News > Korea

(1)  Prologue

Korea UBF had its 4th inaugural ceremony at Dr. Samuel Lee Hall at the Chongro UBF center in Seoul, Korea. Moses Lee, who is the manager, presided and around 250 people gathered together with missionaries, staff members, student leaders, and shepherds. Dr. Samuel H. Lee gave a farewell speech and David Kim gave his inaugural message. Special music programs and thanksgiving ceremonies were followed. After that, James Suh, Abraham Joung, and Byeongdu Lee, who are the board members of Korea UBF, prayed.

(2)   Dr. Samuel H Lee’s farewell speech

The former director, Dr. Samuel H. Lee, gave a one-page farewell speech with profound thanks to God, who has used him for the last 6 years in spite of all his weaknesses. He was also thankful to all his coworkers for their prayers. He shared his uphill struggles the last 6 years to learn Jesus’ character holding onto Mark 10:45. He also said he will continue to struggle to overcome his self-centered desire with prayer topics to pioneer 140 new countries, to raise 100,000 missionaries to all nations, for the unity of North and South Korea, and for the raising of disciples in Korea. Finally, he urged all members to be united under the leadership of David Kim by loving each other.

(3)   New director’s message 

After that, the new Korean director, David Kim, delivered his message with the title, “Your Kingdom Come,” based on Luke 11:1-2. Jesus taught this to his disciples about prayer and it also was the core work of his ministry, from the beginning to the end of his life. In order to fulfill this, Jesus poured out his whole strength into prayer without ceasing and gave himself wholly to raise 12 disciples. He obeyed God to the point of death on the cross.

(4)   New director’s life testimony

While he delivered his message he shared his sincere life testimony and asked all the attendees for prayer support. Before meeting Christ he was wandering because of his inferiority complex. This came when he wanted to enter SNU medical school and failed, but was accepted to pharmacy school which he did not want.

By God’s grace he was invited to M. Sarah Barry’s English Bible study and to UBF. In his sophomore year he became the first fellowship leader and GBS leader for pharmacy school and art school at SNU even though he did not know Jesus personally. But he came to know Christ Jesus personally during his junior year through the word, “Son your sins are forgiven,” from Mark 2:5. God disciplined and strengthened him through his military duty and through the word of God.

After being discharged from the army he was received with much love and discipleship training by the late Dr. Samuel Lee. Then he made a decision to serve God and his flock as a servant following Jesus our Lord holding onto Mark 10:45.

After this, God blessed him to establish a house church with Sh. Sarah Kim (Myoung yoon-sung) who is the ancestor of faith at SNU (art). On September 1, 1977 he began to pioneer the University of Yonce along with brother Park Kyong-ho and few young students.

(5)   God has done great things through him and Yonhee UBF

God richly blessed his struggles to raise disciples from among campus students by crying out to God at 5 a.m. every day at the campus and by teaching Genesis continually. From Yonhee UBF God raised many ancestors of faith such as Henry Park (Ohio UBF director, Park Kyong-Ho), Msn. David Hong (Stuttgart UBF, Germany), and Msn. Moses Hur (Frankprut UBF, Germany), and since then God has sent 150 missionaries overseas and pioneered 9 Korean chapters from Yonhee UBF over 35 years.

(6)   Thanks to God

He thanked God for molding him, although he was shallow and seeking his own glory, into a person who seeks God’s glory, and motivating him to serve others through servant training.

(7)   New director’s vow to God

As the new director for UBF Korea, Sh. David Kim made a resolution that he will obey God according to the Lord’s Prayer and will bear the directorship by learning the mind of Christ. He also decided to be a true disciple of Jesus by not pursuing the growth of the ministry but to humbly obey and follow the servant Jesus based on Luke 11:1, 2 and on Mark 10:45.

(8)   His vision and faith

He has presented with faith and a clear vision that when each of us grow and mature in God’s divine image the Lord will surely bless our discipleship ministry and prosper.

(9)   Epilogue 

He earnestly prays to God that Korea UBF may bear the mission as a priestly nation to send 100,000 missionaries to 233 countries, including 140 countries which still do not know the gospel message, by 2041. At the end all the coworkers and attendants had earnest united prayer for this prayer topic.

Joseph Lee