By Byeong
My relationship with Hallelujah Church began in the fall of 1999, shortly after the official opening of the Lay Pastors Ministry (LPM) Korea Institute on July 1, 1999. In those days, they had about 7,000 congregants.
I sent a fax to Rev. Sangbok David Kim, the senior pastor of Hallelujah Church, one of the most influential churches in Korea, inviting him to serve on the Theology Committee of our Institute. I approached him because Hallelujah Church had operated its own Lay Pastors Academy for more than ten years, and I believed that we shared a common vision for equipping laypeople for pastoral care.
To my surprise, Rev. Kim personally called me. He asked for additional materials about the Lay Pastors Ministry and expressed genuine interest in our work. A few days later, he arranged for me to meet Rev. Jongtae Kim, the chief associate pastor, at the Yangjae Torch Trinity Mission Center in November 1999.
During our meeting, Rev. Jongtae Kim shared that leaders from Hallelujah Church wanted to attend the International Lay Pastors Ministry Conference in the United States. As a result, we traveled together to St. Louis in April 2000 to participate in the conference.
After returning from the United States, the leaders of Hallelujah Church became convinced of the value of the ministry and immediately began preparing to host a national conference in Korea. Their vision became reality in June 2001, when the first Korean National Lay Pastors Ministry Conference was held at Hallelujah Church.
The conference proved to be a historic milestone in Korean Christianity.
First, it was an outstanding success, attracting church leaders from across the country. Second, it introduced the Lay Pastors Ministry to many churches that had never heard of it before. Third, it became a turning point for the LPM Korea Institute, opening many new opportunities for ministry. Following the conference, I was invited to visit churches throughout Korea to introduce the ministry and train laypeople for pastoral care. For many years afterward, I remained busy equipping churches and helping them establish Lay Pastors Ministries.
I remain deeply grateful to Rev. Sangbok David Kim and Hallelujah Church for their partnership. Together, we demonstrated the strength of cooperation between a local church and a parachurch nonprofit organization. Hallelujah Church provided leadership, influence, and a ministry platform, while the LPM Korea Institute provided training, resources, and ongoing support. The partnership created a powerful synergy that enabled us to pursue our shared mission: “to equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12).
Looking back, I thank God for bringing us together. Our partnership not only strengthened the Lay Pastors Ministry in Korea but also encouraged many churches to embrace a more intentional ministry of pastoral care through trained lay leaders.
