True Jesus Church in Korea
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The True Jesus Church is a nontrinitarian Christian denomination begun in China, growing out of the Pentecostal movement. Since its foundation it has spread to other countries including Korea.
On 30 July 1941, Elder Lyong, a Korean national who was living in Nagasaki, Japan thirsted for the true teachings regarding the Holy Spirit so he visited the True Jesus Church in Sumiyoshi and asked to see Elder Uwai.
After Elder Uwai described the teachings and beliefs of the church, Mr. Lyong accepted the laying of hands from the Elder and began speaking in tongues. So on the 31 July, Mr. Lyong accepted the correct way of baptism and became the first Korean True Jesus Church believer.
In April 1943, another Korean that resided in Japan named Tai-Joon Jung also became a believer in the church after truth-seeking with Elder Uwai.
With World War II in the Pacific, and Japan gradually losing, Brother Lyong and his family returned to Korea on January 1945 and lived in Kimcheon. In May 1945, Brother Jung also left Japan and lived in Pusan.
[edit] Gimcheon church
As Brother Lyong moved to Gimcheon with his family on January 1945, he preached to a Korean that lived in Osaka, Chang-Hwan Park.
After accepting the gospel, Brother Park voluntarily offered himself to serving the Lord and started the missionary work in June 1947. Brother Park then spread the gospel to a Korean Presbyterian church members Jong-Bae Hong, Pi-San Park and 30 others who later became church members and started holding services and held the first evangelical service in October that same year.
During that period, the Korean brethren proposed forming a centralised church governing structure to keep the order so Brothers Lyong and Park were chosen as Elders, Brothers Hong, Park and Chun-Mei Sun were appointed as Deacons.
In 1948, a Seventh-day Adventist Church theological student studying named Mr. Yu came to deacon Park with the intention of distributing some of his church's magazine publications. But after hearing deacon Park's testimony, he joined the church in October. The first True Jesus Church in Korea was then established with Elder Lyong elected as committee member.
[edit] Hong-gok Li church
- In August 1948 the Gimcheon church received a message which read, "In Yongmunsan there are people willing to receive the gospel, please hurry!".
- So the church sent the two deacons Sun and Hong to the area and a result of their preaching, a former Presbyterian church pastor Seok Joo Yi and another presbyterian believer Mun-Ryeol Ryu from Gangwon-do.
In February 1949 during the second evangelical service, the second Korean church was established with Brother Heo appointed as a committee member.
[edit] Seodo church
During and after the evangelical sessions held by Elder Heo in February 1949, Dal-Sun Jang, a female Presbyterian pastor from Seodo and fellow church members were invited to attend. After holding family bible sessions many believed and several prayer houses were established so by May that year, the third True Jesus Church in Korea was established with Brother Jang chosen as committee member.
- In April 1950 the first major Church delegation conference was held.
[edit] Period of trouble and strife
During the outbreak of the Korean War, a portion of the believers went into safe hiding while others like Elder Park, Jung, Yu and Li fled across Rakdong Kang, with their entire family and relatives and hid in Cheongdo and Mae-Jeon.
After the ceasefire between North and South Korea, the believers returned to their homes in Kimcheon.
There are currently (2004) 23 churches, 8 prayer houses and 3727 believers in the South Korean cities of Busan, Mokpo, Andong, Donghae, Cheongju, Namwon, Jeonju, Daegu, Daejeon.
