About 70 church leaders gathered at the recent breakfast prayer meeting hosted by the Council of Korean Churches in Southern California.
About 70 Korean church leaders gathered to begin 2015 with prayer at a New Year's breakfast prayer meeting hosted by the Council of Korean Churches in Southern California on Tuesday morning at a hotel in Los Angeles.
This annual prayer meeting usually greatly involved leaders outside of the church, including Korean community organizers and city officials in past years. In contrast to previous years, only one Korean community organizer"”James Ahn, the president of the Korean American Federation in Los Angeles"”attended during this year's meeting.
Church leaders prayed passionately for the U.S., Korea, the Korean church, the Korean immigrant community, and the next generation during the recent breakfast prayer meeting on January 6.
However, the meeting stayed true to its purpose of being a prayer meeting. The prayers did not stop with a simple prayer led by the speakers, but all of those who attended the meeting prayed together aloud for five topics, including prayers for the U.S., Korea, the Korean church, the Korean immigrant community, and the next generation. After the speakers presented the prayer topics, all of those present at the meeting prayed for the given topics for five minutes each.
Ki-Hyung Hahn, the lead pastor of Los Angeles Dong San Church, preached during this year's meeting on the topic, "A Church Council Entrusted to God." Hahn exhorted the Council to be one that is "abundantly bearing the fruit of God's Word," and added that "God will take care of the needs of those who seek Him desperately through prayer."
"We need to be a council that moves hearts," he added. "We need to focus on evangelism and prayer, and do our best to raise up godly leaders from the next generation."
Ki-Hyung Hahn (way right) preached during the breakfast prayer meeting on entrusting the Council to the Lord, and seeking Him desperately in prayer.
Hahn's agreement to preach during this meeting has a deeper significance, however. Recently, the Holy City Movement and the Council of Korean Churches in Southern California had a tense conflict regarding the "Rice of Love" campaign run by the Council. As the president of the Holy City Movement, Hahn would be considered as one of those involved in the recent conflict. His agreement to come to speak at the prayer meeting could be seen as a move towards reconciliation between the two organizations. Hyuk Choi, the president of the Council, later thanked Hahn and said, "I'll never forget the grace that you've shown me."
Meanwhile, Choi also presented a report on the progress of the Rice of Love campaign. $50,500 has been raised so far, and $10,000 is pending. Those who have registered for the rice number about 4,000.
The Council initially set a goal of raising $100,000 with the idea that it desired to give a $10 bag of rice to 10,000 people. However, Choi said, "More than the funds that we can see with our eyes, or even the rice itself, we want to focus more on the Council's efforts toward reconciliation and loving the community."
