Mother’s Leadership Education and Training

The Korean pastoral staff, title and position holders participate in the education in June 2013

Mother’s Leadership Education and Training is an educational program of the World Mission Society Church of God designed to support church leaders including pastoral staff, title and position holders, and teachers for children and teenagers. The program encourages them to follow the example of serving and caring for their members and neighbors, practicing God’s love.

Purpose of the Mother’s Leadership Education and Training

At home, a mother carefully examines and nurtures family life, dedicating herself to the peace and happiness of her family. Mother’s leadership, rooted in love, respect, tolerance, and consideration, is essential not only at home but also in the church. According to the Bible, church members are spiritually brothers and sisters as they are children of God the Father and God the Mother. The church is not only a place to worship God, but also a place of love where the heavenly family gathers together.

The Church of God regularly conducts Mother’s Leadership Education and Training with the goal of guiding both church members and the whole world toward happiness and salvation. This is achieved by practicing a righteous and godly life inspired by God the Mother’s love, humility, concessions and patience. One notable example is the Mother’s Leadership Education andTraining for the Management of Happy Homes and Churches, held at the Okcheon Go&Come Training Institute for three days from June 26 to 28, 2013.

Education Content

During the education session in June 2013, General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol suggested Mother’s leadership as a solution for managing happy homes and churches. He explained that when all members, including leaders and title holders, care for and love one another with the heart of Mother, the church transforms into a haven for souls, much like a warm and comforting home.

Pastor Kim Joo-cheol said, “The love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who served sinners and laid down His life, reflect the heart of Mother who gives everything for her children.” He further state, “The way to attain divine nature that qualifies one to enter the kingdom of heaven is by embracing Mother’s heart.” He added, “When we treat one another with Mother’s heart, the unity among brothers and sisters, which God is most pleased with, is achieved.” He urged title and position holders to care for church members, families, and neighbors with the same warm and nurturing heart of Mother.

The attendees learned about the religious attitude and mindset that God’s children should embody. They also explored the virtues necessary for the church to become a haven that provides comfort and peace to its members and neighbors, while examining the roles each member should fulfill.

Mother’s Leadership Draws Attention at Home and Abroad

Following God’s teaching, “Love your neighbor,” the Church of God practices Mother’s leadership within and outside the church. The Church of God has become a global church, largely thanks to Mother’s leadership rooted in love and sacrifice. Not only the members in Korea but also the members around the world who participate in the Overseas Visiting Group program learn and experience Mother’s leadership firsthand.

This unique leadership has attracted not only the admiration of church members worldwide but also significant attention from media outlets.

“	At the New Jerusalem Pangyo Temple, the main sanctuary of the Church of God located in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, Korea, church members gathered to keep the Sabbath. Regardless of age, pastoral staff, title and position holders, and lay members all used honorific expressions to each other. This church culture has been upheld since the early days of its establishment, both domestically and internationally. It reflects the value of treating each other with care, consideration, and familial love. In the kitchen, individuals wearing aprons prepared lunch for the members. Most of them were the wives of pastor staff, and elderesses. Male title holders, such as missionaries and elders, were also seen performing parking assistance duties with traffic safety batons . . . It was hard to find anyone who was authoritative in this church. It was the same culture that could be seen in the Churches of God established all over the world.	“
— "[Special Report: Luther's 500th Anniversary of Reformation - The Church of God and the Truth of the Bible] World Mission Society Church of God, 2.7 Million Members' Grand Chorus". Monthly JoongAng. December 2017.

“	The remarkable characteristic of the World Mission Society Church of God (General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol, hereinafter referred to as the Church of God) is upright honesty . . . The teaching, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” is actively practiced through family relationships, social interactions, and selfless service . . . The Church has been established in prominent cities as well as remote areas, such as the high-altitude region of Sertung, Nepal, located 4,000 meters above sea level in the Himalayas; the Amazon rainforest in Taruma, Brazil, and Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world near Antarctica. Truly, the Church provides a haven for people from all corners of the globe.	“
— "[Church of God] Becoming a Haven for People Worldwide Through the Love of God the Mother". September 6, 2017.

See also

• World Mission Society Church of God
• Character Education of the Church of God