Partners in the Gospel: From South Korea to South Wales
This blog post reflects on the call to warm-hearted, joyful partnership in church planting.
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:3-8
There is something incredibly counter-cultural about Paul’s relationships with the churches he planted. The letter he wrote to the Philippian Christians – the first church planted on European soil – sums it up so well. Partnership. Mutual love and commitment. Standing together through thick and thin. Inter-dependence. What a model for long-term gospel partnership across boundaries for us today!
From its early days, the European church was strong and mission-minded, sending missionaries throughout the world – proclaiming the good news that Jesus is Lord and calling people to ‘turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God’ (1 Thessalonians 1:10). The ripple effects of European missionary endeavour have travelled around the world, to the ends of the earth as Paul would have known them, and beyond.
Take South Korea for example. Until the late 19th century, the Korean peninsula was closed to foreign influence, and aggressive in its suppression of Christianity. Following the so-called Great Revival of the early 20th Century, Protestantism was transformed from a foreign religion to the new national religion, laying the foundation for the most remarkable church growth in Asia in the 20th century and positioning South Korea as a global centre of Christianity and currently the world’s second-largest missionary-sending nation.
All but hidden in the big sweep of the history books, there are personal stories of Christians bound together with strong gospel ties of partnership and shared grace, and of the God who calls us to partner with Him.
The Welshman Robert Jermain Thomas (1839 – 1866), is remembered by some as the first Protestant martyr in Korea, whose death helped prepare the ground for the astounding spread of Christianity. In 1866, Thomas was determined to distribute Bibles and share the good news about Jesus at a time when Korea was effectively closed off to most foreigners. The ship Thomas was travelling on got drawn into conflict with the Korean authorities. After a stand-off in which lives were lost on both sides, Thomas perished. It would be too easy to lament a tragic waste, but with hindsight, we see that his sacrifice was a spark that lit a mighty blaze. Even as he faced death, Thomas is said to have been giving out Scripture. It is reported that some of Thomas’ Bibles were used as wallpaper in the home of a government official, so Korean people were able to read God’s words for themselves.
All but hidden in the big sweep of the history books, there are personal stories of Christians bound together with strong gospel ties of partnership and shared grace, and of the God who calls us to partner with Him.
Seoul currently has more ‘mega-churches’ than any other city in the world (i.e., those with at least 2000 people in attendance every week). Almost 30% of Koreans identify as Christians. The picture could hardly be more different from the Western European spiritual landscape. Wales, Thomas’ homeland, is a land with many empty chapel buildings. The great revivals and missionary movements of the past are a receding memory. Yet there is a bond of enduring love and mutual fellowship between the two nations.
Thomas was (and still is) relatively unknown in the world today; yet in his kindness, God has used what he did significantly. Since 2007, God has kindled a special affection for Wales in the heart of one of those churches in Seoul, SaRang Church. Through all kinds of divine appointments and co-incidences, God has maintained and grown a fruitful and servant-hearted partnership between SaRang and Union, whose campus is in South Wales. There is a shared vision to train and equip gospel workers to be able to revitalise churches in Europe and elsewhere, with committed funds and prayers from brothers and sisters in Korea. Those of us based at or connected with Union feel the warmth of that friendship in so many ways. What a privilege to see the workings of just one of those gospel partnerships that stand the test of time. We are so thankful!
The challenge before each of us today is how the Lord might be calling us to break down barriers, step outside our comfort zones, and forge new and lasting connections and friendships in Christ for the sake of the lost. So many communities need a local church that loves Jesus and understands the needs of the people around it.
Can you partner with us to keep on resourcing the work of church planting until the work is complete?