[Seo Imjung Column] Rumor (2)

Over the past century, there have been various rumors about churches in our country. These churches were known for their worship buildings, number of congregants, early morning prayer meetings, exemplary missionary work, having many elite members, and caring for the local community. But which church served as a model for beautiful faith life among the believers? What kind of church is the Ecclesia church that Jesus wanted to establish? This was a question I asked myself when I began my ministry. When I started my pastoral work, I earnestly prayed for one thing. Even if the worship building was humble, the number of congregants small, the level of members low, and the budget limited, whether three or a hundred gathered, I vowed to pursue a ministry that pleased Jesus. In concrete terms, I understood that five words spoken with an enlightened heart were more precious than ten thousand words in tongues, and I repeatedly taught this to the believers. These were prayer, praise, thanksgiving, blessing, and Amen.

The church experienced parallel growth. The humble worship building was transformed into a splendid structure, and the number of congregants increased exponentially. It took the lead in overseas missions, planted and established over 20 churches domestically and abroad, and supported hundreds of under-resourced rural churches in Korea. Cooperating with national policies, it established a welfare foundation, managed it exemplary, and as part of fulfilling the church’s original mission to care for the small, supported about 100 families monthly. Embracing children-headed households and leading in welfare for the disabled, it truly embodied the image of a church that God would be pleased with, struggling earnestly. Although it was a local church, it had everything to be called a so-called megachurch, yet it sang of parallel growth and was a church where distant mountains echoed praises of the grace of Lord Jesus, truly a heaven on earth.

Pastor Seo Im-jung (Emeritus of Pohang Central Church and Honorary Director of Gamrimsan Prayer Center)

However, after 30 years of ministry and retirement, the church began to be engulfed in malicious rumors spread by a few people manipulated by the devil. These rumors were demagogy, meaning inflammatory false propaganda spread with impure intent about specific issues, baseless personal attacks with no beginning or end. They were unfounded and widely spread hearsay, slander, and malicious gossip. As Shakespeare pointed out, they became “pipes that smoke speculation, jealousy, and groundless suspicion,” dividing people, turning happiness into misery, love into hatred, and ultimately turning the church into a barren wasteland. What was even more frightening was that at such times, churches, coworkers, and neighbors did not seek the truth but rather fanned the flames of the rumors. Witnessing this, I fought with all my strength against the temptations of resentment, complaints, and condemnation, and my time of prostration deepened.

The beautiful history of shepherding became like a rag, and the church turned into a barren wasteland, while the congregants acted like in the era of the judges, doing what was right in their own eyes. I witnessed how terrifying the devil’s strategy is to turn shepherding (牧會) into a mere gathering (會). Only then did John 13:2 deeply resonate with me: “And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him.” Judas Iscariot did not betray Jesus on his own, but the devil made him do it. Likewise, when I realized that those who turned the church into a wasteland were not acting on their own but were influenced by the devil, I never hated or resented them but continued to pray. I was reminded of the verse, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)” and realized how futile and vain the results are when one becomes intoxicated with reality, neglects sobriety, prayer, and vigilance.

Now, as a retired pastor without a ministry location, I reflect on the house built on sand in the past and daily repent with a humble heart. I return to the starting point, laying everything down, holding only one Bible, attending pioneering rural mountain churches, and ministering the Word that reveals God’s heart throughout the country as my parish.

What amazes me in my ministry of the Word is that I can see beautiful churches like the Thessalonian church. The good reputation of the Thessalonian church was not about a grand worship building. It was not about having many congregants or a rich budget. Nor did it have many worldly prominent figures as nowadays. The reputation of the Thessalonian church, as revealed in the Bible, was solely about the beautiful faith life of the believers. It was the history of faith, the labor of love, and the endurance of hope. It was not boasting about the church’s history but about the ministry of faith. It was not labor for personal desires but the labor of love practicing the gospel of the cross. It was not zeal that destroys the community when things do not go one’s way but the endurance of hope that builds the church community rightly amid suffering and adversity. Universal love is an emotional agitation based on reason, but biblical love teaches that labor accompanies it. The Lord who loved us on the cross achieved it through the labor of being beaten, nailed, and dying. In short, a true believer is confirmed by love, and their journey is a life of endurance that never loses hope for the church in any circumstance.

Life, person, and love all originate from the same root. They are not separate but one. Life is person, person is love, and love is life. When a person who loves their companion dog tries to feed it milk by holding its head, the dog shakes its head and refuses to drink. After struggling, the cup falls and the milk spills, but the dog then starts licking the milk. It was not that the dog disliked milk but that the way of feeding was wrong. Christians love the church. Every church of Jesus Christ is a good church. The problem is that the way of loving the church is wrong, which causes noise in the church. That is why good churches get bad rumors. Still, there are more good churches in the world. Seeing such churches, I minister by driving with my wife, today to this mountain village, tomorrow to that fishing village, sharing the beautiful good churches and their good reputation.