The Gospel Comes to Korea
The first Protestant missionary to Korea was the Welshman, Robert Thomas. He was ordained to be a missionary at Hanover Chapel in Llanover, Wales. He was in China when he heard about the need for missionaries and Bibles in Korea. He made two visits to Korea, the second in 1866 with Bibles. The ship to Pyongyang that he arrived in was attacked. Robert jumped overboard with the Bibles and made it to shore, handing out the Bibles. The last Bible he handed out was to the man who killed him. The Bibles were banned, but the pages of one of the Bibles were used by a government official to wallpaper his house and were subsequently read by many who became curious to know more.
The spread of the gospel itself in Korea was largely the result of Korean elites who became Christians in other parts of Asia, including in China. Hearing of the 1904 revival in Wales, missionaries and Korean Christians in Korea prayed for a similar outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Korea. In January 1907, as Korean Christians publicly confessed their sins, there was weeping and repentance, and the Pyongyang revival broke out.
Great sacrifices were made by missionaries who came to Korea, and many gave their lives to help build the Korean church. American missionary, Ruby Kendrick, for example, died in 1908 at the age of 24 years, only eight months after arriving in Korea. The words of a letter she wrote home to her parents are engraved on the headstone to her resting place in Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery in Seoul: ‘If I had a thousand lives to give, Korea should have them all’.
Through the prayers of Korean Christians and the significant impact of the role model provided by the lives of the missionaries, Korea rapidly went from being a mission field to being a mission force, with over 20,000 long-term missionaries from Korea currently on the mission field. As global Christianity began to undergo a demographic shift from the Global North to the Global South and East, the Korean church realised the need to take on more responsibility in the global church. It was with joy they agreed to host the Fourth Lausanne Congress together, to share with the world the blessing of the gospel they have received.
United Towards Lausanne 4
Over 4,000 Korean church members are interceding daily for the Fourth Lausanne Congress for the duration of the gathering, and many volunteers from churches across South Korea are serving at the Congress. Young Korean pastors, the future of the Korean church, are serving at the Congress as well. In preparing to host the Congress, the Korean church has studied much about the Lausanne Movement, and it has provided an opportunity for the leadership to reflect on the state of the Korean church.
Over 4,000 Korean church members are interceding daily for the Fourth Lausanne Congress for the duration of the gathering
The Korean churches prayed together, and over 200 churches preached through the book of Acts together over the year leading up to the Fourth Lausanne Congress. One senior Korean pastor said it is unprecedented for so many Korean churches to preach through the same sermon series at the same time, and a new unity has formed between Korean churches and leaders. A lot has been learned through organising the Congress, and this senior pastor believes it has been an immensely valuable experience for the Korean church.
One local volunteer said the Korean church is honoured to host this historic event—hosting the Congress has made many more Korean people aware of the Lausanne Movement. He feels the clear proclamation of the gospel message at this event has given the Korean church a new confidence to declare and display their faith as well. Another volunteer from a local Incheon church walks the 20 minutes from his home to the Convensia each day to serve at the Congress. He said many people in South Korea left the church during COVID, and he hopes hosting the Congress will be a catalyst for revival in the Korean church again. Another local church volunteer said she believes as God’s people from around the world are gathered at the Congress, God will give a specific message to his people during this time. She is praying and expectant of what God will do.
A new unity has formed between Korean churches and leaders.
The Korean Preparatory Committee says it is a great blessing to the Korean church to host the Fourth Lausanne Congress. One senior Korean pastor said the Korean church has been challenged to look at what Christianity is, what the Biblical gospel message is, and how this message should be conveyed. Another senior pastor explained the Korean churches rapid growth had plateaued in recent years and that the Congress is providing the opportunity for the Korean church to make a leap upward off this plateau. He feels the Congress has also provided the opportunity for the Korean church to realign with the gospel, as it had become more secular. A pastor from Busan said the process of hosting the Congress has been instrumental in enabling Korean church leaders to get on the same page on various issues currently facing Korean society. Senior Korean pastors believe God is raising up the Korean church again—the Korean church is being reawakened.
The Fourth Lausanne Congress has been a catalyst for stronger collaboration and unity for the church across Korea. Our brothers and sisters in Korea hope it will also be a catalyst for a new revival in this land.