Accepting the One Matters Discipleship Award during the Iowa Annual Conference are (left to right) Chug Sil Hong, the Rev. Hang-Baek Cho of the Quad Cities Korean United Methodist Church and Lillian Callo Seagren.
Photo by Arthur McClanahan
Accepting the One Matters Discipleship Award during the Iowa Annual Conference are (left to right) Chug Sil Hong, the Rev. Hang-Baek Cho of the Quad Cities Korean United Methodist Church and Lillian Callo Seagren.
Photo by Arthur McClanahan
If you ask the 70-member Quad Cities Korean United Methodist Church in Bettendorf, Iowa, if every disciple matters, you are sure to get an affirmative response. Following Jesus’ mandate to “Go ... and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19), the congregation recently received a One Matters Discipleship Award from Discipleship Ministries.
After having no professions of faith in 2012 and only one in 2013, the church experienced a major turnaround – recording eight adult professions of faith last year.
The congregation of Korean-speaking United Methodists began 38 years ago. “More than 90 percent of the church members consist of first-generation Korean immigrants,” said the Rev. Hang-Baek Cho. Many are older adults and widows. During the church’s nearly four decades, some first-generation members have retired to warmer locales or returned to South Korea.
Welcoming newcomers is essential, the congregation believes.
When families move into the area for employment, members embrace them. “The church serves as a community center,” Cho explained, building relationships with unchurched people.
The congregation also assists Korean students in nearby schools. “We provide the necessities of international student life, have a small group for spiritual care and award scholarships,” Cho said.
Many of those new to the church community are people with Korean ties for whom English is their first language.
For three years, the congregation has invited English-speaking American families who have adopted Korean children to a church-sponsored picnic. “They are our extended family,” Cho said. “We worship together, eat Korean food – members come prepared with their own potluck – and play games.” People return, year after year, to feel a sense of connection. Usually, 12 to 17 families attend.
Describing his theological approach, Cho said, it is “to harmonize the Wesleyan tradition with Korean spirituality in order to train (people) as disciples who can transform the world.” Taking a cue from John Wesley, Cho introduced class meetings to the church. Participants in five small groups share interests and hobbies such as Bible reading, golf, music, tennis and walking. Through Bible study, the church serves English-speaking spouses and children.
During worship, Cho’s sermons in Korean are translated into English and projected on a screen to allow more to understand.
In 2014, the congregation set a goal: to practice love every single day with people in their community who are not involved in the church.
When problems arise, the congregation responds in love. “The way to solve conflict,” Cho said, “is by believing in the power of love.” From there, relationships flourish.
For Quad Cities Korean United Methodist Church to engage fully in a new context, members take the risks that come with welcoming new groups of individuals and families with Korean connections.
“One person who makes a good fragrance,” Cho said, “should bring a lot of people.”
Barbara Dunlap-Berg, associate editor, Interpreter and Interpreter Digital