Pioneering spirit

From the beginning UBF was full of pioneering spirit. In Kwangju, for the first three years each college of Chun-nam University and Chosun University, including the college of education, was pioneered. In 1963 we began to pray for South Asia. Finally in 1964 Shepherd Hanok Kim who graduated with an English major from Chun-nam Univeristy was sent out to Jeju Island. To us this was a historically important event. We invited pastors in Kwangju, had a missionary-sending service and gave her a bundle of flowers. Since we were sending her as a missionary, we decided to sent her by airplane not by ship and made an offering for the pioneering of Jeju Island. After several months, we sent out Shepherd Sooil Chung who graduated as No. 1 in the department of history at Chun-nam University as a pioneering shepherd to Daegu. In 1965 we sent Shepherd Kwangok Koh to Chunju.

When we wanted to pioneer Daejun, there was a political problem. At that time UBF belonged to the American Southern Presbyterian Mission. This organization sent out missionaries to Kwangju, Chunju and Daejun. But when we wanted to pioneer Daejun, it forbade us from doing so, telling us that pioneering other areas beyond Kwanju such as Chunju or Daejun was invading others’ territory. We were full of stewardship and pioneering spirit. We thought, “We are pioneering our own country. Who can stop us?” Until that time, Dr. Samuel Lee had received financial support from the organization. Then he decided to be financially independent and UBF became an independent organization and could pioneer any places in Korea on our own. In 1966, we sent out Dr. Samuel Lee for the pioneering of Seoul. Soon the ancestors of Kwanju UBF moved to Seoul one by one and Seoul became the new headquarters of UBF. When Dr. Samuel Lee went to pioneer Seoul in order to pioneer Seoul National University (SNU), one of his friends tried to persuade him from doing so, saying, “It is impossible to pioneer SNU. Why don’t you just get a job in Seoul? I will help you.” Others also tried to stop him, saying, “Kwangju was an easy place to pioneer. But for people from Chulla Province to pioneer SNU is totally impossible.” At that time at SNU there were many student evangelical organizations such as the Catholic Student Center, the Episcopal Church and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. Since all financial support was stopped, it was impossible for us to pioneer SNU. Dr. Samuel Lee’s small house in Kwangju was all we had. But the ancestors were full of faith, pioneering spirit and courage. Dr. Samuel Lee sold his house in Kwangju and went to Seoul. In this way we began Seoul pioneering ministry. God accepted our faith and prayer, enabled us to pioneer SNU and raised up wonderful shepherds from SNU.

UBF was very poor financially. But in three years--1964 to 1966—we pioneered Jeju, Chunju, Daejun, Daegu and Seoul. How was it possible for us to do this great work of God? It was because God blessed our independent spirit and pioneering spirit. God showed us that everything is possible for him who believes.

In June, 1966, Dr. Samuel Lee went on a mission journey to South Asia. Since we had been praying for South Asia day and night, we were greatly moved by the occasion. We encouraged one another, saying, “Dr. Lee went on this journey by our blood and sweat. Though we could not go with him, our spirits are with him on this journey. Let us pray for him with our earnest prayer and support. The Lord commands us, ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and be witnesses in Kwanju, Seoul and South Asia.’” When we prayed for South Asia, God accepted our prayer and opened the way to pioneer Germany through nurse missionaries. In this way, the world mission work began.

However, pioneering was not easy. It required many tears and much sacrifice. In 1966, Shepherd Kwanok Koh who pioneered Chunju said, “We got a good center worth 150,000 wons. Now I came to receive that money from you. I have nothing else to say other than saying, ‘Thank you.’ It seems that everyday we hear the outcry of the people who are suffering under the power of sin and rushing toward hell. God raised up many workers who heard this outcry and dedicated their lives for the gospel work. We believe that the time will come for Korea to be liberated spiritually and for South Asia to be delivered from Satan’s hand. Your prayer is alive. As the ones who were sent out by your prayer, I will run barefoot like Abebe who ran the marathon barefoot in the 1960 Olympic Games.” We bore all these sufferings and pains in the midst of pioneering work. But this pioneering spirit became the foundation of the continuing growth of UBF to this day. God blessed the ancestors’ pioneering spirit greatly.