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K-POP AND K-DRAMA, short for Korean popular music and Korean drama series, respectively, have surged into the international spotlight. Many are probably wondering about the immense global demand for these cultural exports produced by Korean artists, both in mainstream and social media. This phenomenon is known as hallyu, or the “Korean wave,” referring to the expanding influence of Korean culture worldwide (korea.net).
Amidst many people’s hustle of material pursuits, the Almighty God, in His boundless love and mercy, allowed His biblical teachings to reach South Korea through the propagation efforts of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ). This offers people in the country the opportunity to learn the path to salvation, aligning with God’s divine will for “all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (I Tim. 2:3–4 New King James Version).
On May 15, 1989, the Administration of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ), with the leadership of Brother Eraño G. Manalo, the Executive Minister then, approved the request of the brethren for the establishment of a committee prayer group in South Korea’s capital, Seoul. A handful of Church Of Christ members, who had journeyed from the Philippines to work in South Korea, conducted gatherings in a room at the PHILCOR Company in Seoul.
Sooner than they thought, the group needed a larger and more suitable venue for their growing attendance. In 1993, they relocated to Bucheon City when the Church Administration sent a minister of the gospel to visit the brethren and officiate at their Holy Supper service. They were overjoyed when the Lord God answered their prayers. The Church Administration approved that they would become a local congregation on May 21, 1994.
As more and more people came to listen and believe, the first converts in Korea were baptized on July 30 that same year. The increasing number of new members and the influx of more migrant workers who were already Church members, especially in Daegu, resulted in the formation of the Daegu Extension, which was approved by the Church Administration in January 1996. The said extension eventually became the Local Congregation of Daegu on November 21, 2008.
All arrows point forward to the intensified efforts of the brethren to help in the works of propagation. In 2009, four more places of worship were established to accommodate the worshipers: the Gwangju Group Worship Service (GWS), in the Jeollanam-do province, which became a local congregation in 2015; the Busan Extension, which became a local congregation just after a few months; and the Yongsan GWS, which became a local congregation in 2014, and was renamed in 2019 as the Local Congregation of Seoul. The original Local Congregation of Seoul was also renamed as the Bucheonsi Local Congregation concurrently, which was eventually merged to the Seoul Local Congregation in 2021.
On October 31, 2010, on the birthday of Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, the Executive Minister of the Church Of Christ, brethren in Seoul were elated to attend a sacred gathering. The Executive Minister officiated at a worship service held at the Conference Center of the Mayfield Hotel, just outside Seoul. This was the first time that the Executive Minister of the Church conducted a pastoral visit to South Korea. After the preaching of the gospel, Brother Eduardo Manalo presented awards to brethren who have contributed to the growth of the Church in the country.
In October 2014, a few months after the Church Of Christ’s centennial celebration, the Church Administration approved the formation of the Ecclesiastical District of South Korea. This meant that the local congregations, extensions, and group worship services in South Korea, previously under the supervision of the Ecclesiastical District of Northeast Asia, are now organized into a separate district.
The Church’s Centennial and the inception of this newly formed district were not the only significant milestones the brethren witnessed in 2014. On October 18 that year, the newly acquired and renovated house of worship of the Local Congregation of Ansan was dedicated to God in a worship serviced officiated by Brother Eduardo Manalo. Church members from all over the country joyously gathered for this event and were grateful to God for the Executive Minister’s presence.
Less than a year following the dedication of the Ansan house of worship, Brother Eduardo Manalo returned to South Korea on April 25, 2015, to dedicate to God another house of worship, this time, that of the Local Congregation of Daegu. This sacred gathering was broadcasted live via video streaming to ecclesiastical districts in the Philippines and other countries.
Following his initial visit for the dedication of the house of worship in 2014, the Executive Minister returned to the Local Congregation of Ansan twice more (on May 28, 2017 and March 4, 2018). Then, on March 17, 2019, he led the brethren in Seoul in a worship service at the Grand Hilton Hotel Convention Center, where both members and nonmembers were invited. Following the service, an Aid for Overseas Filipino Workers event commenced, offering attendees a musical program, food, and care packages.
On May 15, 2024, the brethren in South Korea commemorated the 35th anniversary of the Church Of Christ in South Korea.
In the face of adversity, members of the Church Of Christ, including those in the Ecclesiastical District of South Korea, remain steadfast. They draw strength from their unwavering faith, knowing that as they diligently serve and obey the Lord God, He will provide them protection and care.
