Pastors from over 50 countries across the world attended the 58th interdenominational Pastors’ Couples Spiritual Seminar from August 27th (Mon.) to 30th (Thu.), 2018 and they gave their testimonies. Pastors from America, Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, are committed to their pastoral ministry with the Holy Spirit. I glorify God who has done all these things.

PHOTO BY Jeong-Hyeon Oh

The only key for successful ministry is prayer

 Davi Moreira (Brazil)

I wanted to do well in my pastoral ministry so I flew 33 hours from the opposite side of the world. In this seminar, I was impressed by the sermon that said “When the pastor prays he is spiritually alive, he can save the souls of the saints.” I repented of my sins, of not praying. The life that comes from the Lord had stopped because I had not been praying. The pastoral ministries were sluggish. I found that prayer is the key to the success of the pastoral ministry. I want to expand the church prayer meetings. Like the apostles in the book of Acts, I also pray that I will do my pastoral ministry that transcends all things with the Holy Spirit. I give all glory, thanks, and praise to the Lord who made me realize the importance of prayer.

I found the way for my pastoral ministry

Josue Perez (Mexico)

This time I found the right way to do pastoral ministry. Pastor Yoon preached that “Maybe the worldly people disparage those who absolutely obey the word of God.  But we obey Him not because of ignorance, but because it is the result of agreeing to the reviving inspiration of the Holy Spirit”.  I also have the desire to be used by the Holy Spirit. I have heard that prayer is the way for the Holy Spirit to work through me, so I will pray. I was challenged by the Yonsei Central Church members’ enthusiastic prayer. I was impressed that the Saints were loyal to the work in the church. I have received such grace during my first visit, so I will willingly accept the next conference.

Not by doctrine, but through the Holy Spirit

Nakajima Tetsuo(Japan)

I participated in this conference for the third time. Again, I concentrated on the sermon and repented. Though the Lord loved me, even to the point of death and saved my soul, I had just preached to the church members with love only from my lips. I was accustomed to be served in my pastoral ministry so that meant I became arrogant, almost like I was God. Also, I put the doctrines I learned in the seminary first and did not preach the word of God as the truth. I thoroughly repented of all of this. “Faith without deeds is dead.” (James 2:26). I decided to abandon the TV in my room which disturbs my faith life. I will only let the Holy Spirit rule over me in the future.

I was not doing my pastoral ministry wholeheartedly

Pierre(Burkina Faso)

I have not had the will to devote myself to pastoral ministry. Though my pastoral ministry has not done well, I wasn’t even frustrated. I didn’t pray with tears to save the souls of the church members. I realized that all this occurred because I was not provided with life to save souls through prayer, so I repented. I will do my pastoral ministry filled only with the Holy Spirit, by prayer. I give thanks, praise, and glory to the Lord who has done all these things.

I will make the most of every opportunity

Grace (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

I have been ministering for more than 20 years and serving 2,000 saints. This time I heard Pastor Seok-Jeon Yoon’s sermon filled with the Holy Spirit and found how much I should repent. Pastor Yoon preached, “Pastor, be overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit!” I have repented of the sins came from me ignoring the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I didn’t pray, I wasted time watching TV or on the internet. Now I am going to do my pastoral ministry as the Holy Spirit moves. I wish our church members could also have the chance to hear these words of life.

I myself will pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit

Nzalankazi Mpeho (Congo)

This time I knew immediately how I need to rely on the Holy Spirit in pastoral ministry. I came to know for the first time that the One who used the prophets in the Old Testament times and the One who was with Jesus in His public life, was the Holy Spirit, so I must preach and do my pastoral ministry as the Holy Spirit tells me. I, the pastor, and the church members were not filled with the Holy Spirit so we could not experience the spiritual world. It was because of my lack as a senior pastor. I have set up the direction of my pastoral ministry properly this time in Korea. When I go back to my country, I will transform our church into the fullness of the Holy Spirit and will lead all the 150 church members to heaven.

By prayer I will give up my own strength

Alain Irankunda (Rwanda)

I attended the conference with the wish to be powerful in my pastoral ministry. What the pastor preached in the conference was just the word I needed. Pastor Yoon earnestly said, “How many pastors are doing their pastoral ministry with human knowledge and thoughts? The pastoral ministry should be done by the thoughts given by the Holy Spirit, but we try to do it in our own strength, so it’s not done well.” I was cut to the heart. Now I abandoned all my thoughts to do my pastoral ministry by my own strength and made up my mind to do the pastoral ministry relying on the Holy Spirit with prayer.

I received enough power

Sanjay Balloo (Mauritius)

“Repent and go to heaven!” I came to Korea from Mauritius, East Africa, taking 20 hours by plane, and heard the best, blessed sound. I have repeatedly been defeated by the desire of my sinful nature. I could not concentrate on my pastoral ministry.
Pastor Yoon clearly diagnosed why we are not good at ministry - because we did not pray. I did not pray therefore, I could not overcome the desires of my sinful nature, so saving souls was too much for me. I came to this seminar and cried out in prayer, I experienced the filling of the Holy Spirit and received the power to concentrate on my pastoral ministry. I am thankful for restoration through prayer and my relationship with the Lord.

Our church will also pray 24 hours

Gordon Letebele (South Africa)

I have attended the pastors’ seminar in Hindolsan Retreat Center three times.
Every time I attend the pastors’ seminar in Korea, I receive grace and do God’s work well after I go back to my country. This time, 51 South African pastors came to the seminar with the wish to receive a powerful spiritual pastoral ministry. Every time I attend the pastor’s seminar, I check my pastoral ministry whether I have done the pastoral ministry obeying the Holy Spirit or just through humanism. I realized once again that the resources for pastoral ministry are the Holy Spirit and prayer.
Just as Yonsei Central Baptist Church has opened the chapel for saints to pray at any time, our church also wants to open the temple to pray for 24 hours.

13 churches are revival in Togo

Djakouti Mitre (Togo)

After I attended Togo Conference (Main Speaker: Pastor Yoon), I found out that prayer is the way to good ministry. I prayed as I heard the sermon in the conference. Then church members are increased, and the church is reviving. Yonsei Central Church has completed 13 churches and 90 churches are under construction in Togo, with the goal of building 300 churches. The church built in ‘Amanpa’ is already revived and the saints are overflowing. At this seminar, our pastors from Togo realized the word of God, prayed, and received great grace. We glorify the Lord.

I will shout ‘repentance’ to save souls

Paul Simplice(Côte d’Ivoire)

In November last year, more than 25,000 pastors, the greatest number of pastors in Côte d’Ivoire in Christian history, gathered in the second city, Buake, to listen to Pastor Yoon’s sermon filled with the Holy Spirit. I remember the grace I received vividly. This year I also attended the pastor’s Seminar to do my pastoral ministry only by prayer and the filling of the Holy Spirit. I came with 5 other pastors, travelling 17 hours from our country. When Jesus began His public life, He first said, “Repent.” I know for sure that it is the pastor’s mission to lead the saints through repentance and turn them into people of God. Yonsei Central Baptist Church has a plan to build 100 churches in Côte d’Ivoire. 5 churches have been built currently. I am grateful to Yonsei Central Baptist Church for supporting us to build the church, which is the body of Christ. I expect the newly built churches will put saving souls into practice.

Pastoral ministry that keeps precious souls, this is more precious than the world

Aaron Matsebula(Kingdom of eSwatini)

“Repent of sins that do not acknowledge the Holy Spirit as a person!“
I heard the sermon of Pastor Yoon and it totally revived the direction of my ministry. The answer is ‘be filled with the Holy Spirit’. I was not filled with the Holy Spirit, so I could not do my best in my pastoral ministry and I lost the souls that were entrusted to me. Now I will keep souls, this is more precious than the world, and I will do my pastoral ministry to make true people of God. In line with Yonsei Central Baptist Church’s building project to build 1,000 churches in the world, eSwatini is currently building churches with a goal of 100 churches. I expect that God will actively pursue the soul-saving ministry through the new churches.

Planning to establish a prayer retreat center in the USA

Lee Yong-sung(USA)

At this time when the generation has become evil, I attended the pastor’s seminar to be used by the Holy Spirit. I repented that I have not prayed enough. I received grace from listening to Pastor Yoon’s sermon through audio tapes some years ago.
The subject was, “When we pray 3 hours a day, we can break our self, so that we can do our pastoral ministry.” I made up my mind to pray more in this seminar. I want to open a retreat center in the US. I want to make a retreat center where everyone comes and prays. I want to be used by the Lord in my pastoral ministry according to His inspiration.

I will preach the gospel boldly

Elizabeth Kangatha (Germany)

I was greatly challenged when I heard that Pastor Seok-Joon Yoon preached to the Muslims to believe in Jesus in the middle of the Muslim area in Israel.
When I compared myself to him in pastoral ministry I felt shabby, he risked his life to preach the gospel. The Holy Spirit moved me to preach the gospel boldly to drunken homeless people, but I refused to because of fear of harm. I repented of my sin that I didn’t evangelize and disobeyed the leading of the Holy Spirit; I had made the excuse that the area was too noisy and busy, and my German is poor.
Now, when the Holy Spirit moves me, I evangelize immediately.
I give glory and gratitude to the Lord who gave me strength and boldness to evangelize.

Disobedience is the key to ministerial failure

Yoo, Mi-hye(United Kingdom)

“Let the Holy Spirit be your dictator!” I have found the factors of failure in my ministry. The main reason is my ‘disobedience’ to God’s word and the voice of the Holy Spirit.
I have learned ‘obedience’ is the way and the key to success. Last winter, I attended this seminar for the first time and since then, I have been casting out demons and diseases in Jesus’ name during every service in my church in London.
The church members have been receiving grace and transformation through the spiritual words and prayer. From now on I will pray until I get Spirit-filled to save lost souls. I am going to pray in the mornings and go on mission in the afternoons.

I will impart spiritual resources to my church members

Doris Fraser (Jamaica)

I should have provided my church members with spiritual resources but instead, I chose to be a friend of the world. I got robbed of my time of prayer and devotion while I was watching TV. At the conference, I determined to live a holy life, so I repented of my sins.
When I go back to Jamaica, I will teach the church members the importance of daily prayer. I can tell God is ministering and answering the prayer of Yonsei church members every day because they pray every day. I also want my members to experience answered prayers.

I repented of sin and got new strength

Chung, Byung-ki (Russia)

“The more enthusiastically you try to do pastoral ministry, the more it will not be done. When the Lord uses you, you can do your pastoral ministry well.”
Pastor Yoon’s sermon touched my heart. I have tried to do my pastoral ministry in my own strength but couldn’t. I have participated in this seminar 5 times. I get new strength each time in this seminar.

위 글은 교회신문 <613호> 기사입니다.