More than twenty leaders with the Christian Communion in Korea (CCIK) visited World Olivet Assembly's (WOA) headquarters and the adjacent World Evangelical Center (WEC) in Dover, NY for prayer, fellowship and to deepen their collaboration.
Spending more than a week together, the leaders engaged in deep conversations with WOA-founder Rev. Dr. David Jang and other leaders about the current state of evangelical churches in Korea, the United States and globally, and prayed together for greater unity that is deeply rooted in the faith in Jesus Christ and the Bible as the Word of God.
As they toured the facilities of the World Evangelical Center that has been established by the World Olivet Assembly in 2010 to serve evangelical churches around the world, they had specific interest in the Media & Information Center, located in the middle of the 1,000-acre land, that will become the home of various existing and emerging Christian media initiatives. Its vision is inspired by the prophecy in Isaiah 11:9 that says, "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." In today's digital world, media plays a key role in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.
On Wednesday evening and Sunday morning, they offered worship services at WOA's Olivet Chapel and at the Immanuel Chapel on the WEC premises. CCIK President Rev. Tae-seop Song preached a sermon based on Genesis 18:32-33 with the title 'The Value and Influence of One Person.'
He shared that "The church that has existed from ancient times and throughout the Middle Ages to the present is not destroyed because of a lack of authority but it is declining due to a lack of godliness. At a time when Christianity is facing great challenges due to compromises in faith, the Korean church and the evangelical churches around the world should sound the trumpet of godliness."
"Today's text shows how important a single person's value and influence is. And I hope this work of the gospel will grow more and more every day," he said.
During their stay, they also enjoyed fellowship and sport activities, including playing golf on the Harlem Valley Golf Course that forms part of the WEC and fishing at the lakes. They also took several daytrips to Plymouth, the Niagara Falls and New York City. In Plymouth in Massachusetts, where the Puritans arrived as they sailed on the Mayflower ship in search of freedom of faith, the Korean leaders prayed for the United States to once again restore the Puritan faith.
Reflecting on the visit, Rev. Song said, "I was challenged and impressed by this visit, and I was able to see the future vision of the Korean church and the global Church. I hope we can collaborate more with WOA in the future."
WOA General Secretary Rev. Mark Spisak expressed his gratitude for the visit of CCIK's leadership. "We have been privileged to host the senior leaders of CCIK that represent many denominations in Korea who have faithfully served the Lord and held onto the unchanging Word of God. Their lives are an inspiration for us and their visit has been a great encouragement," he said, and added: "We will pray for God's continued blessing upon CCIK and all the churches in Korea and around the world to stand firm and share the good news of Jesus Christ and the hope of salvation that is found only in him."
The Olivet Assembly of Korea, WOA's national member body, and several of its Affiliates are members of CCIK.
