From Korea with love – to Wales

Korean Christians are preparing to descend on Wales this summer – with Welsh churches urged to prepare for a week-long Korean Prayer Mission and pray for a fresh revival.

Organised by the Director of the Europe Prayer Mission, Namjin Kim, the mission is due to take place on 3–10 July. Kim, who recently returned to the UK after a three-week visit to South Korea, had been invited by 11 Korean churches to share with them the spiritual state of Wales and to pray together for the country.

He said: ‘The spiritual reality of the Welsh Church today saddens us. Throughout Wales, many of the churches have been turned into mosques, bars, accommodations, restaurants, etc. and it is difficult to find the younger generation in the remaining churches.’

By 2019, the Prayer Mission – an inter-denominational prayer movement that includes Presbyterians and Baptists – had taken place eight times in the UK and France. But as Kim explained: ‘While I was praying for Prayer Mission after the pandemic – during my rehabilitation period from a stroke – God placed a burden for Wales on my heart.’

He said: ‘Wales is a nation that has experienced an amazing revival in the past. As a result, many churches were built and people who worship God increased.’

Kim said that, so far, eight churches plan to participate in the week of prayer, and he expects more will want to send teams to Wales. ‘We want to wet the land of revival with the tears of our prayers, so that the Lord remembers Wales and brings the wind of revival once again’, he added.

Though still in its early stages, he has ‘received very positive responses from several churches in Wales’. Kim added: ‘The pastors whom I have spoken to so far have shown a real interest and enthusiasm to take part in the mission.’

So what will the Prayer Mission look like in practice? ‘Korean teams consisting of approximately ten members will visit a local Koreans in prayer at a similar previous event in London church that will host them’, Kim explained. ‘Their primary purpose will be to pray for the hosting and surrounding churches, the local community, the town or city and the country for the entire duration of their visit.’

A key characteristic of Prayer Mission is a daily five-hour prayer vigil between 7pm and 12am. ‘The first two hours will be a time of united prayer together with the local congregation, and after a short break, the Korean team (and any who wish to stay for longer) will continue to pray’, he added.

During the day, the teams and host churches will undertake events and activities, and evangelise. The week will then end in a Prayer Celebration Evening in Cardiff on 10 July.

Rob James, a retired Baptist pastor and the Executive Chair of Evangelical Alliance Wales has been involved with the Korean Prayer Mission for the last nine years and has organised annual Korean prayer missions in his hometown of Pembroke.

He said: ‘These missions have proved an immense blessing’ he said ‘and I know I am not the only one who is thankful for their love, their friendship and above all their absolute and passionate commitment to prayer. If you are longing to see the gospel prosper in Wales and you believe in the power of prayer I would urge you to contact Namjin Kim for more details. You will never regret it’.

The Korean church has a deep love for Wales since the Protestant martyr Robert Jermain Thomas lost his life while distributing the Bible to Koreans. The 1904 Welsh revival also sparked the great revival in Pyongyang in 1907. Kim said that Korean Christians often make a point of visiting Wales when travelling to the UK.

He added: ‘As Koreans, we have always felt a spiritual debt towards Wales. We, the Korean church, want to wet this land of great revival with our tears of prayer so that God will restore Wales spiritually.’

Anyone considering hosting a team in their church or in fellowship with a group of local churches can contract Namjin Kim at info@prayermission.org