Dr. Elijah Kim reports on the 7th Manila International Mission Conference that took place on August 5-6, 2022. The theme of the conference was “Revive Us in the Midst of COVID-19,” attracting nearly 2,000 delegates from 17 countries.

Read the biographies of the speakers

After finishing the Manila International Mission Conference of 2022, it really feels like we’ve been running at supersonic speed on a moving train. I, along with my wife, Rev. Amy, and members of A Grain of Wheat Christian Ministries in the Philippines made preparations for the Manila International Mission Conference of 2022, with prayer, fasting, and great devotion that brought about some wonderful results. The next day, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the founding of A Grain of Wheat Christian Ministries. The Manila International Mission Conference was held on August 5th and 6th in the Grand Sanctuary of A Grain of Wheat Christian Ministries in Tay Tay, Rizal. Our worship should always be like what we experienced at this conference. How can I express our thrill and surprise? My words cannot adequately describe our joy and the amazing work of the Holy Spirit in our midst at this time.

We thought that the Manila International Mission Conference of 2022 would be attended by 1,500 people. However, 1880 people registered and in the night session we had 3,000 attendees. A Grain of Wheat Christian Ministries members fasted and prayed with the hearts of martyrs. They rallied around my wife, Pastor Amy Kim. The whole church worked as one for three months in order to prepare for the conference. There was incredible dedication to singing, orchestra, venue preparation, meal serving, accommodations, modern dance, tambourine dance, traditional Korean fan dance, Nanta (traditional Korean drum dance) performance, choir, and the media. We had a number of amazing messages that told us how the church should move forward after the pandemic. As a result, there was a remarkable response as 1,200 out of 2,000 people committed themselves to missionary service.

Meals for the conference were provided with the support of Yoido Full Gospel Church. But from the very first day we did not have enough, so we had to buy meals for an additional 500 people.

Dr. Younghoon Lee of Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest church in the world, delivered two very powerful messages. The ministry that the Yoido Full Gospel Church has consistently practiced for 66 years was concisely shared so that churches around the world can follow it.

1. Ministry of the Word of God
2. The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
3. The Ministry of Prayer
4. The Ministry of the Cell Group Meetings
5. The Ministry of Evangelism and World Missions
6. The Ministry of Charity Missions

Among the Filipinos, Bishop Efraim Tendero, who has been working internationally like the UN Secretary-General, proposed the Galilean Movement, a global mission movement, under the theme of “Finishing the Task.” He suggested a movement to produce one million disciple leaders. He hopes that this movement will surpass the Lausanne Movement and the World Evangelical Alliance. After graduating from seminary in Canada, Bishop Efraim Tendero entered the ministry at the age of 21 and served for 15 years. When he was 36 he served as a national director of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) for 22 years, and then joined the World Evangelical Alliance, which leads 600 million evangelical church members around the world. After serving as the Secretary-General and CEO of WEA for 6 years, he now serves as a global ambassador for WEA. He gave us a message of challenge concerning the Galilean movement, which is now working on making one million disciple makers. Dr. Hyoungsik Yim spoke about creation, the flood in the days of Noah, and the changes in the global ecosystem of this era as well as the significance of hydrogen rich water. My lectures covered all possible mission principles, and provided analysis and direction for the church after the global pandemic. The post COVID-19 era demands that we undertake a new normal mission model and reach the third and fourth generations, mobilizing the global south to all missions. We must take full advantage of the great opportunities brought about by the 4^th industrial revolution: digital technology. Innovations like cloud computing, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and immersive media provide virtual formats that enable us to share the gospel in revolutionary ways from anywhere to everywhere. Now is the time for Christian mission agencies and organizations to collaborate together to bring the whole gospel using digital technologies and platforms to the global village.

Senator Mani Pacquiao (center)

Most amazing was evangelist Manny Pacquiao, who won eight world championship boxing awards, ran for Congress, then Senator, and even ran for President. A large number of high-profile leaders who could relate to the entire Filipino community, participated as Manny Pacquiao was commissioned and consecrated for evangelization in the Philippines and the world. Next, there was a message from Bishop Noel Pantoja, the National Director of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, and Dr. Peirong Lin, the Deputy Secretary-General of the World Evangelical Alliance who set forth the biblical foundations for post pandemic Christianity. Bishop Noel Pantoja, the National Director of the PCEC, shared the realities of the Philippine churches during the pandemic and preached that the pandemic should be seen as an opportunity, an Open Door.

Prayer of consecration

With the messages from this conference attended by 1880 people from 17 countries, the mission statement was divided into three directions such as backward, forward, and inward for Christian missionary work after the pandemic: I made it clear.

We pray that you will always be filled with the grace of the Lord.

Dr. Elijah Kim and Rev. Amy Kim

2022 MIMC video links
Opening service, Bishop Noel Pantoja, National Director, Philippines Council of Evangelical Churches
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2-0cKqqOQI&t=582s

Session 1 “The Secrets of the Success of the Yoido Full Gospel Church” I Dr. Younghoon Lee, Senior Pastor, Yoido Full Gospel Church, South Korea
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U4wIc-z2zs&t=1521s

“The Secrets of the Success of the Yoido Full Gospel Church” II Dr. Younghoon Lee, Senior Pastor, Yoido Full Gospel Church, South Korea
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6GitOrZtuc

Session 2 “Finishing the Task” Bishop Efraim Tendero, Global Ambassador
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxEdSUg4rro

Session 3 “The Living Water in the Bible”, Dr. Hyoungsik Yim, Professor, Yanbian University of Science and Technology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyqjJuMtKlQ

Session 4 “Revival and Post-Pandemic Christian Missions” Dr. Elijah Kim, Founder and Chairman of A Grain of Wheat College and Graduate School, Philippines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dys9MYURjLw&t=1331s

Testimony, Sen. Manny Pacquiao
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHw-NMMURTY

Commissioning Sen. Manny Pacquiao as a global evangelist by Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC747kM0iYo&t=658s

Session 5 “When God Uses Crisis as an Open Door for Missions” Bishop Noel Pantoja, National Director, Philippines Council of Evangelical Churches
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhnPqaZnRok&t=616s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef4dsSgsB0I

Session 6 “Our Responsibility in the Midst of COVID” Dr. Peirong Lin, Deputy Secretary-General for Operations of World Evangelical Alliance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zJqXAEWt34

Closing service, MIMC 2022 Mission Declaration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do-x3x6RXWU&t=1s

Read the MIMC 2022 declaration

This year’s theme was “Developing Disciples for the Kingdom.”

The Conference began with a fellowship dinner at the Community school and then Randy Clark came in on zoom with a presentation on his perspective on discipleship. Principally, he has concluded that all disciples need healing and inner healing prayer, not just theological instruction. Zoom interactions were great, and when I came up to the camera Randy recognized me and spoke with me about a writing project. This was an unexpected blessing for me.

The next morning (Tuesday) began with an ecumenical prayer breakfast at a local African American Pentecostal/Baptist church. The church had hosted a monthly prayer meeting for the major and civic and church leaders of Augusta for several years. The meetings made a major spiritual impact in keeping racial peace and harmony in Augusta during the “troubles” of the summer of 2020. The prayers at the church were lively and Pentecostal, but I have to admit I was disappointed that the civic leaders were not in sight.

Back at Alleluia Community school, we had a zoom session with Fr. John Crossin, a Catholic priest stationed in Austria. He informed us about of the current state of Catholic/Protestant ecumenical dialogue. His presentation was informative but disappointing. His estimate is that it would be a good 15 years or so before there might be inter-communion between Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, and other denominations. However, there has been a great deal of progress in theological reconciliation. Fr. Crossin pointed out that even after the church hierarchies agree to inter-communion there is always time spent in educating the lay folks about the agreements and implementing actual inter-communion services. I pray, and invite the readers to pray, that this assessment be mistaken, and intercommunion happen much quicker.

After, another zoom session, from England, on the topic of prophecy. This was by Peter Dripple, the head of Teen Challenge in Great Britain. I found his presentation sliding into theological liberalism as he cited, for instance, the Beatle’s music as being prophetic. (Well, maybe, but also destructive to the gospel as in the song “Imagine”).

I found the next session, also on prophecy, much more satisfactory. This was given by Pat Sparrow, pastor of a major charismatic church in California. In everyone’s mind was the massive prophetic failures in American Pentecostal/charismatic circles on the 2020 Trump election. He suggested that the prophetic gift in the church be re-set to the more modest goals of 1 Cor 14:3, which do not deal with foretelling (or fortune telling) but rather strengthening and encouraging the church. He also suggested that all prophecy be given in the “soft” mode as in “I Believe the Lord is saying…” as against the authoritative “Thus says the Lord…” This was a much-needed word to the American church. Interestingly, the Rev. Sparrow took some of his discernment understanding from a very early Christian document, the Didache, which had some strong things to say about church order. (I disagreed here, as I believed the document goes too far in restricting prophecy and is anti-Semitic).

In the afternoon (Wednesday) we had a live zoom connection from Ralph Martin, one of the founders of the Catholic Charismatic renewal and major charismatic theologian. His presentation laid out the dire fact of the church in a post-Christian age which is rapidly becoming an anti-Christian age.

In the evening we had a worship and healing service. Bob Armstrong (FGBMFI) and Bob Garrett, the MC of the conference and leader of the Alleluia Covenant Community laid hands on various persons with physical ailment, myself included – I was healed of acid reflux and other were healed of various ailments.

The next morning included worship, evaluation and planning for next year. It will be held again at the Alleluia Community, and one of the topics to be discussed will be how to counter our anti-Christian culture. Hope to see some of you church leaders join us.

An interesting note here. Like Christians all over the world, that morning we prayed for the people of the Ukraine, and for a quick end to the Russian invasion[2]. Person after person led prayers for this. I stepped up to the microphone and explained what a prayer of “command disablement” was according to Acts 13 (Paul temporarily blinding the sorcerer). I then led a prayer, enthusiastically agreed to by the conference participants, which placed a spirit of confusion on the Russian generals leading the invasion.[3]

Have you noticed how inept the Russian invasion has turned out? Of course, the courageous defense put up by the Ukrainians has been a major factor, as well as the poor training and low morale of the Russian soldiers. But I wonder if the prayer of command disablement by a handful of experienced prayer warriors was a major factor in this unexpected incompetence of the Russian military (Lev 26:7-8).

PR

Notes

[1] I explained what a covenant community is in my earlier report on the CLF for 2020: William De Arteaga, “Charismatic Leaders Fellowship 2020” Pneuma Review, (March 30, 2020) http://pneumareview.com/charismatic-leaders-fellowship-2020/

[2] Editor’s note: It was on the 24^th of February 2022, that Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, the last day of the CLF conference.

[3] William De Arteaga, “The Ministry of Command Disablement,’ Pentecostal Theology (Nov. 7, 2019). https://www.pentecostaltheology.com/the-ministry-of-command-disablement/