1,000 South Koreans to visit UK on prayer mission

South Korean Christians pray during a service at a church in Seoul, South Korea(AP)

A thousand South Korean Christians will be visiting the UK this September as part of a country-wide prayer mission.

The National Day of Prayer and Worship (NDOPW) is partnering with the Korean Word Prayer School in Seoul to bring hundreds of believers to Britain, following a smaller mission last year which saw around 300 Koreans make the trip.

They are hoping to visit around 40 church communities around the UK, sharing in their worship, joining in with missional activities, and issuing a prophetic call for the Church to remain strong, and Britain to remain faithful to its Christian heritage.

Two large-scale prayer gatherings will also be held in Central London to conclude the visit.

Christianity is buoyant in South Korea, with some estimates suggesting that up to 25 per cent of the population identifies with the faith. It is also home to several of the world's largest churches, including Yoido Full Gospel Church, which reportedly had over 800,000 members in 2007 and continues to grow.

In the UK, however, the number of people who consider themselves Christian has fallen significantly in recent years. According to the 2001 census, 71.7 per cent of the population identified themselves with the Christian faith, but this figure fell to just 59.3 per cent in 2011.

Dr Jonathan Oloyede, Convenor of NDOPW, has expressed his delight at the forthcoming visit, and says it is a "privilege" to support the Korean Word Prayer School's ministry.

"I believe there is a call on the church in the British Isles to warmly respond in welcome to the obedient call of the Christians of South Korean to come here as they thank these Isles for sharing the Gospel in times past," he said.

"I would urge every Christian community, network or church to prayerfully consider how they might be able to participate in this initiative. I believe we need to make this a united and cross denominational initiative so that the South Korean's Christians see the best of the church in these Isles."

Pastor Jonathan OloyedePic: Anthony Blondell

Dr Oloyede is keen to foster unity between the two nations, and is passionate about helping people to capture the power of prayer. He believes this visit will propel the UK into a new season of "awakening".

"I look forward to praying with the 1,000 South Korean Christians in September as we unite as a church across the country divide. There is only one church, whatever tribe we belong to and we need to not be ashamed to proclaim that radical Gospel truth," he concludes.

For more details, or to sign up your church to host, email: joiningthedots@ndopw.com