Mission life: THE KUKMIN DAILY

Bangpa Mission Society, “Will Continue Communicating the Gospel in Every Village on the Globe”

2015-05-27 12:20

Bangpa Mission Society (President, Rev. Goh Man-ho) celebrated its 40th anniversary on May 21 in the Korean Church Centennial Memorial Building on Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Some 60 member missionaries from all over the world gathered to reaffirm their missionary vocation, and pledged once again to constantly spread the Gospel. At the ceremony, Bangpa Mission Society presented plaques of gratitude to 12 missionaries who are retired or have been in-service for more than 10 years, and to local churches that have sponsored the Society for more than 20 years.

The origin of Bangpa Mission Society is the “Bangladesh Mission Society,” established in 1975 by member churches of the Presbyterian Church in Korea (PCK Tonghap) to support Missionary Jeong Seong-gyun, dispatched to Bangladesh. Later in 1980 when Missionary Jeong was dispatched again to Pakistan, the Mission Society changed its name to “Bangpa,” a combination of the first syllables of Bangladesh and Pakistan. Unfortunately, Missionary Jeong died of type B hepatitis in 1984 while on mission in Pakistan. The next year, 1985, as the Mission Society began to dispatch its missionaries to Aotearoa New Zealand, Iran, and other countries, they reinterpreted “Bangpa” as dispatching missionaries to all villages and valleys (Bang for “villages,” and Pa for “sending off”).

Currently, the members of Bangpa Mission Society number 376, including 309 PCK Tonghap churches and individual members. The 75 missionaries (41 households) dispatched by the Society operate schools, hospitals, orphanages, and mission centers in 26 countries.

In the photo, missionaries wearing the traditional costumes of their respective countries of service enter the event venue with matching national flags.

Reporter Lee Saya (Isaiah@kmib.co.kr), with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)
Photo by intern reporter Heo Ran


Click here for the original article in Korean

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