PHOTO BY PETER WILLIAMS
By Kim Cain
BUSAN, South Korea – A Presbyterian minister who is still preaching at age 103 has a message for the modern Church: Don’t confuse cultural religion with faith in Christ.
“In recent years, there have been many religious cultural performances conducted by the churches. Because it is a cultural performance or event there is not much of the Gospel that is presented.
“This cannot be called a proclamation of the Gospel,” South Korean Presbyterian pastor, Rev. Bang Ji Il, said at evening prayer on November 6 during the 10th World Council of Churches Assembly in South Korea’s second city.
“When we, as the people saved in Christ by God’s grace place the Gospel at the heart of our individual lives, as well as the foundation of all our gatherings as Christ’s Church, we can enjoy and experience the blessings of the power of the Gospel, the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our midst.”
Rev. Bang has had personal experience of what most people would more rightly call, the history of the 20th century.
The biggest challenge facing the Church, Bang says with wisdom of multi-generational ministry, was the danger of reducing Christianity to a “cultural performance” by a blessing culture and missing Christ.
Read more at http://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/meet-the-103-year-old-preacher-who-still-has-a-sharp-message-22572