30–50 pastors gather every month at different locations in Seoul to worship, pray, and eat. Twice a year, thousands gather from around Korea for our annual joint Good Friday and Christmas services. It has been a joy to work together with people I trust and love.
What unique opportunities do international churches have in Korea?
A lot of pastors romanticize EM in Korea, but it takes a lot of patience and tenacity. In my 25 years in Korea, I’ve seen many churches close within the first year. A lot of people are frustrated when their church does not grow automatically.
One of the challenges of doing international church in Korea is the transience of attendees. The joke at my church is that I could preach the same sermon every week and no one would know. Depending on any given Sunday, we can have up to 30–40 people visiting in our church there for the first time. However, this has become a blessing, more than a negative. Every airport has an arrival gate and a departure gate. On the contrary, every church has an arrival gate, but may not have an exit place to depart. In the time we have people in our church, we hope to train, equip, and disciple those God sends to us in order to send them out again with having gained a greater devotion to Him and a bigger missional perspective.
As the world is coming to Korea, the harvest is ripe for the gospel. 2.5 million foreigners have made Korea their home, with possibly another 1 to 1.5 million undocumented residing here. Whenever I travel to other countries, many people tell me that they dream of coming to Korea to live and work. In addition, due to the low birthrate, the government is opening the doors for 300,000 students to study in Korea over the next five years. Countries where the gospel cannot be openly shared will be sending their best and brightest to study and live. What an opportunity to make disciples of all nations! We recently baptized a young lady from China who had never been to church before. The first time she came, she had tears in her eyes after service. When I asked her what was happening, she shared that she never had this kind of peace before. My hope and prayer is that we can continue to make disciples of all nations as they come to Korea.
Photo Credit: YK via Unsplash