I got to know Hallelujah Church in terms of Lay Pastors Ministry in fall, 1999 right after formally opening LPM Korea Institute (July 1, 1999).
I sent fax to Rev. Sangbok David Kim, the senior pastor of Hallelujah church which is prominent in Korea to invite him as member of Theology committee for our Institute, because he had already LPM Academy in his church more than 10 years, so I approached him to join with us.
Then he called me and asked for more materials on the Lay Pastors Ministry, and he was interested in this ministry and asked me to meet his associate pastor in a few days, I met Rev. Jongtae Kim who was chief associate pastor at Yangje Torch Trinity Mission Center in November 1999. Rev. Jongtae said Hallelujah church’s people want to attend LPM International conference in the States, so we went together to St. Louis’ International conference in the following year, April 2000.
Since they came back from the States, they began to prepare for the National Conference in the following year, June 2001. Finally, the first Conference of Lay Pastors Ministry held at Hallelujah Church in Jun 2001: 1) It was a successful conference and was a really historical event in Korean Christianity; 2) Most churches got to know about this ministry; 3) Our Institute started a stronger and more productive ministry since then. So I was so busy visiting churches and equipping them for the next many years.
I appreciated Rev. Sangbok David Kim and Hallelujah church, Because we were working together as partners in ministry, between church and Institute. After successful conference, the church and our Institute work together very closely, they made synergy because they are local church and we are parachurch nonprofit organization, so it was really good combination for the common goal, “to equip the saints for the work of ministry,” and we were happy and satisfied to work together.
-Byeong
