Anniversary Celebration Connects Korean Adventists across Time and Place

More than 1,000 church leaders, pastors, and special guests met at Sahmyook University in Seoul, Korea, on November 9 to celebrate 120 years of Seventh-day Adventist presence in the country. Thousands of pastors and church members also followed the livestreamed event online in their local churches across the country and the Korean diaspora.

The celebrations included special musical items from children, youth, and even seniors; video reports on mission past and present; and a congratulatory poem.

Throughout the day, leaders repeatedly emphasized the undaunted courage and commitment of pioneers. “There were countless hardships,” Korean Union Conference (KUC) president Kang Soon Gi acknowledged in a commemorative message. Video reports about the first few decades of Adventist work in Korea highlighted some of those challenges, which even led to occasional persecution and death.

Against that background, Adventist leaders and members vowed to follow in the footsteps of the pioneers and redouble efforts to share the gospel with millions across the Korean Peninsula and beyond.

“We must renew our commitment to our calling,” Kang emphasized. “The mission to proclaim the three angels’ message across the world remains,” he said, referencing three special messages described in the Bible, in Revelation 14, that Seventh-day Adventists see as the basis of their unique missionary call.

The Greatest Anniversary

Ted N. C. Wilson, General Conference president, shared the Saturday (Sabbath) worship message, emphasizing the need of Adventists in Korea and elsewhere to uphold the Bible and its teachings and devote themselves to sharing them with an increasing number of people.

Based on the words of Jesus recorded in John 12:32 — “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” — Wilson encouraged members to a personal commitment to mission. “Wherever you are; whoever you are … shine for Jesus!” he said.

To be a light, Wilson emphasized, every leader and member must “lift up [their] spiritual connection” through daily Bible study, prayer, and witnessing. “When you are in connection with Jesus, you will live your life to be like Him,” he said.

Wilson also called on Adventists to remember, “You are preparing a people for the greatest anniversary ever to be,” referencing the expected second coming of Jesus. “The greatest anniversary reunion is just about to happen. And people around the world and in Korea need to hear this message,” he said.

As a giant split screen showed dozens of local Adventist churches following the service across Korea, Wilson called every member to commit personally to the mission of sharing Jesus.

From Receiving to Giving

An emphasis on mission also was the focus of the official ceremony of celebration in the afternoon. Leaders emphasized how in its beginnings, the Adventist Church in Korea welcomed foreign missionaries, but how, in the last few decades, it has been a powerhouse of mission itself, providing a source of missionaries to dozens of countries around the world.

“For a long time we received; now it is time to give,” the narrator in a video presentation emphasized. “It’s time for the Korean [Adventist] Church to take the lead and share the gospel with all the world.”

Mission beyond Korea’s Borders

Erton Köhler, General Conference secretary, shared congratulatory remarks, emphasizing that an anniversary celebration is “a good moment for gratitude,” first to God, because “He is the captain of this ship.” He commended regional Adventist leaders for supporting the mission of the church “beyond its borders.” In 2023, the GC Executive Committee approved a realignment in which the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) territory would include Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It was a move, leaders believe, that is revitalizing the Adventist Church in those challenging nations.

Despite challenges in the country and abroad, the marching orders are to share Jesus with an increasing number of people, NSD president Kim Yo-Han emphasized. “We don’t wait for a better time,” he said. “Any day is a good day to spread the gospel.”

From Near and Far

Euro-Asian Division (ESD) president Mikhail Kaminskiy congratulated the Adventist Church in Korea as he highlighted its commitment to mission. “You have never ceased to amaze the Adventist world with your dedication,” Kaminskiy said. “We need to learn from you, from your precision, efficiency, and commitment that have made this country great.” The ESD and the NSD share a border between the Russian Federation and North Korea.

Lim Mi-Ho, president of the Association of Korean Adventist Churches in the North American Division, addressed Adventist leaders and members on the special anniversary. Born in Korea, Lim now coordinates the work of roughly 140 Korean Adventist churches across the United States and Canada, where congregations have become known for their forward thinking and innovation.

Past and Current Difference Makers

The moments of honoring past and current missionaries and leaders included a special mention of the Upper Columbia Conference and Dakota Conference in the US. More than a century ago, the first missionaries to Korea hailed from those regions in North America, leaders explained.

Through video messages, Upper Columbia president David Jamieson and Dakota Conference president Vernon Herholdt congratulated their colleagues and church members in Korea. Korean Adventist leaders honored those church regions with a special plaque.

Other leaders honored included former KUC presidents, missionaries, current church leaders, and religious officers from other Christian denominations who have regularly stood up to support and defend the Adventist Church in Korea.

Growing Strong and Bright

Nam Dae Geuk, former president of Sahmyook University, shared a congratulatory poem specially written for the celebration. The poem in Korean, titled “120 Years of Wilderness and Whirlwind,” highlighted the “trials and tribulations” of pioneers as it emphasized the current opportunities to keep moving the message of the gospel forward.

“The gospel light grows strong and bright, in each new effort by day and night,” the poem reads in its English translation. “Till the Lord returns as promised and true progress unfolds in all we pursue.”

It ends with an invitation for God’s people to get involved in mission with hope. “Before the sands of time run through, let us save more souls and His path renew,” it reads. “And when Christ comes from skies above, may we welcome Him with arms of love!”