Known as the "Olympics' of Korean missionaries all over the world, Korean World Mission Conference (KWMC) will be taking place in Los Angeles for the first time in its almost 30-year history. KWMC, which takes place once every four years, had always taken place at Wheaton College near Chicago since its beginnings in 1988, but this year the conference location has moved to Los Angeles. The conference dates, which were usually in July, have also been pushed earlier to June.
Reverend Suk-Hee Ko, who is the secretary-general of the New York headquarters of the Korean World Mission Council for Christ, came to Los Angeles on March 1, about three months before the conference, to introduce the conference and encourage Korean churches to support and participate in the conference.
"We decided to move the conference location from the Midwest to the Southwest due to requests from our missionaries," explained Ko at the press conference on Tuesday.
Reverend Suk-Hee Ko, the secretary-general of the KWMC.
"Our lineup of speakers are experts in various different topics," Ko continued, "and I expect that everyone who attends will be challenged."
"I believe it will be an opportunity for missionaries to be recharged, and for local church pastors to rediscover their calling in missions," said Reverend Paul Ki-Hong Han, the senior pastor of Grace Ministries International and the lead organizer of the conference.
Organizers predict that some 1,200 to 1,500 missionaries will attend this year's conference along with some 4,000 local church pastors and congregants.
As a result, the organizers hope that local church pastors and leaders would be challenged once again to participate in world missions. This year's lineup of speakers include Loren Cunningham, the founder of Youth With A Mission (YWAM); David Ross, the president of YWAM's Antioch Institute for International Ministries; Paul Eshleman, the vice president of coverage at Campus Crusade for Christ; Todd Johnson, the director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; and Michael Oh, the executive director and CEO of the Lausanne Movement, among others. Attendees will be able to listen to and meet with experts on world missions through 200 different seminars and forums at the conference.
The conference will be divided into separate Korean and English tracks, and will take place from June 6 to 10 at Azusa Pacific University. A children's missions conference will be taking place simultaneously as well, so organizers encouraged young couples to attend with their children.
A separate conference for members of Korean World Mission Council for Christ and another conference for children of missionaries will be taking place from June 3 to 6.
This article has been translated by Rachael Lee. For the original, visit kr.christianitydaily.com
