Ssangsaem Nature Church is located in a mountain village with pine trees and rice paddies, now golden in the harvest season. Surrounding the white church building are: “Maeul (village),” a cafe and gallery built of yellow clay and wood; “Bomnun (spring snow),” a library specializing in ecology; “Dolbegae (stone pillow),” a guest house; “Jacob’s Table,” a natural food restaurant; and “Chakhansalim (good homemaking),” an unattended store. The scenery is like a postcard picture from Switzerland. All the facilities were built by the church.
In the center front of the second-floor worship hall is a cross and a sign reading “God is here. That’s enough.” The church emphasizes self-discipline and concern for one’s neighbors, and advocates a life of spirituality, nature, and culture. Rev. Baek Yeong-gi stood in front of the urban church pastors and spoke.
“Our church was planted in 1992 in a Cheongju shantytown, paying monthly rent of 100,000 won. There was a well nearby, so the name of the village was ‘Ssangsaem’ (twin springs). We started by tutoring children. From the very beginning, we were not interested in a church building. Even now we say to ourselves, ‘Let’s do ministry beyond numbers and size.’ In the early 2000s, redevelopment began in the area, and the church members were scattered due to demolition and other reasons. We discussed whether to stay there or to leave. In the end we decided to move out to the countryside. We purchased 935 pyeong of land, and held our first worship services in a tent. Back then, in 2002, the village had only nine households. Now there are 50. Attractive new houses continue to be built. Our church is small, but it is giving life to the village.”
The urban pastors commented, “The interior decoration is great,” “This is the best among the churches I’ve visited.” Rev. Baek said, “If the church is to embrace the world, it should be in the forefront culturally as well… Our church members have contributed their talents in design, woodcraft, and handcraft.”
Leaving there, the visitation group drove for two hours to arrive at Zion Church. Rev. Kim Yeong-jin (left), sporting a stylish mustache and a scarf, said, “What a village needs is imagination and fun.” He spoke proudly of the village orchestra consisting of famers who have learned to play violin, cello, clarinet, and saxophone. He then brought the visitors to “Cupper’s Choice,” the cafe inside the church’s botanical garden, and served them coffee that he had hand-brewed. “Church members have fun only when the pastor does,” he said.
Rev. Yu Min-sang, leading the visitors’ group, said, “I was dreaming about big-church revival, but God has given me a new vision of service to local residents, and today I saw the blueprint of a different future.” Rev. O Hak-bong, whose ministry is with migrants in Ansan, said, “I majored in music, and with that background now I think I can make a musical group with our migrants from China, Russia, and Thailand, like the Zion Church farmers’ orchestra.”
Article and photo by reporter Woo Sungkyu (mainport@kmib.co.kr), from Cheongju & Boryeong, with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)
Original Article in Korean:
“교회는 작아도 마을 살리는 씨앗 역할 충분합니다”: 안산·부천 목회자 18명, 농촌교회서 배운 ‘마을 목회’
