DALLAS — Pastors and other listeners heard from one of four guest speakers at the Korean Council’s recent annual meeting about the importance of taking care of yourself.

Reports of generous giving in the wake of several global natural disasters in typical Korean humility were downplayed, and the new budget was increased by nearly $400,000 to give more to missions.

The 44th annual meeting of the Council of Korean Southern Baptist Churches in America took place June 9-11 at New Song (Korean) Church in Carrollton, a northwest Dallas suburb, in conjunction with the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) annual meeting in Dallas. 

“Each of the messages was truly meaningful and thoughtfully delivered,” the Korean Council’s Executive Director James Kang told Baptist Press. “Hance Dilbeck, the president of GuideStone (Financial Resources) talked about taking care of yourself, and that was so touching because Korean pastors work so hard and don’t take care of themselves.

“His message came at just the right time and was exactly what we needed to hear,” Kang continued. “From the time of worship to the messages, everything was truly uplifting, especially the messages, which were particularly impactful.”

This was the start of Kang’s ninth year as executive director after being reelected last year to a third, four-year term.

A total of 1,014 people registered for the three-day Korean gathering that followed the lead of the SBC with its theme of “Hold Fast.” The total attendance was the highest ever recorded.

“There’s a growing sense of excitement among people about attending the annual meeting.” Kang said. “With Dallas being centrally located in the U.S., it makes it easier for many to drive in and be part of it.”

About 117,000 of the nation’s perhaps 2 million Koreans live in Texas, with both numbers referring to both Korean-born and American-born Koreans, according to Pew Research. The Korean population has grown by about 56% since 2000.

Celebratory worship, inspired preaching, humble reports, intense prayer and fragrant Korean meals provided the framework for a jubilant event.

New Song Church provided a formal sit-down dinner for 1,200 people Monday evening, with the church’s deacons and other men in tuxedos and women in church attire serving. Semihan, another large Korean church in Carrollton, provided a buffet dinner Tuesday evening with still more Korean specialties. Wednesday evening, several Korean churches from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex combined forces with yet another Korean extravaganza buffet.   

The event included separate tracks for children and youth, plus a Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) meeting Tuesday afternoon led by Jung Min Jeon, WMU director and pastor’s wife at Joyful Baptist Church in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“The response was overwhelmingly positive,” Kang said. “Everyone kept saying how great everything was and how blessed they felt by the messages. Everything felt first-class.”

Monday evening’s service, led by a New Song Church worship team, preceded New Song Senior Pastor Peter Hyun preaching on “Our Path Becoming Clearer and Clearer” based on Acts 2:46-47.

President David Dockery of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary preached Tuesday morning. His message, based on Titus 1:9, encouraged his listeners to “Hold Fast to Christian Truth.” Hanuri Korean Baptist Church in Carrollton led worship. 

Dilbeck spoke Tuesday evening on “Pay Attention to Yourself” from Titus 4:15. In that service, a praise team from Semihan Church of Carrollton led in worship.

Tuesday afternoon was open for a variety of activities. New Song Church provided buses for the more than 100 people who wanted to attend the afternoon session of the SBC annual meeting at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Conference Center in Dallas, a 45-minute drive southwest of New Song Church. 

Both children’s and youth tracks had day-long programs of messages, songs and other summer camp-style activities. On Tuesday afternoon, the children’s group, led by Christina Sohn, children’s director at New Song Church, went to a water park. The youth group, led by International Mission Board ( IMB) missionary Sammy Yoo, went bowling.

Outgoing Korean Council President Young Ha Kim, pastor of Shalom Mission Church in Anaheim, Calif., brought a short Wednesday morning message — “Receive the Holy Spirit” from John 20:21-22 — before the start of business sessions. Worship was led by The Church of Salt and Light in nearby Hurst, Texas. 

A praise team consisting of worship leaders from several area Korean churches prepared the congregation Wednesday evening to hear from David Kim, new as pastor of Global Mission Church in Seoul, South Korea, the largest Baptist church in all of Asia. Until last month, Kim was pastor of Good Community Church in Torrance, Calif.

Kim preached “If God grants my wish” based on Isaiah 55:1-9.

Special guests at the Korean Council’s annual meeting: President Yob Lee and Executive Director Ilyup Kim, both from South Korea’s Korea Baptist Convention; and Young Pi, president of South Korea’s Korea Baptist Theological Seminary.

Business consisted of the election of officers and approval of next year’s budget. Constitution and bylaws changes are to be voted on next year, following this year’s initial discussion.

Aaron Lee, pastor of Central Baptist Church in El Paso, Texas, was elected president; Eun Bok Kim, pastor of Keystone Korean Baptist Church in Odessa, Fla., first vice president; and Seop-Lee Kim, pastor of New Light Church of Tampa, Fla., second vice president.

Chun Kuk Oh, pastor of New Light Baptist Church in Phoenix, Ariz., was reelected secretary. Younggun Yoo, pastor of Rejoice the Lord Baptist Church in Lewisville, Texas, was reelected treasurer. 

Messengers approved a $2,010,569.26 budget, an increase of $398,969 from last year. The increase was needed to budget for additional giving to missions, Kang said.

Reports and greetings from SBC entities took place throughout the three-day event.

In addition to nearly 250 Koreans serving through the SBC’s International Mission Board, 60 serve through the Korean Council. All 60 were invited to the annual meeting and a three-day missionary retreat that followed.

“It was a good time for missionaries to get recharged and refreshed,” Kang said. “We provided the airfare and lodging; more than 30 came from all over the world.”

Earlier this year, Korean churches working through the Korean Council gave almost $10,000 for Hurricane Helene recovery, which was forwarded to Send Relief.

This spring, more than 20 wildfires scattered throughout South Korea resulted in the deaths of 32 people, many homes burnt and at least two Baptist churches destroyed in the Sancheong County fire. The Korea Council sent $15,000 to the Korea Baptist Convention to help rebuild churches in the southern part of South Korea.

Last October, Hurricane Milton caused massive damage in Lakeland, Fla. Three Korean churches in that part of the state were damaged, including Lighthouse Korean, a Baptist church in Lakeland. North American Korean churches and the Korean Council sent about $50,000 to help.

“Just recently they (Lighthouse Korean) were able to reenter the church,” Kang said. “eight months after the hurricane.”

The Korean Council voted to contribute $1,000 a month for two years to four church plants “in strategic cities where Korean churches are really needed,” Kang said. In addition, “We’re helping more than 20 church planters and struggling churches with $500 a month for three years.”

The Korean Council’s Home Mission Board has 14 church plants, with a 15^th — The Church of Glory, in Vancouver, British Columbia — to start in July.  

In education news, the Korean Council over the last year completed the Korean translation of “Navigating the SBC,” available on the SBC website: www.sbc.net. The SBC Executive Committee also printed 300 copies. 

“The History of the Council of Korean Southern Baptist Churches in America (1956-2021): Communication, Connection, and Cohesion; Toward a Holy Calling!,” which was written by Jongsu Heo, was published in English in late February. It’s available as a Kindle Edition for $9.99. It was published in Korean last year.

“We are continually growing,” Kang told Baptist Press. “The last eight years we’ve continued to have growth in giving to our funding. Missions funding is continually growing and we are able to do a lot more training. We are excited.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Karen L. Willoughby is a national correspondent for Baptist Press.)