In June 2008, I began my ministry as the senior pastor of God’s Vision Church. Although I am a Korean pastor, I came to the UK as a missionary, and from the very beginning, mission have been close to my heart. In those early years, our church held three retreats annually, and one of them was dedicated specifically to missions. As we prepared for that first missions retreat, I prayed, “Lord, please help me to be fully convinced that missions are not just one part of a Christian’s life, or one of many church ministries, but the very essence of it all.” As I prepared the messages for the retreat, God graciously answered that prayer.
Following the retreat, we decided to designate the last Sunday of every month as Mission Sunday. On those days, the sermon always focused on missions. At first, we spent time learning about what missions are and how global evangelization might be fulfilled. Over time, however, we realized that many within our own congregation were also in need of the gospel. As a result, we shifted our approach—rather than simply teaching about missions, we began to proclaim the gospel directly on Mission Sundays so that missions could truly take place among us. We also encouraged the congregation to give mission offerings, which were sent directly to the mission fields. Even though I myself was receiving missionary support from a sending church in Korea, and even though our church finances were so limited that we were operating with loans, we chose to step out in faith.
Initially, our missionary focus was on unreached and unengaged people groups—those who had never heard the gospel. Since nearly half of these groups live in India, our attention was directed there. Over time, however, as I prayed about how we should approach missions here in London, God led me to see that the future of missions would increasingly centre on diaspora missions—reaching people from many nations who gather in global cities like London. Sensing a calling toward church planting for these communities, I enrolled in the Amnos Church Planting School. At the time, our church had around 300 members, and I was the sole pastor. Even with a newborn baby at home, I committed myself to this training, leaving home before dawn three days a week and driving long distances, trusting God with the sacrifices involved.
Two fellow pastors from overseas who studied with me went on to plant churches. From their founding services onward, I visited their churches every other Saturday for several years to help with evangelism, and once a year I joined them for a full week of outreach. Through these experiences, I gained valuable firsthand experience in street evangelism and door-to-door ministry.
As time went on, I began to sense the need for a mission organization that could effectively support ethnic minority churches in London. I met with leaders from mission organizations and theological institutions across the UK, hoping to explore possible partnerships. While many agreed with the importance of diaspora missions and expressed willingness to cooperate, their existing commitments made it difficult to move forward as I had hoped. During this time, I encountered a Nepali church and developed a deep and meaningful partnership. Through this, I felt God leading me not to focus first on building an organization, but rather to walk closely with diaspora churches on the ground and to bear fruit together. I am therefore seeking to obey.
As we enter the new year, my earnest prayer is that through Bible reading and meditation seminars, we will strengthen the spiritual foundation of our church. From that place of strength, I hope we will move beyond the walls of our own community to serve and support many vulnerable diaspora churches around us. This is not something I can do alone, nor something I should do alone. That is why I sincerely hope that all of our church family will join together in this calling.
