The 2012 KIMNET Conference Was Held from October 15 to 20 with the Title, "Connecting for Dynamic Mission"
Octorber 26, 2012
The 2012 KIMNET (Korean Inter-Mission Network) Conference was held from October 15to 20 in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, celebrating their 10th anniversary.
The Conference title was “Connecting for Dynamic Mission.” The purpose was to encourage and challenge small and medium size local churches to open their eyes to engage in World Mission. An international prayer conference was also included in this conference as Part 2. Around 300 pastors from North America and Korea as well as missionaries from 20 countries attended the conference including 26 UBF coworkers. Rev. Bangm Ji-IL (102 years old), one of the first Korean missionaries to China in the 1920's, gave the opening message.
He declared, "Do not glorify yourself but God alone!" based on Leviticus 7. To celebrate the 10th anniversary, the Russian Angel Chorus performed Christian songs with remarks praising God’s mighty work for the last 10 years of KIMNET ministry.
The leaders of many mission institutes and churches shared their specialized mission fields such as; “Church Mission Education,” “Mission for the Next Generation,” “Leadership Development,” “Church Planting Mission,” “Mission by Laymen Professionals,” “Education Mission,” “Prayer Mediators’ Mission,” and “Unreached Tribes Mission.”
Pastor Abraham Kim delivered a lecture entitled, "World Campus Mission." He clearly elaborated the following three points: 1) The importance of campus mission; 2) The lay-missionary model through UBF world campus ministry; and 3) Networking of UBF and other missional churches.
Dr. John Jun was honored and appointed as a circuit missionary with five other senior pastors.
Dr. Peter Chang gave a lecture entitled, “Challenging German Campus Mission” in 5 parts: 1) Conquering German language and self-support; 2) Teaching German students through one to one Bible study at a house church; 3) Overcoming cultural barriers and making German students as disciples; 4) Raising German leaders with vision for European mission; and 5) Mobilizing the succeeding generations.
M. Jacob Lee worked hard as one of the staffs of KIMNET, presiding for the morning session on the third day, and he contributed to drafting KIMNET’s 10th anniversary declaration.
Twenty one missionaries including five UBF missionaries (M. Juan Seo of Venezuela, James Lee of Pretoria, South Africa, Dr. Peter Chang, Stephanus Park, Hannah Ryu of Germany) were appointed as KIMNET co-working missionaries.
KIMNET made a declaration of the 10th anniversary. A summary of the declaration is as follows:
A. Resources for Mission
- All churches should mobilize all their resources.
- The first generation should put their priority on helping the second generation to be prepared as principal workers of world mission for the 21st century.
B. Training for Mission
- We should consider the international students in the USA as the object of evangelism and discipline them as mission resources
- The training for mission should begin at home and the world mission should be included in the Sunday school curricula.
- We should go back to the Bible which emphasizes: “Mission should begin with disciple making."
C. Support for Mission
- We should study and prepare the conditions and environments so that not only the mega-churches but also small and medium size churches can participate positively in World Mission.
- We must consider the USA as an object nation for evangelism as of first priority and pray for saving the USA.
- Local churches must embrace World Mission and mobilize all parts of the church organizations for World Mission so they may be used by God.
- Pastors of the local churches are the most important and responsible figures to vitalize local churches to participate in world mission.
D. Mission Strategy
- Local churches should consider the missionaries not only as the benefit receivers but also coworkers for world salvation.
- We should have customized mission methods in order to improve the efficiency and professionalism of the mission.
- Evangelization of unreached and un-evangelized tribes can be done through special attention of the churches and strategic cooperation of the diaspora churches.
- To keep the focus of future mission, we should pursue co-working through the native mission movement and mission education.
*Please see P. Abraham's Lecture - http://ubf.org/node/1402