Recollection of Seoul Calvary Chapel’s Establishment and Pastor Chuck Smith
In June 8, 1994, Pastor Chuck Smith was invited to Korean Pastor Association Seminar. At the time, I put an end to my 7 years of living in Japan to come back to Korea to establish Seoul Calvary Chapel. During the time, our church invited Pastor Hirano Koichi of Tokyo Horizon Chapel to conduct the marriage between our beloved Pastor Chung Ik Chang and Handa Miyoko. After the ceremony, Pastor Koichi and I stayed at the Seoul Hilton where Pastor Smith was also staying. We were celebrating the establishment of Seoul Calvary Chapel at the sky lounge with a prayer conference and we invited Pastor Smith and his interpreter Pastor Duck Kim of Costa Mesa Calvary Chapel to join us. Pastor Smith gave a message on God’s Will for us.
Despite the tiring 5-day seminar schedule, Pastor Smith was happy to have a fellowship with a novice pastor and treated me with a strawberry ice cream to speak on Isaiah 37:30. He told me that Calvary Chapel’s Mission was equivalent to spreading gospel to Hebrews and will have many hardships but with determination the last ones remaining will bear the fruit. That message is still kept alive inside my heart and I have withstood 19 years of hardships.
After that night, Pastor Smith came to bless me to become an official pastor of Calvary Chapel at Santa Barbara Calvary Chapel and also invited me to Horizon Chapel’s missions conference led by Mike MacIntosh and Costa Mesa Calvary Chapel Pastors Conference to introduce me to many Kingdom workers of Calvary Chapel. That enabled us to invite Pastor David Hawkins and Larry Taylor to Korea. Moreover, to save me from lack of Biblical knowledge, he provided me with his 1200-page Old and New Testament Expository Preaching Original Copy that he prepared for more than 30 years and I was able to translate it.
Pastor Smith loved Korea and he was extremely glad to see Calvary Chapel’s footing in Korea. His interest and prayers kept Seoul Calvary Chapel to stand strong within the Words of God. Pastor Smith, to me you are the closest resemblance of Jesus Christ inside my heart. Thank you and rest in peace. I will complete my mission and meet you in Heaven. (Jonah Lee)
