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Korean Women’s Society of Christian Service Celebrates 100 Years
by Jana Jones
Imagine, if you will, 2,000 women of faith showing up for a prayer meeting. In one place. That is exactly what happens every month in the Republic of Korea when the Korean Methodist Women’s Society of Christian Service from the 11 Korean Conferences gathers in Seoul to learn, celebrate, bond, and above all, lift their voices together in prayer.
As part of the Korean Methodist Foundations’ Centennial Celebration held at Ewha Womans University, Sally Vonner, Sung-ok Lee, and I were invited to attend this gathering and witness the tremendous power of prayer as well as learn about the history, mission, and work of the KWSCS.
Since 1885, when missionary Mary F. Scranton was sent to Korea by the Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society, women have been educated, supported, and encouraged to organize for mission for the realization of the kingdom of God on this earth. In the 1930s, the Korean Methodist Church became autonomous, and the KWSCS was birthed. It was the beginning of a rich history of their work.
Warmly Greeted
We were warmly greeted on our arrival by KWSCS President Jeong-Sook Lee and General Secretary Younjoung Lee. We exchanged gifts and then were treated to a video about their 2024 Assembly and a presentation about the group’s history and current mission initiatives. The KWSCS is working to provide leadership training to women in other Asian countries, including Cambodia, Laos, and Nepal. They had expected about 150 women in Cambodia to participate in the training, and 500 showed up! The society reports that the women are hungry for such leadership training opportunities in order to provide better lives for their children. They explained to the women how much can be accomplished by pooling their resources little by little, as was taught by the early missionaries who came to Korea, starting with two pennies and a prayer.
After the presentation, we were invited into the prayer meeting that was in progress. The presenter was talking about the reunification of North and South Korea, as June 25 marked 75 years since the Korean War had begun. It is the people’s long-term desire that their country can someday be one again, reuniting families that were torn apart by ideologies and war. At the end of the presentation, the women sang and began the prayer practice of Tongsung Kido, where all pray aloud at the same time. While strange to our Western ears, we all remarked how powerful and moving the practice was, as prayers were fervently lifted to God.
Our small group and our Scranton Center hosts were invited to the stage, where we were introduced and I extended greetings from our membership. Scranton Director Rev. Heasun Kim helped to interpret information about our programs, many of which mirror the endeavors of the KWSCS. Finally, I invited their members to come our 2026 Assembly in Indianapolis, where we will Dream it! Believe it! Do it! I hope they will come, and know we will greet them with the same enthusiasm and warmth that was extended to us.
Seeds Planted 140 Years Ago
I think that our foremothers’ hearts would burst with joy to see what fruit was produced from the seeds that were planted 140 years ago. The women of the KWSCS have made it a priority of their mission to continue this legacy, paying it forward by investing in social welfare and empowering women with leadership skills. They have been blessed to be a blessing.
Gam-sa-ham-nida (thank you) to the Scranton Women’s Leadership Center for making this trip possible. May we be filled with the same passion as our KWSCS sisters, through God’s great love and mercy, paying our blessings forward to women, children, and youth for generations to come.
Jana Jones is the national president of United Women in Faith.
