By Byeong
Before explaining the Lay Pastors Ministry further, it is helpful to introduce the late Dr. Melvin J. Steinbron (July 25, 1922 – June 25, 2017) and his ministry. My own ministry today would not exist without his influence and encouragement.
I first encountered Dr. Steinbron through his book, Can the Pastor Do It Alone? After returning to Korea from Canada, my seminary asked me to teach pastoral care using an English textbook. I searched many bookstores in Korea but could not find a suitable book. While exploring the websites of theological schools, I discovered a professor of pastoral care at the Asian Center for Theological Studies (ACTS), which has since become a university.
There I met Professor Ruth Elsner. Although I cannot remember the exact spelling of her name because this was nearly thirty years ago, in 1995, I have never forgotten our meeting. She recommended Dr. Steinbron’s book, Can the Pastor Do It Alone? (1987), and said to me, “The Korean church will need this book sooner or later.” Years later, I realized how true her words were. I believe she had used this book in her teaching for many years and understood the strengths and weaknesses of the Korean church.
After I began teaching with the book, my students gave me unexpected feedback. They said, “Korean churches need this book and this ministry. Please translate it into Korean as soon as possible.” Their response deeply challenged me. At that moment, I sensed God’s calling to devote my life to this ministry.
I contacted Dr. Melvin Steinbron to request permission to translate and reproduce his book. At that time, I knew very little about him and assumed he was simply the pastor of a local church. Soon I discovered that he had developed this ministry in his own congregation and had expanded it throughout the United States and many other countries as the founding president of Lay Pastors Ministries International (LPMI).
Dr. Steinbron graciously granted me permission to translate and reproduce his materials. He agreed wholeheartedly with my conviction that “the future of the Korean church depends on today’s seminarians.” Over the next four years, I translated both Can the Pastor Do It Alone? and The Lay-Driven Church (1997) into Korean. Thousands of Korean editions were published, and more than one thousand English copies of each book were also reproduced with permission for classroom use. These resources served churches and seminaries throughout Korea for nearly twenty years.
While teaching these books, I became increasingly convinced that I should not only teach the concepts but also practice the ministry myself. I established a small Lay Pastors Ministry Korea Institute in a corner room of the church where I was serving as an associate pastor. At first, I worked part-time because I was still responsible for my pastoral duties. However, as more and more churches requested training, I realized I could no longer limit this ministry to one local congregation. I stepped into full-time ministry and committed myself to this work as my lifelong calling.
Over the next two decades, I served approximately 200 churches throughout Korea. Following the ministry model developed by LPMI in the United States, I was able to establish and expand the ministry effectively. A fuller account of this journey is recorded in my book, Reflections on the Lay Pastors Ministry, published in Kenya in 2020.
As the ministry continued to grow, I naturally met many international students who had come to Korea for theological education. Together we studied the philosophy and practice of the Lay Pastors Ministry, using Dr. Steinbron’s PACE Equipping Manual as our primary training resource. Many of these students embraced the ministry and later invited me to their home countries to train pastors and lay leaders.
These opportunities allowed me to minister internationally. Eventually, I helped establish two theological schools: one in Nagaland, India, in 2015, and another in Kenya in 2021. Both schools continue to serve their communities and carry forward the vision of equipping God’s people for ministry.
Throughout this journey, I have constantly reflected on how ministries can begin well, grow effectively, and endure over time. I have studied leadership, management, and organizational development, and these lessons have greatly influenced my ministry. They helped me establish these schools and sustain the ministries God entrusted to me.
Today, I write these weekly reflections to share the lessons God has taught me through more than thirty years of ministry. My prayer is that these insights will encourage pastors and lay leaders to build ministries that are not only effective today but also fruitful for generations to come.