Church of God’s Missionary Work
The World Mission Society Church of God carries out the mission of preaching the gospel to 8 billion people in accordance with the will of God, who wants all people to be saved.[1] The core of the Church of God’s Missionary Work is preaching the gospel of the new covenant and the love of Christ to the whole world by restoring the truth and faith of the early Church. To achieve this, the members of the Church of God dedicate themselves to preaching the gospel,[2] following the example of Jesus Christ, and delivering the news of hope and salvation through various media such as documents, videos, and online materials.
The missionaries who have completed their education at the Church of God Theological Seminary are sent to various places in Korea and abroad to deliver the words of the Bible consistently, and they follow Christ’s teachings such as love, humility, consideration, and sacrifice. The church members, too, practice God’s love and preach it wherever they are.
The Church of God began its mission in Korea in 1964, and paved the way for preaching overseas by establishing the Church of God in three countries overseas in 1997. Within half a century after its establishment, the Church of God has rapidly grown to 7,500 churches in 175 countries with 3.3 million members.
Church of God’s Mission for Evangelism
The reason the Church of God preaches the gospel throughout the world is to fulfill the holy mission from Christ.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Today, there are many churches in each country, but it is difficult to find one that succeeds the early Church that kept the new covenant established by Jesus. As the church became secularized for a long time, the truth of the new covenant has disappeared and people no longer follow the truth.
Jesus Christ established the law of the new covenant and preached the gospel of the kingdom of heaven for the salvation of mankind.[3] And He asked His disciples to go to all people in the world and preach the gospel to them. Following the teachings of Jesus, the early Church kept the truth of the new covenant and preached it, including the Sabbath, the Passover, and the seven feasts in three times.
However, after the Apostolic Age, the church gradually became secularized and lost the truth of the new covenant as they had adopted the pagan custom. Through the 16th-century religious reformation, the church managed to accomplish the religious reformation, such as restoring freedom of faith, but they still fail to find the truth of the early Church established by Jesus. There are now many churches in the world, but it is difficult to find one that fully inherits the original form of the faith of the early Church.
Finally, Second Coming Christ Ahnsahnghong restored the new covenant and accomplished the complete religious reformation according to the prophecy of the Bible.[4] Christ Ahnsahnghong restored the lost truth of salvation[5] and established the Church of God in 1964 to preach the gospel of the new covenant. Today, the Church of God is the only church in the world that keeps the new covenant according to the Bible,[6] and it is doing its best to preach the gospel of the kingdom to all people, following the teachings and example of Christ Ahnsahnghong.[7][8] The Church of God is making every effort to lead 8 billion people to the Spirit and the Bride, who are God the Father and God the Mother, the Saviors in this age, so that they, too, can receive eternal salvation and happiness.
| Restoration of the Truth | Completion of World Evangelism | Practice of Love and Volunteer Service | Realization of Peace for Humanity |
| Achieving complete religious reformation by restoring the truth of the early Church[9] | Accomplishing the world evangelism, which is the mission commanded by Christ[10][11] | Making this world a happy place for everyone through volunteer services that contain God's love[12][13] | Resolving conflicts and disputes and implementing harmony in mankind |
| Keeping and preaching the new covenant, which was established by Jesus as the truth of life | Leading all humanity to salvation through the water of life, which the Spirit and the Bride give[14] | Making efforts to preserve the earth, which God created as the abode of humans[15] | Realizing peace in communities, country, and the world[16] |
Overview of Missionary Work
Preaching the Bible-Centered Gospel
The Bible is the scripture of truth, which testifies to the Savior and contains wisdom leading to salvation.[17][18] It tells us that those who follow the will of God will enter the kingdom of heaven.[19] As Christians, the members of the Church of God carry out God’s will and also preach God’s will, centering on the Bible, so that people can correctly know the truth and live a proper life of faith.
Additionally, they put God’s love into practice with bright greetings, kind words and good deeds, concession and consideration, as they have learned from God, who set an example of humility, servanthood, and sacrifice. Those who have fully learned the words of the Bible and come to have faith in the Savior in the Age of the Holy Spirit are to be baptized, which is a sign of salvation, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in accordance with the teachings of Jesus.[10][20]
Overseas Mission
The Church of God began its missionary work abroad in 1997 in accordance with God’s words, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and “You will be my witnesses in Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” The missionary work in North America, which began in Los Angeles, U.S., has spread to all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Churches have also been established in Edmonton, Vancouver, and Toronto in Canada. Central and South America Mission which began in Peru in 1998, spread even to neighboring countries, the Amazon rainforest, and the Andes Mountains through the fervent enthusiasm of missionaries and local members.
Asia Mission began in Pakistan, a non-Christian country in late 1997. Within 20 years, the gospel has reached major cities and small regions, too, in most countries. So the members of the Church of God can be seen even in the high mountains of the Himalayas. The gospel is being preached actively throughout Europe, too. The new covenant was preached to countries in Southern and Western Europe such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Spain, and Northern and Eastern Europe such as Finland, Ukraine, Croatia, and Hungary. In Africa, the number of believers rapidly increased in the Rep. of South Africa, and the gospel spread to Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, and recently a Church of God has been established in Cairo, Egypt, the northernmost country, too. In Oceania, the members who have learned about the gospel keep their faith in every island country, such as Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, and Tonga.
In the early days of overseas missions, Korean members played a pivotal role by carrying out short or long-term mission trips. As the local members who received the gospel preached it in their neighboring cities and countries, the overseas mission accelerated.[21] For example, American members preached God's word to their relatives in Colombia and Venezuela, which led to establishing the churches in those countries.[22] The gospel has rapidly spread despite linguistic and cultural barriers, and the majority of members in the Church of God are local members.[23]
Literary Mission
- Books Written by Christ Ahnsahnghong
Publications are less constrained by time and space when they are used. The Church of God spreads the love of God Elohim in various places of the global village through publications. The Publication Mission Center of the Church of God produces and distributes various types of publications and printed materials for the gospel, such as the Truth Books written by Christ Ahnsahnghong,[24] books of sermons that deliver God's word, and collections of essays by the members, and collections of children's stories. These publications are translated into more than 60 languages from popular languages such as English, Spanish, Chinese, and Hindi to indigenous languages such as Kashi, Gujarati, Chewa, and Swahili, for spreading the gospel to every corner of the world where communication is not smooth.
Video Sermons
The Church of God communicates with the world's citizens through various videos. The church vividly captures scenes through a simultaneous relay vehicle and shooting system, and distributes them to all the Churches of God through its self-editing process. Plentiful content of the Church of God are posted on the Church of God Media Cast and YouTube channels. This includes the church introduction video, video sermons for truth education and faith and character development, volunteer services, major church news, and animations. Media Cast is available in 83 languages (as of October 2022).
Online Mission
The Church of God creates an online environment for its members and other people to access the correct information about the truth of the Bible, the Church of God, and religious life. The Church of God official website is translated into 11 languages, making it highly accessible. Diverse content such as Guide to the Life of Faith, Bible Knowledge, History in the Bible, and Q&A are uploaded on the website. Sermons containing God’s word are provided in text, audio, and video for anyone to see and hear the truth of the Bible. Amidst the expansion of non-face-to-face life due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Church of God website provides opportunities for members to communicate and be comforted online through the Flower Letter Campaign and Seminars for Happy Family, and shows ways through which they can express their hearts to their precious ones.[25]
Nurturing Missionaries
The nurturing of missionaries plays a pivotal role in missionary work. Through Bible-centered education, the Headquarters of the Church of God nurtures the pastoral staff to have a vision for world evangelism and sends them to the world so that they can preach the teachings based on God and the Bible. Periodically, missionaries are transferred to churches, and deliver God’s will to the members through unity, humility, and consideration.
General Assembly
The Church of God holds the General Assembly in the first month of the sacred calendar every year (around March–April by the solar calendar). The pastoral staff from all around the world conclude last year's gospel, share visions and goals for the new year, and renew their mindset. In 2019, the pastoral staff confirmed their role and the value of the truth through the Worldwide Pastoral Forum. They discussed how they could lead the members and citizens to live a happy family life through the Global Conference on Happy Family.[26] Through the Arise & Shine Global Bible Seminar 2019, they took time to testify about God Elohim and share messages about the importance of the truth of the new covenant, through the presentations from eight pastoral staff members from five countries.[27]
They also held the Global Leadership Conference for the Female Pastoral Staff, who participate in missionary work by taking care of the church. Female pastoral staff from 52 countries gathered and discussed the basic attitudes of prophets such as consideration and servanthood.[28] At the Happy Church Global Conference, they shared their knowledge and experiences about how to make a happy church.
Church of God Theological Seminary
The Church of God Theological Seminary educates the pastoral staff to consistently deliver the words of the Bible. It is located at Okcheon Go&Come Training Institute, and it nurtures prophets who will lead the Church of God, based on the truth, godliness, and practice. A variety of educational courses are provided to cultivate talented and capable prophets, which include Pastoral Theology, Pastoral Ethics, History in the Bible, Introduction to the Bible, Foreign Languages, Servanthood Studies, Missionary Life, and more.[29]
Related videos
- Church of God Shines the Light on the Whole World
External links
- "[Special Feature ● Luther's 500 Years of Religious Reformation—Church of God and Truth in the Bible] What Do They Believe and What Do They Practice?". Monthly JoongAng. November 17, 2017.
- "[Special Feature ● Luther's 500 Years of Religious Reformation—Church of God and Truth in the Bible] 2.7 Million World Mission Society Church of God Saints' 'Grand Chorus'". Monthly JoongAng. November 17, 2017.
- "[Special Feature ● Luther's 500 Years of Religious Reformation—Church of God and Truth in the Bible] An Interview with Pastor Kim Joocheol, General Pastor of the World Mission Society Church of God". Monthly JoongAng. November 17, 2017.
References
- ↑ "1 Timothy 2:4".
- ↑ "Mark 1:38".
- ↑ "Matthew 4:23".
- ↑ Beginning of the Complete Reformation
- ↑ Major Teachings
- ↑ "Talking About the 'Essence of Love,' Embracing Mankind with Respect and Care". Weekly DongA. July 22, 2021.
- ↑ "Ministries". WATV.org.
- ↑ "Greetings". WATV.org.
- ↑ "[Special Feature ● Luther's 500 Years of Religious Reformation - Church of God and Truth in the Bible] 2.7 Million World Mission Society Church of God Saints' 'Grand Chorus'". Monthly JoongAng. November 17, 2017.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Matthew 28:18–20".
- ↑ "Acts 1:8".
- ↑ "1 John 4:7–8".
- ↑ "A Step to World's Happiness for Family, Neighbors, and Whole Mankind". Weekly DongA. January 16, 2020.
- ↑ "Revelation 22:17".
- ↑ "Cherish 'Earth' as a Living Foundation, Church of God Runs 'Earth Day' Activities in Various Regions". Kyeonggi News. April 27, 2021.
- ↑ "What activities does the Church of God do for communities and humanity?". WATV.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
- ↑ "2 Timothy 3:15".
- ↑ "John 5:39".
- ↑ "Matthew 7:21".
- ↑ "1 Peter 3:21".
- ↑ "Heavenly Mother's Love Reached the Sky". Monthly JoongAng. October 1, 2010.
- ↑ "The Preaching Festival Began in Jerusalem and Spread All Over the USA". English WATV. December 1, 2006.
- ↑ "World Mission Society Church of God General Pastor Joo-Cheol Kim". Shindonga. June 7, 2019.
- ↑ 《The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life》, 《Visitors From the Angelic World》, 《The Law of Moses and the Law of Christ》, 《The Last Plagues and the Seal of God》, 《The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the Gospel》, 《Explanations of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit》
- ↑ "Church of God Cheers for 'Family Happiness' in Daily Life". Woman DongA. February 2, 2021.
- ↑ "Global Conference on Happy Family", WATV.org, April 6, 2019
- ↑ "2019 Global Pastoral Forum". WATV.org. April 1, 2019.
- ↑ "Global Leadership Conference for the Women Pastoral Staff", WATV.org, April 27, 2019
- ↑ "Foundation Subjects". The Church of God Theological Institute.