I first became connected with Hallelujah Church through the Lay Pastors Ministry in the fall of 1999, shortly after the formal opening of the LPM Korea Institute on July 1, 1999.
I sent a fax to Rev. Sangbok David Kim, the senior pastor of Hallelujah Church, one of the prominent churches in Korea, inviting him to become a member of the Theology Committee of our Institute. I approached him because Hallelujah Church had already been operating an LPM Academy for more than ten years.
Soon afterward, Rev. Kim called me and asked for more information and materials about the Lay Pastors Ministry. He became interested in the ministry and asked me to meet with one of his associate pastors. A few days later, in November 1999, I met Rev. Jongtae Kim, who was serving as the chief associate pastor at the Yangjae Torch Trinity Mission Center.
Rev. Jongtae Kim told me that some people from Hallelujah Church wanted to attend the LPM International Conference in the United States. As a result, we traveled together to the International Conference in St. Louis in April 2000.
After returning from the United States, Hallelujah Church began preparing to host a national conference in Korea the following year. Finally, in June 2001, the first Lay Pastors Ministry Conference was held at Hallelujah Church.
This was a successful conference and, in my opinion, a truly historic event in Korean Christianity. First, many churches in Korea became aware of the Lay Pastors Ministry. Second, our Institute was able to begin a stronger and more productive ministry. From that time on, I became very busy visiting churches and equipping laypeople for ministry throughout Korea.
I deeply appreciated Rev. Sangbok David Kim and Hallelujah Church because we worked together as genuine partners in ministry. Hallelujah Church was a local church, while our Institute was a parachurch nonprofit organization. Together, we created a wonderful synergy. It was an ideal combination for pursuing our common goal: “to equip the saints for the work of ministry.”
We were happy and grateful to work together.
Hallelujah Church developed the Lay Pastors Ministry, especially the PACE Ministry, within the church. Over time, PACE became a well-known ministry and an important part of the church’s identity. For nearly ten years, approximately 6,000 people heard about PACE regularly—almost every Sunday and on many other occasions.
It was truly amazing.
At the same time, LPM Korea was also busy helping local churches throughout Korea. Many churches came to trust LPM Korea—and even me personally—because they knew that we had a close partnership with Hallelujah Church and Rev. David Kim. Some people even thought that LPM Korea and Hallelujah Church were almost like one family.
Sometimes, people assumed that I was a staff member or associate pastor of Hallelujah Church. In some ways, this helped me as I approached churches and expanded the ministry, both in Korea and overseas. Our close relationship became a model of partnership between a local church and a parachurch organization.
Hallelujah Church also supported our ministry financially. Beginning around 2000, the church supported the LPM Korea Institute for more than ten years, until Rev. David Kim retired at the age of seventy, probably around 2010.
Because of this support, LPM Korea was able to serve churches without major financial difficulties. The church also supported us personally and encouraged us in many ways. Looking back, I would describe those years as the heyday of our ministry.
Shortly after the 2001 conference, Hallelujah Church established a PACE Training Center. More than 1,000 lay pastors were eventually commissioned, and they served throughout every area of the church as PACE ministers. In my opinion, it was a truly successful model of lay ministry.
The PACE Training Center and the LPM Korea Institute continued to work together closely. We grew together, helped one another, and shared resources. For more than ten years, the Training Center purchased and used the textbooks that our Institute had translated. This was also a great help to the financial stability of LPM Korea.
During those years, I read The Prospering Parachurch, a book that gave me many ideas that I was able to adapt to our own ministry.
Through our close relationship with Hallelujah Church, we were also blessed with excellent people who joined and supported LPM Korea. Rev. Jongtae Kim, Kwangsup Jung, Haekyung Yoon, staff members of the PACE Training Center, and many other gifted people worked with us. Some of them served with LPM Korea for more than ten years.
Their contribution was one of the reasons why the ministry of LPM Korea continued to grow. Together, we were able to help hundreds of churches during the following decade.
Through the years, my leadership also developed. Our staff grew, and our overseas ministry expanded into many countries. During this journey, I earned my Ph.D. degree and also had opportunities to serve in postdoctoral positions at Yale and Oxford University.
Today, LPM Korea has continued its ministry beyond Korea. We have helped establish PACE International Seminary (PIS) in Nagaland, India.
Looking back, I can clearly see the faithfulness of God throughout this wonderful journey. The partnership between Hallelujah Church and LPM Korea became an important part of the growth and development of our ministry.
I give thanks to God and to everyone who participated in and supported this remarkable journey. Without their prayers, encouragement, partnership, and sacrifice, much of what we have accomplished would not have been possible.
Thanks be to God for His faithfulness and for all the people who were involved in this wonderful journey.