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28th February 2008
HOLY CITY CONVENTION 2008
The Rev Hon Fred Nile MLC, Leader of the Christian Democratic Party, has risen in State Parliament to speak on the Holy City Convention 2008.
“I wish to speak about the growth in Korean Christianity both in Korea and in
Australia. I am particularly pleased about the election of Lee Myungbak as the
new President of South Korea. As the Mayor of Seoul in 2004 he stated:
I declare that the City of Seoul is a holy place governed by God; the citizens in Seoul are God's people; the churches and Christians in Seoul are spiritual guards that protect the city I now dedicate Seoul to the Lord.
Of course, he was referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. Lee Myungbak was born into a devout Christian family and later became an elder in his church. His unconcealed Christian faith could have undermined his presidential candidacy because South Korea historically has a huge Buddhist population, despite the very aggressive evangelism outreach of Christians in its recent history. Koreans generally have a positive image of Christianity, particularly after the Korean War in the 1950s, when American church groups and missionaries helped the poverty-stricken nation by providing food and setting up hospitals and schools. During the dictatorship of President Park Chung-hee church leaders fought for the nation's democracy. Many Christians volunteered to hand in their gold and jewellery in a mass effort to bail out the bankrupt nation during the Asian financial crisis in 1997-98”, said Rev Fred Nile.
“The President-elect attends the Somang Presbyterian Church. Some non-Christian detractors are already complaining, saying that the new Government should be called the Somang Government after the church. Ironically, somang means hope in Korean. Many people are hoping that the new President will allow God to use him to achieve his purposes in Korea and to bring hope to all Korean people.
Australia now has more than 200 Korean churches catering to about 50,000 members. About two weeks ago I attended a meeting at the Greenacre Full Gospel Korean Church, which has 4,000 members, for the launch of the Holy City Convention 2008. The convention has been organised in cooperation with all the other Korean churches in Sydney. The holy city movement began in Korea in 2004. The Sydney convention will be held between Friday 7 March and Sunday 9 March. Special functions will be held on Friday. At 2.00 p.m. on Saturday 8 March special youth activities will be held at The Hills Centre for the Performing Arts at Castle Hill. At 5.00 p.m. there will be a public Christian rally at the centre. On Sunday 9 March the Korean churches, in cooperation with non-Korean churches of all denominations, will hold a Holy City march. They will assemble in the Town Hall Square between 2.30 p.m. and 3.30 p.m. before marching down George Street towards Belmore Park, near Central Station, where between 5.00 p.m. and 7.00 p.m. a special interdenominational, multiracial Christian service will be held. It will predominantly involve music, singing and praise.
I am very happy, at the request of the Koreans, to be patron for the event. I have been to Korea on four occasions in recent years, sharing in many church services and rallies in South Korea. The South Koreans have invited me again this year to attend their national prayer breakfast in Seoul with their Christian president and 3,000 delegates. I hope it will be possible for me to attend that national prayer breakfast in the large convention centre in the capital. What is happening in Korea is good news. This Christian growth has been not only a great aid spiritually but also a major factor in the prosperity of Korea”, Rev Nile said.