On September 11, 2021, leaders from the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD), Korean Union Conference, East Central Korean Conference, and West Central Korean Conference held a special prayer Sabbath. The groups divided up and visited 17 Adventist churches located near the Korean Demilitarized Zone to preach God’s word and to organize prayer sessions pleading with God to open the doors of North Korea.
The NSD recently established the North Korea Mission department at the midyear session in April of 2021, which was under the Adventist Mission department in the past. But a felt urgency to deliver the gospel to North Korea and hasten the Second Coming of Jesus Christ prompted the decision to create a separate department with Pastor Oh BeomSeok appointed as the first North Korea Mission director.
Pastor Oh set three objectives to more effectively implement the North Korean Mission described as 3M—set Masterplan, train Missionaries, and prepare Materials. Firstly, it is important to set detailed plans for the mid to long-term. Secondly, there is a goal to train at least 1,000 missionaries, and lastly, secure at least 10 billion KRW (approximately $8.4 million USD) funds. After fulfilling these goals, when God opens the door, the plan includes 100 church plants simultaneously.
The key through this journey is prayer, because God is the only one who can successfully accomplish such a daunting task. “In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). The North Korea Mission has a plan to organize no less than 1,000 prayer groups throughout the NSD territory. Thus, the special prayer Sabbath enabled leaders to bring together church members for a beginning point of this endeavor.
On that Sabbath in September, NSD president Kim SiYoung visited Wontong church in Gangwon Province, which is only 30km away from North Korea. Around 10 Adventist soldiers used to attend the church, but as they are banned from coming to outside gatherings due to COVID-19, they’re conducting worship at their camp.
Pastor Kim preached a sermon titled “God who opens the door,” and highlighted that God has the authority to open the door. He said God opened the eyes of Elisha’s servant; He opened the door of heaven to pour out rain; and He opened the door of death to raise Lazarus. God’s intervention each time involved someone praying. Pastor Kim reminded members that God opened the doors to evangelize Gentiles and Europeans. And in that same spirit of earnestness, Pastor Kim encouraged church members to intently pray for God to open the doors of North Korea.
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Afterward, he and church members moved to the Gosung Unification Observatory which overlooks the nearby fields and forested mountains of North Korea. Even though only a few of them joined together due to a capacity limit, the time was worthwhile to gather and pray after observing the countryside of North Korea.
Pastor Oh BeomSeok, NSD North Korea Mission director, and Jacob Ko, NSD Health Ministries director, visited Yanggu Costal church, which is led by a lay leader and only 2km away from North Korea. The place where the church is located is called “the Punchbowl”—a name given to the bowl-shaped basin by UN Forces during the Korean War. The war claimed the lives of more than 10,000 soldiers in this area.
Shortly before the planned Sabbath, there was a mass Covid-19 infection in Yanggu. Since the government strictly restricted gatherings, church members met at the apple storehouse of Elder Kim SungTae, the church’s lay leader. While observing social distancing protocol, they all sat on apple boxes and prayed for the spreading of the gospel message throughout North Korea. The lay leader confessed that he had hardly thought about North Korea despite living so close and recognized the importance of prayer through this special prayer Sabbath.
Pastor Kim YoHan, NSD Adventist Mission director, was asked to visit Wooncheon church. Pastor Kim said that he has been continually praying for missions to the world including North Korea. But having this special Sabbath urged him to weigh more on it, and he was determined to pray faithfully for evangelism across that country.
Our church leaders have shown an important example through prayer in their desire to see North Korea open. We look forward to witnessing the prayer movement spreading to all the nations and church members in the NSD territory so that the Three Angels’ Messages can be delivered to this isolated nation in the near future.
Oh BeomSeok, NSD North Korea Mission Director