South Korea Camp Meeting

By Rev. Young Keun Park

We are glad to tell what God did during our Korea camp meeting, held this year from July 29 through August 2. We had prayer meetings on the two days prior to the opening of the camp meeting.  The group which gathered prayed earnestly that God would send many souls to be blessed by Him, and we are grateful that those prayers were answered.

On Wednesday night, July 29, our first meeting opened with the combined orchestra from our Korean churches playing "Give Thanks Unto the Lord." That was followed by the choir singing, "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee." During the testimony service, one elderly lady said that when she met Missionary Harold Barrett and heard about the true Gospel, she was saved. Reverend Kim Sang Gyu, Busan church pastor, preached about "Jesus who took away our sin." He brought out that God sent Jesus to this world and allowed Him to suffer and be put to death on the Cross for us.His suffering made the way for us to be saved and sanctified; His suffering was beneficial. So when trials come, we should be joyful, realizing that God can also make our sufferings to be beneficial.

On Thursday morning, July 30, retired pastor Yune Seung Baek taught about salvation. He used for a text Matthew 1:21, "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." In his sermon, he explored the meaning, need for, and the witness and fruit of salvation.

In the evening service, a young man testified that after he was saved, he became more hungry spiritually. While attending the Apostolic Faith Church he was sanctified and baptized with the Holy Ghost. Akyang pastor Seu Ok Su preached about “Growth in Faith.” He said that trials are an accelerator for growth in faith. Man is created with an outward man and an inward man. Paul said, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Trials bring the inward man to growth—so they are a blessing-maker! We should be thankful when trials come.

On Friday morning, July 31, a lady testified about her salvation, saying, "I was so hungry for salvation. When I was brought to Apostolic Faith Church and I heard the question, ‘Have you really consecrated yourself to God?’ I realized that I had never done so. I am so thankful that when I gave Him my life, He saved my soul." For the message that morning, Seoul church pastor Park Young Keun taught about the experience of sanctification: what it is, where it is from, how it differs from spiritual growth, its evidence, and how to receive sanctification.

In the afternoon, there was a Ministers’ Meeting, and a youth service. A young man testified in the youth service that he is so thankful that since he was saved as a child Jesus has kept him. Kim Jeung Min preached about "Hope in Jesus."He said Jesus is the Truth, which is God's Word, so to have hope in God, we should love the Bible. We should read it, meditate on it, and study it every day. In the evening service, Taegu pastor Choi Ik Jin preached about God's love. He told that his son was so happy when he found a lost pet weasel. If finding a lost pet makes a person so happy, just imagine how happy God is when He finds a lost soul!

On Saturday morning, a brother from Nigeria who has been working for ten months in Daejeon for the Korean Institute of Science Technology expressed hisappreciation for the love and kindness shown by Daejeon church members. Goo Dae Seu taught about the baptism of the Holy Ghost, explaining who the Holy Spirit is, what He does in our lives, what the baptism with the Holy Ghost is, its evidence, and the Biblical witness of it.

In the afternoon, we had a water baptismal ceremony. Lee Jeung Il preached about “spiritual exercise,” encouraging the new converts to read the Bible and be faithful in praying every day. Six people were baptized with water in the baptistery on the roof of the church building.

During the Saturday evening service, a lady testified about the time when many people were baptized with the Holy Ghost right after Missionary Barrett left Korea. She said, "It was a glorious privilege that I was among the blessed group." Taejon pastor Ra Young Doo preached about Naaman being healed from leprosy. He admonished people to obey God as Naaman did, and to tell others the way of salvation as did the little maid who told Naaman about the way of healing.

On Sunday morning, the church was crowded with people.Pastor Park Young Keun preached about “Changing Fate in Jesus Christ” using the text "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." He said, "The fate of every man is eternal death, but if one believes in Jesus, his fate can be changed to eternal life."

In the evening, a musical concert was presented, which was very much enjoyed by all who attended.

The total attendance at the camp meeting was about 170. The Holy Spirit worked strongly in every meeting, and many people prayed earnestly after each service, weeping with gratitude. Two were saved, three were sanctified, and seven were baptized with Holy Ghost, and those who attended were all strengthened and blessed spiritually. We thank God for helping our camp meeting, and are grateful for the prayers of those who love the Korean church.