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April 2002
Dear Friends,
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
I have had some very meaningful experiences that I want to share
with you.
Recently, the Women Ministers Association (WMA) was requested
to baptize about 500 soldiers from the front-most lines. They
are all new recruits who decided to be baptized. Young South Korean
men are obliged by their government to serve in the military.
In 1945, at the close of World War II, Korea was liberated from
Japanese colonial rule. Unfortunately, the country was subsequently
divided along the 38th parallel. A mostly ineffective U.S.-USSR
Joint Commission was not able to stop the hardening of the two
opposing positions, despite the Koreans’ desire for a single,
independent nation. The Korean War, which was started by a surprise
attack by North Korea in 1950, further divided the two nations.
The Korean War not only resulted in a tremendous loss of life
and destruction of property, but also left a big rift among Koreans.
After the war, both sides confronted each other across the Demilitarized
Zone(DMZ), amidst the tension of the cold war.
The military base that invited the ordained women ministers for
the baptism was one of the nearest to the DMZ. Carrying our black
robes and red stoles for the baptism, fourteen women ministers
of Presbyterian Church of Korea and I set out early in the morning
on April 20 from Seoul to arrive at the Sang Seoug church by 11:00
a.m. in the base.
On the way to the church we stopped to enjoy a beautiful view
in the wonderful spring weather. The trees were dressed in soft
leaves, many pretty flowers were blooming under a high blue sky,
and the fresh smell of a friendly breeze was most pleasant. All
around, God’s creation was so peaceful. It made me feel sad
and wonder about the division of North and South Korea, and I
prayed for the leaders to have wisdom from God for peaceful unification.
While on the road to the base, we were stopped many times and
asked for our identification. We arrived on time. It was our first
experience in seeing so many soldiers with the frog-colored uniforms.
We shared a simple meal for lunch. Afterwards, we saw the church
was packed with soldiers singing hymns. It was interesting to
listen to the military language that their pastor used, such as
"Today is the day that your sins will be shot by a gun."
We had a special service for baptism. The actual number of soldiers
who were baptized was 473. I praise God who calls his own people
in the right time and right place. The Holy Spirit filled the
church, touching not only the soldiers, but also the 15 women
ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament who took turns
holding the water bowl and baptizing them.
After the service, we were allowed to visit the nearest place
of DMZ, where through a telescope we could see farmers in North
Korea working in their rice fields.
God called me to work with women ministers in Korea. The numbers
of ordained women ministers are growing. Since women’s ordination
was officially permitted six years ago, 330 women have been ordained
in the Spring Presbytery of the PCK. They were called much later
than male ministers. Therefore, they try twice as hard and with
much gratitude. I am grateful to God that I see many ministers
who do not even marry and put all their effort and life to serve
the Lord and their neighbors.
I want to say thanks to you who pray for and support my ministry.
I’d like to see you in person next year when I’ll be
in the U.S. doing mission interpretation. I’ll be here April,
May, July and August 2003 in order to visit churches.
While in the U.S., you can contact me at this address: 7 Harrison
Road, Kinnelon, NJ 07405. Telephone: (973) 492-9220. E-mail: shbpcusa@hanmail.net.
Or contact me in advance at my address in Korea, which is correct
as below.
Shalom,
Sook Hee Bae
The 2002 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 181
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