This summer, 120 years after missionaries from Wales were sent to South Korea, a wave of prayer and mission returned to Wales! Many churches hosted prayer and mission teams from South Korea over the Summer, including Bethel Baptist Church in Fishguard. Here is Rev. Neil Warburton’s reflection on their visit to Fishguard…
Hello! My name is Neil Warburton, Minister at Bethel Baptist Church, Fishguard.
We were immensely privileged to be able to host a Korean Prayer Mission Team in July this year. The team was introduced to us through Rob James and Phil Prosser who have been hosting teams for a few years now.
It was explained to us that the teams are being sent to Wales in response to a Welsh effort 120 years ago where missionaries were sent to South Korea to sow the word of God. The Koreans therefore feel a debt of gratitude to those brave souls, some of whom lost their lives in order to establish the Christian church in Korea.
The Koreans therefore feel a debt of gratitude to those brave souls, some of whom lost their lives in order to establish the Christian church in Korea.
The twelve-strong team arrived in the early hours of Tuesday, 8th July, bravely making their home for the next week in the church vestry where they slept on camp beds, showered at the local leisure centre and ate the food cooked by our own team of wonderful ladies.
Bethel had established a programme of visits for the team where they were able to visit the local Junior schools and whilst doing so, were surprised to find that many of the young people knew more about Korean culture through K-Pop and Squid Games than they did about Jesus and the Bible!
We were able to visit other local churches and to share in a service led by the Rev Jonathan at St Mary’s, Church in Wales, and also shared a time of Prayer at Hermon.
We also introduced the team to the local town council who were interested to hear the reason for their visit. The members of the council gave a brief history of their own reasons for helping in the community and we were able to pray for them in their roles and responsibilities.
But what we had not prepared ourselves for were the open prayer meetings held every night between 7- 9 pm. The Koreans proved not to be conservative in their prayers, but rather fervent, passionate, and very loud!
But what we had not prepared ourselves for were the open prayer meetings held every night between 7- 9 pm.
It was good to see how passionate they were about the things of God, His righteousness, and that the Kingdom of God be restored here in Fishguard. If this were not enough, after a short break, they would then continue in prayer up until midnight!
The team travelled from South Korea at their own expense, many taking time out of studies or work. I personally felt deeply and profoundly challenged by this generosity and also their separate tithing when they had already given sacrificially in other ways. I wondered whether like the widow’s mite, I give from my excess rather than all that I have in the things of God.
There were many tears shed on their departure as Bethel was presented with a picture of a “chord of three strands” together with a number of handwritten messages. As a church we had felt entirely blessed by the experience and confident that God has His hand on Bethel and its future ministry in the town of Fishguard.