West Coast Directors Regional Conference (WCDRC) Day 1 (Part I)

Denver UBF Coworkers Doing Special Song
(From left - Rebekah Choi, Maria Jung, Lydia Lee, Joseph Choi,
Dr. Abraham Park, John Lee, Jeremiah Jung)

West Coast Regional Directors Conference

Attendees (20): 

Denver Coworkers (Jeremiah and Maria Jung; John and Lydia Lee

Dr. Abraham and Esther Park; Joseph and Rebekah Choi) 

Stephen Kim from Colorado Springs

Mark Moran from UC Berkeley

Andrew Hwang from Stanford

Andrew Kim from Sacramento

John Baek from El Camino

Gideon Klijian from Granada Hills

Abraham Jeong from Cerritos

Isaac H. Kim, John Kwon, and Charles Wilson from Downey

Mark Vucekovich from Lincoln Park

When: Nov. 12 (Monday) - 13, 2013

Location: Denver UBF Bible Center (1640 East Jewell St. Denver, Co 80210)

Program:  Monday 1-2 p.m. Lunch; 2-6 p.m. Special reports on: 1) Pyung Yang Revival;  2) Present Day Revival on Reinhard Bonnke’s CfaN; and 3) African Mission Report; 6-8 p.m.; Dinner; 8-11 pm. special presentations consisting of: 1) message preparation and delivery by Pastor Mark Vucekovich; 2) How to do one to one by Andrew Hwang; and 3) The book of Nehemiah by John Baik

Tuesday 8-9 a.m. breakfast; 9-11 Campus visit and sports fellowship; 11-1 Joint prayer

Execution of the program:

Pyongyang Great Revival

by Jeremiah Chung

Matthew 3:1-2 “In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

Thank God for giving us a chance to remember Pyongyang great revival in year 1907!  The work of God in Pyongyang in 1907 winter had formed the foundation of Christianity in Korea and defined the characteristics of Christianity in Korea.  By remembering how God worked in Pyongyang revival, we can think about how we can serve God's great work in our generation.  I pray that we may get spiritual wisdom to serve the work of God through thinking about Pyongyang revival.

When the revival was about to begin in Pyongyang, Korea was going through the one of the most difficult times in her history.  There had been conflicts between powerful countries.  In February 9, 1904, the Japanese Russian War, the war between Russia and Japan, broke out at Jemulpo, Inchon and lasted until 1905.  Korea became a battle field of the other countries.  Japan defeated Russia and took over Korea based on the treaty of Katsura-Taft, the confirmation of USA about Japan's takeover Korea.  The king Kojong was dethroned.   In five thousand years' history, Korea never lost the country before.  All people were in deep sorrow of the loss of their country.  Some political leaders took their lives because they could not endure the shame and pain.  Even some believers gave up their lives.  Outwardly it was a very difficult time for Korean people, but God was preparing them for the spiritual blessing through the historical revival.  God made them humble to seek God's help.  Losing all the hope, people began to find hope in Christianity.

The first sign of the revival occurred in Wonsan in 1903.  Missionary R. A. Hardie was working in Wonsan.  Hardie was the graduate of Toronto medical school.  He was deeply felt the failure of his ministry in Wonsan.  The Holy Spirit rebuked him.  At the prayer meeting in August 24, 1903, Hardie confessed that the failure of his ministry is because of his pride over Korean people and his self-confidence to depend on his ability over the power of God.  After confessing in public, Hardie experienced peace from God and his spirit was renewed.  Following Sunday, Korean language teacher for missionary Jin, Chonsoo and a prominent young boy rose up and confessed their hidden sins.  It was the work of the Holy Spirit.  All people in the church experienced of the presence of the Holy Spirit while people confessed their sins.  Then the missionaries in Wonsan began to pray that the whole Wonsan church may experience of the work of the Holy Spirit and opened Sakyunghwe, a Bible conference.  Through the conference people studied the Bible and encouraged people to confess their sins.  People were lined up to confess their sins.  The meeting lasted until mid-night.  People were crying for their sins and at the same time they experienced the grace of forgiveness.  The movement of confession of sin renewed the Wonsan church and spread to other regions.  Wonsan great revival occurred 4 years before Pyongyang revival and the scale of the movement was not yet national wide.  But the impact of Wonsan revival was significant in defining the characteristics of Christianity.  Before Hardie’s confession, Korean believers did not understand the depth of sin and the grace of forgiveness.  They did not experience of the work of the Holy Spirit and rebirth.  Korean believers began experiencing the grace of forgiveness and the power of the gospel by confessing their sins publicly.

Following Wonsan revival, many churches experienced the similar movement in Kaesung, Seoul, and Mokpo.  While the movement was growing, the political state of Korea was getting weaker.  Many people among Korean political leaders began to think that only hope for Korea is Christianity.  All the missionaries were praying earnestly for Korea and people.  The Methodist missionaries and the Presbyterian missionaries all together prayed for the experience of the Holy Spirit and prepared for the Bible training class (Sakyunghwe).  In JangDaeHyun Church, there was the winter Bible training class for men January 2-15, 1907.  

Kil, Sunjoo led the evening meeting and he could feel that people are full of sorrow and pain because of their sins that they needed to confess.  In the meeting, people felt the presence of the Holy Spirit and six people began crying for their sins and asking for forgiveness.  

Blair describes the scene on the first day of the meeting: “After a short sermon…man after man would rise, confess his sin, break down and weep, and then throw himself on the floor and beat the floor with his fists in perfect agony of conviction. …Sometimes, after a confession, the whole audience would break out into audible prayer, and the effect of that audience of hundreds of men praying together in audible prayer was something indescribable – not confusion, but a vast harmony of sound and spirit, a mingling together of souls moved by an irresistible impulse of prayer. The prayer sounded to me like the falling of many waters, an ocean of prayer beating against God’s throne. It was not many, but one, born of One Spirit, lifted to one Father above.”

“Then began a meeting the like of which I had never seen before, nor wish to see again unless in God’s sight it is absolutely necessary. Every sin a human being can commit was publicly confessed that night. Pale and trembling with emotion, in agony of mind and body… looking up to heaven, to Jesus whom they had betrayed, they smote themselves and cried out with bitter wailing: “Lord, Lord, cast us not away forever!” Everything else was forgotten, nothing else mattered. The scorn of men, the penalty of the law, even death itself seemed of small consequences if only God forgave. We have our theories of desirability or undesirability of public confession of sin. I have had mine; but I know now that when the Spirit of God falls upon guilty souls, there will be confession, and no power on earth can stop it.”

After this initial experience in the city, the movement of repentance spread among women, boys and girls.  The next week after the work of the Holy Spirit, the classes in school could not proceed because the students asked for the chance to confess their sins.   The normal class was cancelled and had prayer meetings and students experienced the work of God.  Throughout the whole city of Pyongyang the movement of confession of sins spread and cleaned the church and the whole city.  During annual Bible class, many believers experienced of the power of gospel through forgiveness.  The Bible class was a very effective way of educating the believers and bringing new people to believe.  Once people believed, they gave up serving their ancestors and began serving the LORD.  They kept the Sabbath and gave offering for the work of God and building the church building sacrificially.  People stopped drinking and smoking.  People returned what they stolen to the owner.  Some people repented their adultery and gave up their concubine and devoted to their wives.  The first seminary by the support of the both Methodist and Presbyterian was built and had the first graduates in Pyongyang. 

As a result of the revival, Pyongyang was transformed.  Before Pyongyang was known as the city of gisaeng, officially sanctioned Korean female entertainers or prostitutes, but through the revival the city became Jerusalem of East. The revival spread to Seoul, Kaesong and Mokpo.  The movement of saving one million souls was followed in 1910.  JangDaeHyun church could send a missionary to Jeju and China.

We need to think about the impact of the Pyongyang revival during two weeks in 1907 winter Bible class.  First, it was clearly the work of the Holy Spirit.  There is a criticism about Pyongyang revival saying that it was too emotional and it was the result of pursuing catharsis because of the pain caused by loss of their country.  We cannot deny that the political crisis prepared Korean people to become humble and hunger for truth spiritually.  But the personal confession of sin can be done only by the power of the Holy Spirit.  The revival was God's one-sided blessing for Korea.  The missionaries in Korea deeply loved Korean people and cared for the country.  They were from the different denominations, but they had one idea that they needed to build a united church in Korea.  They worked together regardless of their differences for Korea.  Through their love and prayer, God blessed Korea to repent their sins and accept salvation. Some said that it was maybe the greatest success story of the Protestant missionary movement in East Asia.  

Second, the revival increased the moral and ethical standard among Korean people.  In a difficult time, people became dishonest to survive.  But through experiencing the work of the Holy Spirit, people repented their sins and began to live a new life following the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit purified the Korean church and the society together. 

Third, the revival defines the characteristics of Korean church to become independent and self-supporting.  The missionaries in Korea adopted the principle of Nevius the early ministry.  

Here is the outline of the principle.

1. Christians should continue to live in their neighborhoods and pursue their occupations, being self-supporting and witnessing to their co-workers and neighbors.
2. Missions should only develop programs and institutions that the national church desired and could support.
3. The national churches should call out and support their own pastors.
4. Churches should be built in the native style with money and materials given by the church members.
5. Intensive biblical and doctrinal instruction should be provided for church leaders every year.

Sakyunghwe was not used just for the revival, but also it was a great chance for the Korean believers to grow and become leaders.  As a result, Korea became a missionary sending country.

Through following the work of the Holy Spirit in Pyongyang revival, I was reminded of the importance of repenting of sins.  The work of the Holy Spirit is to make people repent their sins.  When John appeared to the public, he preached this. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”  It is because the repentance of sin is the key to the kingdom of heaven.  It is easy to think that we need to do something to attract people to our ministry.  But our message should be the same.  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”  At the message of John the Baptist, many people came to him and received the baptism from him.  Tax collectors repented gathering more money than they ought to.  Soldiers repented receiving bribes.  This way the kingdom of heaven came down.  Like the work at the time of Jesus, Pyongyang revival was the repentance of sins.  Through the repentance of sins, the LORD purified the church of Korea and the kingdom of heaven was established in people's heart.