Multiplication and Spiritual Renewal – Updates from Korea

I am writing from Incheon International Airport as Rev. Paul Yang (Pilgrim Mission Church, Hackensack, NJ) and I head home from a quick three day trip to the World Reformed Fellowship (WRF) in Seoul, Korea. I was honestly torn about coming. Earlier this month, Brian Stewart, ECO’s Director of Global Engagement, attended the inaugural gathering of the Reformed Global Mission Network. RGMN is a network we have worked diligently to build, and a big part of me wanted to be there with him. What drew me to Korea instead was a separate meeting Paul arranged with leaders of the Baekseok Presbyterian denomination. We have strong denominational partners in Africa, South America, and the Middle East, but our relationships in Asia are still taking shape.

Baekseok caught my attention because, like ECO, they are Reformed, evangelical, and egalitarian. They don’t always feel at home in progressive Christian circles, and they don’t always feel at home in highly conservative ones either. That may sound familiar! What’s remarkable is that Baekseok is only about 50 years old, yet it has become the largest Presbyterian denomination in Korea.

As I listened to their leaders, two things stood out.

First, they have a multiplication mindset. Baekseok does not have Korea’s largest churches. The congregation that hosted the conference belongs to another Presbyterian denomination and worships about 30,000 people on a Sunday. Baekseok has put its energy into planting new churches instead, especially micro expressions of church that often grow into chartered congregations. One detail struck me: they have 2,000 women pastors, and more than half of them are church planters.

Second, they are deeply committed to spiritual renewal. They are known as the denomination most focused on the spiritual renewal of their members and leaders. Their founder, who also started their seminary, gave students and faculty a simple formula. For every hour spent studying a textbook, spend two hours in the Bible and three hours in prayer. When he offered someone a professorship, he required them to fast and pray for ten days before accepting.

Imagine what might change in our churches if we kept anything close to that ratio.

Baekseok’s leaders are eager to deepen our partnership as we seek God’s kingdom together, and I’m grateful for what this relationship could become.

Our conversation took me back to my talk at last year’s National Gathering and to our recent call for a day of prayer and fasting on November 18. Revival has always come through extraordinary prayer and fasting. I want to be careful here. Prayer and fasting are not a magic formula for getting God to do what we want. They are a posture: we humble ourselves before the Lord, trust in his grace, mercy, and power, and listen for his leading in our lives, our churches, and our culture.

So I invite you to join us on Wednesday, November 18, and to bring your congregation with you. Let’s pray together for a mighty work of God in our lives, our churches, our denomination, our country, and our world.

In Christ,

Dana

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