Pastor Hyeon Soo Lim of Light Presbyterian Church was confirmed to have been detained in North Korea in early March.
The first prayer meeting on behalf of Pastor Hyeon Soo Lim, the lead pastor of Light Presbyterian Church in Toronto who is currently detained in North Korea, was held at Light Presbyterian on March 9. Following the initial prayer meeting in Toronto, pastors in New Jersey are also gathering on March 11 to pray for Lim's release. In Chicago, a group of Christians, with Jubilee Reunification Prayer Association at the center of the meetings, has been and will be praying for Lim on a regular basis. In southern California, the Korean Christian Council in America will be hosting a press conference sometime next week to discuss in public the movement they are about to begin to help in securing Lim's release.
As a co-president of GKYM (Global Kingdom Young Adults Mission Festival), an annual young adults' mission conference, the headquarters of which are located in New York, Lim has had a close relationship with many churches in New York. Hence, the Korean Church Council in New Jersey will be holding an intercessory prayer meeting for Lim on March 11 at 8 PM at Love Global Vision Church located in Clifton, NJ.
The Korean Church Council in New Jersey took charge in leading the prayer meeting at the request of Global Assistance Partner (GAP), another organization of which Lim was the president. After the prayer meeting on the 11th, GAP will also be presenting a report on the progress of events thus far regarding Lim's detainment.
The Korean Church Council in New Jersey asked the local churches to cooperate and join together in praying for the early release of Lim, "who went to North Korea to help by providing humanitarian aid and was forced into detainment by the government."
"Along with our prayer meetings, we as a united group of Korean churches will also be writing a letter asking for the release and safe return of Pastor Hyeon Soo Lim. The letter will then be sent to the North Korean government, Canadian government, and the United Nations," the Council said.
"What happened to Pastor Lim is unfortunate and requires much prayer, but in the midst of this pain, the Korean church must not forget the North Korean people who have had to undergo such pain for their entire lives," said Pastor Hyun-Suk Lim, one of the committee members of Chicago's Jubilee Reunification Prayer Association. "Despite the dangers and risks, Pastor Lim went into North Korea for the people there. This incident has to go beyond simply praying for one individual's safe return, but for missions and restoration in North Korea, and a gospel-led reunification process."
