2022 Korea GA Holy Work Update

Thank God! By God’s mercy, the COVID-19 pandemic was brought under control towards the end of 2022. Since then, our daily lives, as well as spiritual lives, have been rapidly returning to normal. During the year, the Korea GA appointed new council members. Since the end of 2022, the new council members have been touring churches across the country to understand the status of the local churches, explain the work of the General Assembly, and explain the local ministry of the stationed preachers. Churches everywhere are encouraged to prioritize the restoration of the believers’ spiritual lives and the holy work of the church, which have been negatively impacted due to the pandemic. Thanks to the Lord’s guidance, face-to-face services and the holy work of churches all over the country have returned to pre-pandemic levels. 

I am even more grateful to God that during the COVID-19 pandemic, several churches have rebuilt their chapels with love for the Lord: Seo Bu Church has held a dedication ceremony; Cheong Ju Church and Daejeon Church plan to organize dedication ceremonies this year. All the brethren who participated in Seo Bu Church’s dedication ceremony experienced deeply that even in the most difficult moments, God always shows His unchanging love through the true church. They gave all the glory to God’s name.

Evangelical Department

To encourage believers to fulfill the mission of spreading the gospel of the true church in the end time, the Evangelical Department organized evangelism seminars in various churches. On April 10, 2022, 95 members from 17 churches nationwide participated in the evangelical workshop held in Cheonan Church. This seminar specifically proposed methods of evangelism that thrive even during a pandemic. Currently, church members worldwide hold fellowship gatherings with similarly aged peers on Sabbath afternoons. Therefore, the evangelical department teaches preaching methods and successful cases for these fellowships so that fellowship members can actively participate in the ministry of evangelism, seizing the opportunities that the Lord has given to all of us. As it is recorded in the Scripture, preach the gospel, in season and out of season. 

 

Training Department

Currently, there are two second-year theological students who are training at the Korean GA Theological Seminary. 

The newly promoted ministry this year is an online short-term theological course. Our training department organizes a two-week short-term theological course during the winter and the summer break. However, some believers are unable to attend in person, so we designed online courses for these members. This time, the number of applicants was much higher than expected, with a total of 168 participants (136 first-year students, 17 second-year students, and 15 third-year students). It is hoped that the online short-term theological course will be beneficial to the ministry of our churches and evangelism in various places, and lay a good foundation for the church’s spiritual growth and missionary workforce. We ask the Lord to guide and bless this ministry.

 

Religious Education Department

The RE department regularly organizes various events for different age groups, ranging from children to working youth. One notable event is the Junior High School Growth Camp for grade three. In previous years, the Korean GA would organize a trip for third-year middle school students to visit Taiwan as an opportunity for spiritual cultivation, but this activity was placed on hold due to the pandemic. However, we still believe that faith and fellowship are very important in the middle school/early high school years, so we shifted our focus to the early churches in Korea, conducting visits to early churches and holding spiritual cultivation seminars. This year’s Junior High Grade Three Growth Camp was held from July 23rd to 27th. The theme was “The Abidance of the Holy Spirit in the Journey of the True Jesus Church.” A total of fifteen students from churches across the country participated. They visited Gimcheon Church, which was the first True Jesus Church established in Korea, where they learned about the history of the early True Jesus Church. They also walked among the mountains behind Shudo Church, where Pr. Phill Sun Park was martyred for the gospel, and learned the spirit of martyrdom.

In the Early History Education Center, visitors can see exhibits on church history and learn more about the development of True Jesus Church in Korea up to the present day. In addition, they can also visit churches around the world, participate in various activities, share beliefs and testimonies, and come to the understanding that we are one body in Christ. We hope that the hearts of our students, who must grow and develop in an increasingly corrupt world, will be more firmly rooted in the word of God and the true church to live out Christ in their everyday lives.

 

Information and Literary Ministry Department

In addition to publishing periodicals, the Information and Literary Ministry Department helped local churches to hold live-stream services during the pandemic. In 2022, the online newsletter “Like Salt” was released on the web. Two information personnel from each local area were appointed to facilitate evangelical news and announcements from the General Assembly, sharing quarterly updates about organizations, newly baptized brethren, believers’ testimonies, and other works of faith.

The online newsletter is tailored for mobile users, making it easy to view and share anytime and anywhere. The purpose is to share the grace of the Lord with the whole church, as well as share comfort and joy with fellow evangelists and truthseekers. We hope that the Lord will be with every holy worker and make them the tools to spread the Gospel of the Kingdom all over the world.