The Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) held its Leadership Council at the Jeju Mission Leadership Training Center from July 5 to 8, 2021. The council meeting was held simultaneously online and on-site while strictly following the government’s guidelines for COVID-19. The officers and directors of the NSD, Korean Union Conference (KUC), and the five local conferences in Korea attended onsite, while leaders and directors from Japan Union Conference (JUC), Taiwan Conference (TWC), and Mongolia Mission (MM) participated online.
The main focus of this meeting was the I Will Go mission strategic plan. The General Conference is promoting the I Will Go strategic plan to encourage all members to participate in the gospel commission with joy while using their spiritual gifts in witnessing for Christ.
The first meeting began with the online opening message of Pastor Ted N. C. Wilson, GC president. Quoting from Isaiah 6:1-8, Pastor Wilson said, “God has a plan for each of us, wherever we live, and when God calls us with a mission, we need to respond saying ‘Here am I, Send me!’”
After the opening service, Pastor Kim SiYoung, NSD president, welcomed the leaders and directors from NSD, KUC, JUC, TWC, and MM. Pastor Richard Sabuin, NSD executive secretary, gave a presentation on the I Will Go strategic plan with the title “I Will Go: Where, When, Who, How.”
On the evening of the first day and the morning of the second day, Pastor Erton Köhler, the newly elected GC executive secretary, presented on the role of leadership. Köhler emphasized that we, as church leaders, must preach the gospel quickly and passionately, realizing the urgency of the times above all else. To accomplish this, he urged attendees to ask for the Holy Spirit to work, preach boldly, move forward in faith, make bold financial investments, provide administrative support, and use technology effectively.
On the evening of the second day, Gary Krause, the director of the GC Adventist Mission department, spoke with the theme “I Will Go and Adventist Mission” On the third day, pastor Vyacheslav Demyan, vice president of programming for Hope Channel International, presented about “Digital Evangelism.”
Also, on the morning of the second and third days, MM, TWC, JUC, and KUC, in that order, reported the progress of their I Will Go strategic plans, how it is being promoted and progressing in each field.
The NSD’s departmental directors were given time to present their plans. Pastor Kim YoHan, Adventist Mission director, reported on I Will Go and Mission to the Cities. Pastor Oh BumSeok, North Korea Mission director, introduced the missionary work to be carried out for the North Korean people during this quinquennium. During his report, Pastor Oh suggested training 100 North Korean Pioneer Mission Movement pastors, training 100 North Korean defector missionaries, training 200 young missionaries, training 600 lay missionaries, and forming 1,000 North Korean missionary prayer groups. Pastor Choi HoYoung, Youth department director, reported on the youth project and emphasized various plans such as the third NSD International Pathfinder Camporee in 2023, 100K Youth Evangelism, media festival, youth conference, and discipleship training. Pastor Byun SeongJun, Communication director, announced plans to develop digital evangelism content, build a digital platform, train digital missionaries, hold the GAiN (Global Adventist Internet Network) Asia forum, and distribute the Bible Heroes game.
On the evening of the last day, during the dedication service, NSD president Kim SiYoung introduced the experience of King David from 1 Samuel 30. He said that leaders might make mistakes and face difficulties when relying on themselves, but we need to look to God and trust in Him. Pastor Kim emphasized that it is possible to gain strength and courage by relying on God. When David did not rely on God and moved to a foreign city, he lost everything, including his wife and children, but restored them by relying upon God. Pastor Kim appealed that we should ask God first before we put any mission plan into practice.
Participants of the leadership council were able to report on the current progress of each Union/Conference/Mission’s mission strategies. The church leaders further developed the I Will Go plan through this online and offline meeting. In addition, the participants witnessed that they can better understand the I Will Go plan through presentations and reports on different topics. Pastor Kim SiYoung said, “We ask for more prayers and participation so that we can overcome various mission challenges within the NSD through the I Will Go strategic plan, and each church and organization’s mission work can be successful.”
News article by Byun SeongJun, NSD Communication Director