How a small Korean church that began with 13 people now has 100,000 members and 7,800 branch churches around the world

SEOUL, KOREA (ANS) -- The church began in 1982 with 13 members and, even by Korean standards, it has experienced amazing growth.

Korean worship team perform their famous fan dance

Manmin – it means "all people" – Central Church in Seoul, has grown to 100,000 members and has 7,800 branch churches around the world, two television networks and a full-time professional orchestra.

This past weekend was the 26th anniversary of the church and more than 400 singers, dancers and musicians plus the Nissi Orchestra and 200 member church choir, produced a dazzling display of worship presentations whose productions standards where the highest I have ever seen in a church anywhere in the world.

The various 26th anniversary celebrations for the church and also the 3rd anniversary for the Global Christian Network (GCN), began with the almost "all-night service" on Friday which began at 11:00 PM and finished at 4:00 AM the next morning.

For the Koreans, this was just the beginning and many then stayed the rest of the night to pray for their country and the world, but the 140 "soft" overseas visitors, who had come from a wide variety of countries, decided it was time to go back to their hotel and rest. I have to confess that the Koreans are hard to keep up with in their zeal and discipline.

Dan Wooding being interviewed for the Global Christian Network during the Sunday celebrations

All the events on Friday night to Saturday morning and then Sunday afternoon, were broadcast live around the world on television and by a series of satellites and also on the Internet.

Many of the Sunday events not only took place inside the packed sanctuary, but also outside in the open air where a huge stage had been set up and several thousand Koreans enjoyed everyone moment of their part of the proceedings as they waved flags, cheered and generally smiled for the cameras as the producer of the TV production cut between the indoor and outdoor worship and speaking events.

Not without its critics, this church has still pressed on with a missionary fervor that reaches around the world, even to some of the most restricted country, including its reclusive neighbor, North Korea.

Dr. Jaerock Lee in his office

Dr. Jaerock Lee, the senior pastor of the church, told me, "We have many people at our church who are preparing to take the Gospel into North Korea. They realize that the door may not be open for long and they are willing to lay down their lives for Jesus Christ."

The church is now facing a problem that many around the world would love to have – it cannot accommodate all its members and so most of them have to watch the services by satellite TV in various other sanctuaries and halls around Seoul.

To cope with the overcrowding and lack of space, the church is planning to build the Canaan Sanctuary which will seat 20,000. But even that isn't enough. It is now drawing up plans to eventually construct the Grand Sanctuary which will hold 200,000 people and will have a TV monitor in every seat.

South Korean Christians are the most fervent evangelists and missionaries that I have met in my many years in journalism and so, I guess, it is not surprising that they have been seeing such -- AMAZING GROWTH.

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