The Three Nations Destiny and Unity Conference concluded in Jeju Island, South Korea, aimed to encourage more Chinese Christians to engage in cross-cultural ministry.
Held at the Jeju International Full Gospel Church (JIFC) from November 14 to 15, the conference focused on cross-cultural missions and education, attended by about 100 pastors, institutional representatives, and believers from China, Japan, and South Korea.
The two-day event featured missionaries from Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, who shared insights into the history and current state of Christianity in their regions.
Rev. Evan Liu, founder of Global Servant Leadership Center, delivered three lectures during the conference, emphasizing topics such as "justification by faith in family covenant," "biblical third heaven worldview," and "five folds ministering leadership." He urged attendees to be rooted in biblical truth, rely on the Holy Spirit’s power, and use biblical strategies for building church systems.
A special session was led by Shinny, a sister in Christ from Global Servant Leadership Center, who introduced the "HAKA Fivefold Anointing of Grace Prayer Method." She taught participants how to pray following the Lord's Prayer through specific steps involving petitions, declarations, and thanksgiving. Before lunch each day, the prayer ministry staff led participants in a 30-minute prayer practice, hoping to inspire a new spiritual revival through prayer.
On the evening of the first day, members of the Enosh Korean Worship (comprising Korean mothers), with an average age of over 60, performed hymns in both Korean and Mandarin. Although they are Korean, they sang familiar Mandarin hymns, creating a memorable highlight of the conference. On the evening of November 15, all participants attended a communion service during the closing ceremony.
Rethinking the Shift in Context of "Justification by Faith" 500 years after the Reformation
During the opening ceremony, Reverend Liu spoke on the doctrine of justification by faith, encouraging each person to gain a deeper understanding of their covenant identity with God.
He explained that justification by faith involves a process of growing into and manifesting one's covenant identity with God. Christians, he noted, must imitate Christ's life and bear fruit, a journey that unfolds over time rather than instantly. Justification, sanctification, and glorification are in the process of establishing a covenant with God.
The pastor elaborated that when Jesus Christ paid the price for human sin, Christians were declared not guilty in the divine courtroom. However, this is just the beginning; believers must then transit from the courtroom to the household of God, or risk falling back into sin. "Every day, we must live by faith so we can be set to meet the Lord face-to-face," he said. "As God’s covenant people, when we enter the heavenly kingdom, angels will check our ‘ID Cards.’ If we are justified by faith, we can enter heaven, just like crossing international borders with a passport."
Engaging Conference Content: Call for Cross-Cultural Missions
Several missionaries from Korea, Japan, and Taiwan shared the current state of religion in their regions, urging more Chinese Christians to take up the mantle of cross-cultural missions and fulfill the Great Commission by spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Another pastor surnamed Liu, a missionary in Japan, discussed Japan's Christian history and religious landscape, highlighting the challenges posed by the country's aging population. He noted that Japan has over 90,000 centenarians and 19.37 million people aged 75 and above, accounting for 15% of the population, with those aged 65 and older making up 29.3%.
This demographic shift has impacted Japan's churches. Of approximately 8,000 churches in Japan, the average congregation size is only above ten people. Influenced by traditional culture, many Japanese Christians are hesitant to invite others to church or otherwise engage. As the average age of believers is between 60 and 80, the aging population has led to predictions that 4,000 churches may close within the next 15–20 years. Some pastors find themselves leading churches with no members as older believers pass away.
Pastor Liu stressed that Japan’s churches are in a state of crisis, with Christians making up only 0.3%–0.8% of the population. He described Japan as an unreached people group that has yet to fully hear the gospel.
"We must change our perspective and recognize that missions are not limited to impoverished countries. Chinese Christians need to take up the missions and even bring the gospel back to Jerusalem. We should adapt mission strategies because 40% of the world's population has not yet heard the gospel. Currently, 97% of missionaries are not sent to unreached areas, with Japan being one of them," he concluded.
- Edited by Karen Luo, translated by Abigail Wu
