We, LPM Korea, have held five conferences. LPMI USA, of course, has held more than twenty conferences because they have been involved in this ministry for more than thirty years.
Why are conferences necessary, and what is their purpose?
Regular conferences are important not only for local churches and lay pastors but also for the headquarters or ministry institute. Both receive many benefits through these gatherings.
For lay pastors in local churches, conferences provide an opportunity to refresh and renew their ministry. After serving for several years, some people may become tired or feel that their ministry has become repetitive. They want to learn new things and discover how other churches and lay pastors are carrying out the ministry.
They also want to meet others who are involved in the same work. This is one reason LPMI USA has continued to hold conferences for more than thirty years. LPM and PACE churches need opportunities to renew, strengthen, and upgrade their ministries.
At a conference, participants learn through workshops, listen to the experiences of other churches, and talk with lay pastors from different congregations. They can hear how both large and small churches are practicing the ministry.
Through attending the conference, their commitment and motivation are renewed. They realize that they are not doing this ministry alone. Many other churches are doing the same work. As they eat, talk, learn, and worship together, they begin to feel that they belong to a much larger family.
The Beginning of LPM Korea Conferences
LPM Korea’s conference ministry began with Hallelujah Church’s conference in June 2001.
Before that, in April 2000, I attended the LPMI USA International Conference in St. Louis with people from Hallelujah Church. It was my first opportunity to attend an international LPM conference. At that conference, I met Dr. Melvin and other members of the leadership team of LPMI USA.
Our LPM Korea Institute had opened on July 1, 1999, so the St. Louis conference was a very important experience for me. I was deeply impressed. It gave me fresh inspiration, and I thought to myself, One day, LPM Korea should hold a conference in a similar way.
After we returned from St. Louis, Hallelujah Church and the LPM Korea Institute began discussing the possibility of holding a conference in Korea. We prepared together, and in June 2001, Hallelujah Church hosted the conference.
The church prepared extensively and invested significant resources to make the conference successful. We invited Tom Parrish, the General Secretary of LPMI USA, as our guest speaker. Dr. Melvin was already elderly and experiencing some health difficulties, so it was not possible for him to make the long journey from the United States to Seoul.
The conference at Hallelujah Church was very successful. It gave us confidence that LPM Korea could also hold its own conference.
The following year, in 2002, LPM Korea organized its own conference. One of our network churches hosted the event, and it was quite successful. The wife of Hallelujah Church’s senior pastor and several experienced PACE trainers also participated and taught workshops. Their participation was a great encouragement to us.
Since then, conferences have become an important part of the growth and development of LPM Korea.
Learning from LPMI USA
One important lesson I learned from the LPMI USA conferences was their long-term approach to preparation.
LPMI USA traditionally held its international conference every other year, during the last week of April in even-numbered years. At the end of each conference, especially during the final banquet, they announced the date and location of the next conference, which would be held two years later.
This was a very wise strategy.
Before people returned home, they already knew when and where the next conference would take place. The schedule was easy to remember: the last week of April in every even-numbered year.
Even after attending a conference, I found myself looking forward to the next one two years later. The announcement created expectation and motivation.
Immediately after one conference ended, LPMI USA began preparing for the next conference. In reality, the preparation period lasted almost two years.
Inspired by this system, LPM Korea decided to establish its own regular conference schedule. We chose to hold our conferences in odd-numbered years.
Through these regular conferences, our ministry continued to grow.
Preparation Is Sometimes More Important Than the Conference Itself
One of the most important lessons I learned is that, in some ways, preparation for the conference can be even more valuable than the conference itself.
The conference itself mainly benefits local churches, lay pastors, and other participants. They come to learn, receive encouragement, and renew their commitment.
However, during the long period of preparation—sometimes almost a year—the LPM Korea Institute itself grows significantly.
Preparing a conference requires us to gather materials, select workshop topics, recruit teachers, communicate with churches, and review the experiences of previous conferences. Through this process, we learn a great deal.
We develop new network churches, discover new pastors and leaders, and identify new workshop teachers. We also build relationships with professors and other specialists who may contribute to the ministry.
In this sense, the preparation process itself becomes a ministry of leadership development.
Developing Workshop Leaders
One of the most important parts of preparing a conference is finding workshop leaders.
We needed approximately twenty-five to thirty workshop leaders from churches throughout the PACE network. I discovered that many lay pastors and ministry leaders were happy to come and share what they had learned through their experiences.
They shared both their successes and their failures.
These real-life stories were extremely helpful to workshop participants because they were not simply theories. They came from actual ministry experiences.
Through the conference, I was also able to discover and develop many new leaders.
When these leaders came to teach at the conference, they often brought members of their own congregations with them. Their churches were proud that their pastor or lay leader had been selected as a conference teacher.
In this way, the conference helped strengthen not only individual leaders but also their churches.
Understanding the Needs of Network Churches
The preparation and workshops also helped the LPM Korea Institute understand the condition of our network churches.
We could see which ministries were doing well and which ones were struggling. If a church had a problem, we could begin to understand how we might help them.
We learned that different churches needed different kinds of support and resources.
Through listening to pastors and lay pastors, we could ask important questions:
What are the churches struggling with?
What kind of resources do they need?
What topics should we address at the next conference?
What kind of training would be most helpful?
The answers to these questions helped us prepare better workshops and resources for future conferences.
Therefore, the conference was not simply a one-time event. It became an important way for the headquarters to listen to the churches and respond to their needs.
Why Are Regular Conferences Important?
1. For Senior Pastors
Senior pastors have an opportunity to meet pastors from other LPM network churches.
They can talk together, share their experiences, discuss their questions and concerns, and learn from one another. Sometimes they also meet with the staff of the LPM Korea Institute and discuss the present condition of their PACE ministry.
The conference provides an opportunity for pastors to evaluate and strengthen their ministry.
2. For Lay Pastors
Lay pastors have an opportunity to meet other lay pastors from many different churches.
Some come from large churches, while others come from small churches. Yet they are all involved in the same ministry of caring for people.
They can encourage one another and learn from one another’s experiences.
For example, the wife of the senior pastor of Hallelujah Church often attended our conferences and encouraged pastors and laypeople. She had practiced the PACE ministry for many years and understood its importance. Her experience and encouragement were very meaningful to many participants.
3. For Local Churches
The conference motivates local churches.
Through the conference, churches can see the value of the ministry more clearly. Members who attend often return to their churches with renewed enthusiasm and commitment.
The conference also gives churches an opportunity to see how other congregations are practicing LPM and PACE. This can inspire them to strengthen and improve their own ministry.
4. For the LPM Headquarters
For the LPM Korea Institute, the conference is also an important opportunity for growth.
As we prepare, we gather materials, select workshop topics, recruit teachers, and evaluate previous conferences.
Through this process, we develop new network churches, discover new pastors and teachers, and build relationships with people who can contribute to the ministry.
We also learn directly from the needs and experiences of local churches.
Therefore, a conference is not simply an event.
It is a time for renewal, fellowship, education, leadership development, and ministry evaluation.
Conclusion
The conference is an important event in the Lay Pastors Ministry.
For lay pastors, it provides renewal and encouragement. For senior pastors, it provides fellowship and an opportunity to learn from others. For churches, it creates new motivation. For the headquarters, the preparation process develops leaders, strengthens relationships, and helps us understand the needs of our network churches.
Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of a conference is the realization that we are not working alone.
Lay pastors from different churches come together and discover that they belong to a larger ministry family. They share meals, stories, struggles, successes, and dreams.
Their motivation is renewed.
Their commitment is strengthened.
And they return to their churches with new energy to continue caring for God’s people.
For this reason, regular conferences have played an important role in the continuing growth of the Lay Pastors Ministry in Korea.