English
Korean
Spanish
SILVER SPRINGS, Md. Korean Baptist leaders across America gave extra time Sunday to prayer for 21 South Korean Christians still held hostage by Taliban militants in Afghanistan.
Korean Baptists are praying for safety and God’s comfort for the hostages, said Tae Hwan Park, who until June was executive director of the Korean Council of Southern Baptist Churches in America. The hostages were on a trip sponsored by Sammul Presbyterian church near Seoul. Two of them have been murdered.
“We need to pray that God will be the solution,” Park said. “We ask all Southern Baptists to continue faithful in prayer for these Koreans in Afghanistan.”
David Ro, president of the Korean Council of Southern Baptist Churches in America and pastor of River Dell Korean Baptist Church in River Edge, N.J., thanked Southern Baptists for their prayers.
“I have been so sad,” Ro said. “Whenever I am reminded of their faces in the TV monitor, which [the] Taliban provided, I cannot stop shedding tears and praying to God to take them back to the Sam Mul church and to Korea. At this moment we need to pray to God that the Holy Spirit move [the] Taliban’s heart and prescribe peaceful ways.”
Other Southern Baptist leaders, including SBC President Frank Page, expressed the need for fervent prayer.
“I call on all Southern Baptists to join in earnest prayer for the release of these mission workers,” Page said. “We all know that there is risk in speaking for the Lord. We are all aware that there is risk when one travels in foreign countries. Though they went against their government’s advice in traveling to Afghanistan, I know they went with a sense of calling from the Lord.
“While the two who have already been martyred are now enjoying the presence of the Lord, we do pray for the release and safe return of the others so that they will not have to suffer and that their work of sharing Christ can go on. Yes, we trust the Lord in this situation. However, as God has given us the privilege of prayer, let us pray that these hostages would be released and that the families of the two already martyred will receive comfort from the Lord’s Holy Spirit.”
Bobby Welch, SBC strategist for global evangelical relations, concurred.
“No one knows all of the details yet concerning this hostage-taking nor legitimate and earnest efforts that might be underway for their safe release,” Welch said in an e-mail. “In spite of the lack of such facts, the Southern Baptist Convention and the larger Christian evangelical world?as well as any and all other people of faith?cannot and must not silently and inactively sit by and watch such horrifying acts against persons of faith, especially when it is reported that these people are on missions of goodwill, help and humanitarian causes.
“Too many have, for too long, said too little in times like these,” Welch continued. “That needs to change right here and right now.”
He acknowledged the international issues and potential ramifications related to involvement with the crisis, but said he believes Christians must respond.
“We must not act as if this is only a passing, unfortunate accident of some sort,” Welch wrote. “All people of faith have the burden to stand with and for all of our Korean friends, brothers and sisters.
“This is especially true for the families of those so horribly murdered, as well as those still held hostage,” Welch continued. “We must deeply and earnestly pray with and for them, and for God Almighty’s divine intervention. We must also register our overwhelming outrage against such horrible acts of abuse, persecution and murder. Such expressions from us all cannot come too soon nor too loudly.”
Page also expressed indignation.
“I am outraged that wonderful people such as this would be used for political purposes by the Taliban,” the SBC president said. “Once again, I call upon God’s people to pray for their release. I also call upon all governments to do what they can to encourage the release of these dear people.”
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was reporting at press time that South Korean officials had talked over the weekend with at least one and perhaps three of the aid workers. It was the first direct contact South Korean officials have had with the workers since they were kidnapped off the bus they were riding on July 20, the CBC reported, adding that the officials were unwilling to say more because of the risk to the hostages.
Afghan doctors delivered medicine on Monday to the 18 women and three men being held hostage, the CBC reported.
Park provided some background into the hostage situation.
“I know our Korean people are very earnest in missions, very strong in mission-mindedness, and not much concern about safety,” Park said.
“God will take care of them” is a foundational belief, he added.
Unlike the International Mission Board, which studies global situations to provide as much safety as possible for IMB workers, Korean mission teams sent out from churches usually do not spend time in surveying a situation, Park said.
“That’s the problem in this case,” Park said. “Not very much concern about their safety. That’s why it happened this time.”
The workers apparently were not aware of the Tailban’s presence nor the danger they were in, he added. They were focused on meeting the physical and spiritual needs of the Afghani people.
Park likened the standoff between the Taliban and South Korea to the standoff between North Korea and the United States.
“It’s my observation that the United States cannot understand the North Korean mind,” Park said. “Same situation: Christianity cannot understand [the] Taliban.”
Chongoh Aum, who in June was named executive director of the Korean Council of Southern Baptist Churches in America, also urged prayer.
“We are really praying for the Koreans in Afghanistan to save their life,” Aum said. “We don’t have any solutions. Just pray.”
