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Key Verse : Exo 19:6, “…you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

We held Dr. Samuel Lee’s 3rd Annual Memorial Service at a chapel in the Ridgewood Cemetery on October 3. About 150 members, including 30 outside guests attended. The memorial service began with reading Dr. Samuel Lee’s 8 legacies. It was followed by opening prayer by Francis Choi, Sam Toh, Yvonne Lee and introduction by P. Abraham Kim.

Opening message was delivered by Shepherd Jim Rarick (Chicago UBF), entitled, “A kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”  His message revealed that God had great hope for his chosen people Israel to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. At the time, Israel people were nothing but slave people full of slave mentality, petty desires and idolatry. Despite God’s great hope, his promise seemed to fail. However, God’s promise was fulfilled through Jesus Christ. Through personal Bible study, Dr. Samuel Lee found the same hope for North America to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Through S. Jim Rarick’s message, we could renew God’s hope for America to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. 

Next, NJ team sung a chorus with the title, “A servant’s heart.” It was followed by M. John Park’s testimony (NJ UBF), entitled, “You will be a kingdom of priests.” Once M. John was invited to Chicago UBF for 14 months from 1990 to 1991.  He was blessed to learn from Dr. Lee personally. He learned several things from Dr. Lee, including the spirit of giving and a clear identity of a kingdom of priests. When he practiced these for 25 years of NJ pioneering, God has abundantly blessed NJ ministry by raising two American shepherd families, two 2nd gen families, 13 Korean missionary families with 45 2nd gens. Recently NJ UBF built a huge building with 35 rooms, holding to God’s vision for raising 7,000 missionaries.

The highlight of the program was that Shepherdess Jaeun Cho (Kwanak 3, Korea) delivered her life testimony, translated by Dr. Helen Rarick. Her testimony showed how God has used S. Jaeun Cho as a kernel of wheat, establishing a miraculous work of God at the Kwanak campus. Her ministry began in 1984 with 3 nursing students at the Yongon campus. Despite many hardships, God has gradually blessed Kwanak pioneering until the number increased from 3 students to 125 Sunday worship attendees and 38 missionaries were sent out. Behind this great work of God, there were many tears, shepherd heart, endless sacrifice and never give up spirit of S. Jaeun Cho and many other coworkers as well.

We learn from S. Jaeun Cho’s life testimony that the student ministry can be revived if one leader has absolute gospel faith and undying martyrdom spirit. 

The program ended with closing prayer by Peter Chang, Teddy Hembekides, Ron Ward, Mother Barry.