Korean Adventist Women Hold Evangelistic Meetings in Bangladesh

Dozens of people get baptized after teams serve and preach at five different sites.

February 13, 2024 | Goyang City, South Korea | Northern Asia-Pacific Division

In December 2023, women’s ministries teams from the Korean Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (KUC) visited Bangladesh to hold evangelistic meetings.

In the past, Korean women had volunteered for evangelistic meetings in India, Nepal, and Pakistan, but this mission trip held particular significance as it marked the first simultaneous evangelistic meeting since the Bangladesh Union Mission became a part of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) territory.

Bangladesh Union president Kim WonSang and children’s ministries director Kim SookYung requested KUC women’s ministries to visit Bangladesh and hold evangelistic meetings outside of the capital city of Dhaka. KUC women’s ministries and the Korean Adventist Women’s Association prepared for this mission to Bangladesh, gathering information about the country and raising funds through bazaars. They made extensive preparations for more than a year in Korea and Bangladesh, with the support of the Bangladesh Union president, staff members, and pastors, who prepared lodging and supplies for the evangelistic teams, including gifts and snacks for attendees, with the funds the team sent in advance.

Even though Bangladesh is a distant mission field from Korea, requiring two flight transfers, 35 women volunteered. For some of them, the journey to the mission field took about 38 hours due to weather disruptions, including an emergency landing in Kolkata, India, and a detour to Bangkok before finally reaching Bangladesh.

Some of the women opted to save on airfare to sponsor water projects in Bangladesh. So, they endured overnight stays at airports while transiting through China. However, upon arrival at the mission field, they saw local church members waiting for them even though it was late at night, welcoming them with flowers, traditional dances, and music, washing away the fatigue of their long journey.

The women were able to form five evangelistic teams. The five teams served Gobindopur church, Deborah church, Aconpara church, Kuzura church, and Baribide church in the North Bangladesh Mission territory. Each morning, they conducted Bible schools, followed by home visits and medical check-ups in the afternoon, and in the evening, they delivered sermons.

In addition, the women provided opportunities for local attendees to experience various aspects of Korean culture through handicraft activities.

In this evangelistic series, 40 people from five churches were baptized and born again as children of God. In some areas, baptism took place in rivers, while in other churches, the baptismal tank was used. Baptism brought great joy not only to God but also to all who were watching, leaders said. To the newly baptized, they gave a Bible as a gift.

To conduct missionary work, a considerable budget is required. However, God provided for all the needs of this series. The NSD women’s ministries department and many other sponsors provided funds for expenses during the missionary journey, including gifts for supporting projects such as water facilities, bathrooms, kitchen construction, church remodeling, and more. The five teams provided funds for eight wells (water facilities), two bathrooms, and two kitchens, prioritizing support for classroom expansion, church roof improvement, and carpet replacement.

“We earnestly hope that the churches can proclaim the living water of Jesus to the souls in their community,” the KUC women’s ministries teams said in a statement. “We thank God for mobilizing the women in KUC to go and share the love of Jesus in Bangladesh.”

The original version of this story was posted on the Northern Asia-Pacific Division news site.