Prominent evangelical leaders in the U.S. joined famous Korean pastors at the Korean World Mission Conference, the largest gathering of Korean missionaries worldwide, in the Chicago area this week to celebrate a critical milestone in the world's fastest growing missionary movement. The number of Korean missionaries in 169 countries has exceeded 20,000 – more than doubling in 10 years. At this rate of growth, Korea is expected to surpass the United States as the top missionary-sending country in the world by the year 2020.
John Piper, preaching pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church; Loren Cunningham, co-founder of Youth With a Mission; Doug Birdsall, executive chairman of the Lausanne Movement; and Loni Arnold, executive director of Billy Graham Center were among the American evangelical leaders who spoke during the July 23-July 27 event held at Wheaton College's Billy Graham Center in Wheaton, Ill.
"There is a great calling by God for Korean churches," said Piper during the conference's opening service. "God has given great blessing to Korean churches all around the world. Where there is great blessing, great responsibility follows."
Over 5,000 people – half of them missionaries – participated in the 7th Korean World Mission Conference, which examined mission developments in the past and mission trends for the next 10 years. The missions conference, which has convened every four years at Wheaton College since 1988, was sponsored by the largest three Korean mission organizations – Korean World Mission Council for Christ, Korean World Mission Association, and Korean World Mission Fellowship.
The Korean missionary movement traces back to the late '70s but it began its rapid growth in 1990, when 1,000 Korean missionaries were dispatched overseas. Today, there are approximately 25,000 Korean missionaries around the world, indicating a 2,500 percent increase in Korean missionaries in the past two decades. Read more
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