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Korean United Methodist Church supports Mongolia mission

Dec. 6, 2005

NOTE: A photograph is available at http://umns.umc.org.

By Keihwan Kevin Ryoo*

ATLANTA (UMNS) - In a place sometimes referred to "as the end of the
world," Korean-American United Methodists and the Board of Global
Ministries are working together to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

That place is the Central Asian country of Mongolia. The board sent its
first missionary to Ulaanbaatar, the capital, in 2003. That same year,
the Korean United Methodist Church donated $100,000 for work in the
country. In 2004, the United Methodist Korean community raised another
$80,000 to help send a second missionary. Future plans include building
a second church site and a medical facility.

Ed Tomlinson, a North Georgia Conference staff member, gave a personal
perspective on the church's work in Asia during remarks at the second
Mongolia Mission Initiative meeting.

"We have our daughter in Mongolia," he told members of the Board of
Global Ministries and Korean United Methodist leaders. "We thank you for
your support and prayers for our daughter, the Rev. Millie Kim, who is
from the North Georgia Conference." The initiative meeting was held Nov.
7 in Atlanta.

In 2003, the Korean United Methodist community sent its first mission
teams to Mongolia, and the Korean National Caucus decided to support the
Mongolia initiative as a part of the centennial celebration of its
mission and ministry in the United States.

"Korean people have special chemistry with the Mongolia mission," said
the Rev. James Chongho Kim, chair of the Korean United Methodist
Mongolia Mission Support Group. Several Korean American United Methodist
churches took short-term mission trips to Mongolia in 2004 and 2005.

The Mongolia mission was initiated by the Board of Global Ministries in
2003 as part of a vision to reach out in Central Asia with the gospel of
Christ. In November 2003, Helen Sheperd was sent as the first
missionary. She is working in hospice ministry in the Gher District of
Ulaanbaatar, caring for about 30 terminally ill patients. Her dream is
to expand the medical mission facility.

"They do not have well-educated medical personnel in Mongolia. The
government also neglected the people in rural areas. There are so many
needs," said Dr. Sang Chun Lee, a member of the Detroit Korean United
Methodist Church. Lee has been to Mongolia twice with his church mission
team. His church is exploring the possibility of supporting a full-time
local physician in Ulaanbaatar.

Sam Dixon, executive with the Board of Global Ministries, said the
purpose of the second initiative meeting was to set out the scope and
goals for the Mongolia mission. "We are so grateful for the support the
Board of Global Ministries gets from the Korean United Methodist
community and the North Georgia Conference," he said.

David Wu shared that the Korean Community Church of Leonia, N.J., has
already sent Sun Lae Kim, a lay missionary, and raised $130,000 for the
Mongolia mission. The board will work closely with the church on the
possibility of buying a building for a second church site and medical
mission center.

Projects for the mission include building a mission center, expanding
the medical/hospice ministry and hiring a local doctor full time. Rev.
Millie Kim will work with other Korean missionaries to build local
congregations. The possibility of starting a book café for young
people in the downtown area was also discussed.

The goal for the Korean United Methodist Church's Mongolia Mission
Support Group is to continue raising $60,000 annually to support the
initiative. The funds will go through the board for strategic planning.
The Korean support group and the board will also plan regional trainings
for the Volunteers in Mission program. The board wants to start covenant
relationship programs in the Korean United Methodist community.

Mongolia, a nation of 2.4 million people, has about 22,000 Christians
today, according to a publication by the Association of Christian
Missionaries in Mongolia. In the last four years, the number of
Christians has nearly doubled, but they represent less than 1 percent of
the total population. Since 1990, Mongolia has been undergoing rapid
transformations. Areas for improvement include the economy, education
and health care.

*Ryoo is director of Korean Resources and editor of United Methodists in
Service.

News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470
or newsdesk@umcom.org.

********************

United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org

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