Before I planted the church, I kneeled down before the name of the Lord Jesus to consider how I would feed and nurture the souls of the church. The reason my soul changed was because the Holy Spirit abided in me in His fullness. I lived only because the blood and flesh of the Lord Jesus became my food. And from then on, my apportioned work had been decided for me. The revelation that I received from God was this: that only Jesus’ flesh and blood and the gifts of the Holy Spirit should be manifested. Therefore, my duty was to do my work with zeal, faithfulness, and honesty. I vowed to God, saying, ‘I will most surely build the church that You favor and that You, O God, have revealed to me.’

For my whole life, I have earnestly loved my work so as to fulfill the apportioned work given me, just as I promised to Him. And I have nurtured the church in the same way. The spiritual gifts that the Lord gave me were so great and holy, that I respected and cherished His gifts, and I loved them, and worked at them with all my heart. Even though I graduated from a Presbyterian seminary, I did not plant a church belonging the Presbyterian denomination. Even though I became a Christian in a Methodist church, I did not plant a church belonging to the Methodist denomination. And although I studied in a Graduate School of the Baptist denomination, I did not remain much longer in the Baptist denomination. It was because I knew that within the boundaries of the existing theology and church doctrine, I could not manifest the great spiritual gifts that God had given me.

I was ordained as a pastor by the Independent Mission Committee on August 11, 1966. The Berea Movement that I, Semuon, have pursued my whole life is the movement for the Church to live by the Holy Spirit and to have a humble faith before Jesus. You can easily discern whether a church resembles the Bible or not. Our church – Sungrak Church – is a church that resembles the Bible. The church must be filled only with the power of the precious blood, the power of the Holy Spirit, and be filled with His grace.

What is the difference between the ministry of Semuon and the ministry of others? It is that Semuon breathes and dies in Sungrak Church, and that he treats the church as his own body. The Holy Spirit testifies to this. Semuon’s life has been a lifetime of tears. Some might complain that I have never shown favoritism, but I will continue to never show favoritism. If I had done so, the church would never have grown to be the large church that it is today. Semuon’s inspiration is what God poured out on him because God loved him.

My beloved Sungrak people, please know that Semuon truly loves the Sungrak people. I have never treated you with the emotions of the flesh, but have only raised the saints with the maternal love that comes from Holy Spirit. I will devote my whole life to you. I love you. With all my heart, I love you – you, the Sungrak people. The testimony that I have truly loved you is that my whole life I have only preached to you the true word. I hope you may know what true love really is. I love you. I truly love the souls of the Sungrak people.

Semuon