Andrea Williams speaks to mass gathering of Christians at Korean rally

1 November 2024

On Sunday 27 October, chief executive of Christian Concern Andrea Williams spoke at a mass gathering of 1.1 million Korean Christians in Seoul.

The rally, titled “Happy families. Holy Nation.”, saw two million Korean Christians gather across the country in a joint worship and prayer service. There was an unprecedented percentage of the South Korean population in attendance at the event: 1 in every 50 individuals.

The rally was organised in just two months as a response to judicial activism that recognised insurance for same-sex relationships and opened the door for same-sex ‘marriage’ and widespread LGBT ideology in South Korea.

Also invited to speak at the event were Bryan Chappel, author of Christ Centred Preaching and President of the Presbyterian Church of America, and Dr Heinrich Derksen, a professor of Church History and Dean of Cologne Bible Seminary.

Supporting the rally, the Esther Prayer Movement, under the leadership of Professor Yong Hee Lee, prayed in-person, 24/7 – as it has done consistently for the past 18 years.

‘This is the critical hour’

During her short speech addressing the mass of faithful Christian attendees, Andrea Williams encouraged her listeners that: “A nation is a reflection of the Church within the nation. Korea waits in eager expectation for the people of God to be revealed.

“Today we march as two million people across Korea because we know this is a critical hour – a golden hour in Korea’s History.

“The battle is global. A battle between good and evil: God and the devil; life and death; truth and falsehood; Heaven and Hell. God is raising you up to show the world His Way. If God is for you, who can be against you? In the name of Jesus and by the power of His Holy Spirit rise up.

“As we in the West currently languish in sin may the Church of Korea shine so bright that all the world will see King Jesus and turn to Him. In Jesus all hope is found not just for you and me personally, but for families, communities, cities and nations.

“Awake, arise, Korea. This is the hour.”

‘An example to the whole world’

Reflecting on the remarkable God-glorifying success of the event, the rally organisational committee reiterated the importance of the event and their hopes that it would continue to encourage and guide the church’s response to unbiblical social change: “This service will remain as an important moment for the Korean church to reflect on its social responsibility and the essence of faith and as a milestone that suggests the direction and role the Church should take.”

Reverend Jung-Hyun Oh, senior pastor of Sarang Church and one of the rally organisers, said: “Through this worship service that we offer today in spirit and truth, I hope that families and churches will live and that the Korean Church and the world church will experience a new revival”.

After returning to the UK, Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, encouraged UK churches and Christians to learn from the incredible witness of the church in South Korea and to steadfastly and confidently pray for a similar revival in our own nation: “It was hard to believe that one million really would gather attend or what it would be like to witness such a gathering.

“The whole event had been organised in two months in response to the recognition of insurance for same-sex relationships through judicial activism. The Church leaders had understood what was happening in their land and were determined to resist. God’s purpose for family would not be destroyed in their nation.

“The liberal elites could and would not override the will of the people. The people would demonstrate this was not something they wanted for their nation.

“Will we learn from our brothers and sisters in Korea? Would we get up at 5.30 in the morning to pray for our nation? Would we understand that true happiness lies in holiness and unwavering commitment to his ways?

“Will we stand here, now, to prevent a culture of death and despair from spreading even further? Whatever the result, will we, the Church, be able to say that we stood for life with everything we had?

“Let us cry out to God, day and night, and say together: “Lord – may you bring revival and healing in our land and continue to prosper the Church in Korea as an example to the whole world.”

Read Andrea’s reflections on her journey to South Korea.

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