The pastor of the largest church in history, David Yonggi Cho, who is also the most influential Christian leader in Korea, led the attack against the Vineyard. While I was there, I was approached by a Theology professor and publisher of the Korean equivalent of 'Christianity Today'. He wanted to make peace between the Vineyard and the Korean Chruch and thought that I could play a part in that attempt. He asked me to retranslate Wimber's misquote and said that he would publish the correction in the national newspapers and in his Christian Publications. He also showed me a Korean translation of my book, "Authority to Heal", which is, among other things, a theology of the Vineyard. Then, get this, he pointed to where David Yonggi Cho wrote the introduction for the Korean version of my book and warmly endorsed it. Virtually every church leader reads the few books Cho endorses. The editor theologian then asked if I would return to do a series of lectures for church leaders to complete the repair.

All that to say, yours truly gets to be in the right place at the right time to help make peace between a potent renewal movement and the most powerful Christian church community in Asia.

I was also connected with a Chinese-Korean business woman, who says she can get me into NOrth Korea to bring aid and to speak to the underground church. I couldn't be happier with that prospect.

PAST AND FUTURE
In the past several months, I have represented you in ministering to Christians and non-Christians in Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia. In 2004, I plan to return to each of these places, plus India. More on that later. What an interesting and fruitful life you make possible for me. I can't thank you enough!

Peace and all good,
Ken

Thailand and Korea

My recent trip to Southeast Asia exceeded expectations in several ways.

BANGKOK MISSIONS SUMMIT
Emmet (my 27 year old son) and I joined 200 missionaries, church planters, and aid workers to discuss the advance of the Kingdom of God in Asia. There were representatives from all Asian countries, including Tibet, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Burma. Most gave encouraging reports about the expansion of the Gospel. There is much to celebrate and much, much more to do.

After the summit, Emmet took a bus to the Thai-Burma border and helped at a medical clinic that ministers to refugees from a hideously oppressive regime in Burma. I took a plan to South Korea to conduct conferences, train leadership, and meet with leaders to plan further work.

SOUTH KOREA
Eight years ago, the top Christian leaders in Korea abruptly put a halt to the mission and church planting activies of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship in that country. Their reasons were: 1) They objected to the 'false prophetic' associated with Kansas City, which the Vineyard promoted for a time. 2) They were bothered by the extremes of the 'Toronto Blessing', also associated with the Vineyard for a short while, and 3) most importantly, they avoided the Vineyard because of several paragraphs in one of John Wimber's books that, in fact, were mistranslated. Wimber wrote, "In addition to Bible knowledge, we need faith to pray for miracles to be fully equipped for ministry." The Korean version reads, "Faith to pray for miracles is more important than Bible knowledge in equipping."