News

Korea UBF
December 28, 2013

The 2013 Korea Staff Conference was held at Daewoong Management Development Institute in Youngin – Gyeonggi on December 9 – 11 making a good conclusion to 2013 and preparing us for the new year 2014. There were 93 attendees including 10 missionaries. It was a beautiful conference site with overflowing grace from the word of God and testimonies.

The main program of this conference was lecture 3 which gave us the direction for 2014. Lecture one was delivered by S. Mark Cho from Jeju UBF based on Jeremiah 3:1 – 4:4 entitled, “Break Up Your Unplowed Ground” His message was quiet but powerful. He said in order to bear much fruit, we must break up our unplowed ground. When we do so, our heart can become a living field that yields life. First of all, staff shepherds should break up their unplowed ground before the new year begins. Then all shepherds may follow their good example. When it happens and each of us has a new heart and mind, we can help sheep on campus, who are ignorant and stubborn. Lecture 2 was delivered by S. Joseph Cho from YonheeUBF II based on 2Timothy 3:1 – 4:8 entitled, “Preach the Word.” Only the Bible can give us the wisdom of salvation as we suffer during these last days. The word of God also can help us grow fully as people of God. He emphasized that we should preach the word of God in season and out of season and all the more when nobody wants to hear the word of God in these last days. Most shepherds agreed that we should bear a lot of suffering to raise up disciples of Jesus in our time. S. Moses Kim delivered lecture 3 based on Acts19:8-21 entitled, “Set Apart Disciples.” When Apostle Paul took disciples with him and had discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus and served them with tears for two years, there was wonderful work of God in Asia. When we also set apart a few disciples and serve them, God will do wonderful work among us. So he encouraged us to keep focus on disciple-making ministry. Especially shepherdesses (called samonims) from Hanyang UBF shared testimonies on raising up disciples by setting them apart, raising up disciples with two persons who were humanly lacking, and the case of raising up sheep who were in military service. These were wonderful testimonies. Staff shepherds also wrote testimonies based on the main lecture messages and shared the grace of the word of God in groups.

For the evening program of the first day, Prof. Jichan Kim from Chongshin University gave the special lecture entitled, “The Role of the Bible in Spiritual Training of Protestant Ministers.” He said the minister’s private inner life is more important than his public life. He emphasized having a balance with a triangle of three elements such as the word of God, prayer, and spiritual direction. Especially, he introduced Luther’s three steps for spirituality training. First, Oratio, that is the prayer for the gift of the Holy Spirit through reading the Bible; Meditatio, that is to receive the Holy Spirit through meditating the word of God; and finally Tentatio, that is the last step which is to get enter into true spiritual discipline through the spiritual battle on the battlefield. Through the special lecture we learned that the experience of the word of God is not in a theory or speculation, but the intensive spiritual battle on campus.

On the evening of the second day, there was testimony sharing by those who serve the pioneering ministry such as James Lee (Chungcheong), Paul Moon (Youngnam), Jaegun Park (Pusan), Abraham Cho (Suncheon), Stephan Kim (Jinjoo) and Daniel Byun (Gwanak3). Through their testimonies, we were so moved by their beautiful devotion, faith, and tears to serve the pioneering ministry and received great encouragement and grace of God. Most of all, we gave thanks to God who has been with them and helped them with grace. After sharing the testimonies, we prayed together for them and the Holy Spirit touched us. Then we sent silver missionaries Dr. Samuel Park and M. Hannah Park from Hanla UBF. They have served souls in Jejoo and now were sent with a vision to go to North Korea by passing through America.

Pastor Abraham Kim, our General Director, said through his message of encouragement he was moved greatly by the grace of God at the staff conference. He also talked about our ministry with three themes: Honor, Discipline, and Community. S. David Kim, Korean UBF Director, gave direction for 2014 to break up our unplowed ground and to preach the word on campus and raise up disciples with new heart.

We pray that in 2014 Korea UBF may break up the unplowed ground and faithfully preach the word of God and raise up disciples continually.

By Abraham Suh