Ann Lovell

OSAN, South Korea (BP)–Chaplain (CAPT) John Dobbs cares about hurting people. Dobbs, stationed at Osan Air Base in South Korea, is a 2002 graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He joined the Air Force chaplaincy program after spending two years working in a local church. Dobbs is on a one-year unaccompanied tour in Korea. His […]

SEOUL, South Korea (BP)–Chaplain (COL) Kenneth Kerr, as 8th Army Command Chaplain, is the senior chaplain serving in South Korea. In addition to providing pastoral care to the 8th Army senior staff, Kerr is responsible for the training, mentoring and supervision of 62 Army chaplains across the peninsula. Kerr describes success for a chaplain as […]

SEOUL, South Korea (BP)--Bobby Welch's first act at the Korea Baptist Mission offices in Seoul probably wasn't surprising. He asked for evangelistic tracts to distribute to those he might meet in his travels around the Korean peninsula.

SEOUL, South Korea (BP)--"Stick to the stuff" was Bobby Welch's focus in addressing 10 Southern Baptist military chaplains stationed in South Korea.

SEOUL, South Korea (BP)--"Everything is in place to fulfill the Great Commission in our lifetime," Bobby Welch declared.       "But it cannot happen without a Great Connection," he told Korean evangelical leaders ...

DAEGU, South Korea (BP)--Soldiers and officers at Camp Walker's Evergreen Club in Daegu, South Korea, filled the tables, stood along a side wall and spilled out the door of the small dining room.       Col. Kenneth Kerr, the 8th Army Command Chaplain and ranking Southern Baptist chaplain on the Korean peninsula, had been asked to deliver a message at a prayer luncheon. Earlier in the day, Capt. Edward Choi, another Southern Baptist chaplain at Camp Walker, had delivered a message to soldiers at a prayer breakfast. [QUOTE@left@150="As you arise each morning and put on your uniform, remember who you are fighting for, and continue to stand and fight if necessary for freedom's cause."
-- Col. Kenneth Kerr, a chaplain, in speech to soldiers]      According to one official, these gatherings marked the first time that commemoration events of the 9/11 attacks have been held at Camp Walker. The chaplain's office expects them to become annual events.       In his address, Kerr reminded the soldiers of the cost of freedom. Citing the number of lives lost due to war and conflict over the past century, Kerr noted Jesus' warning of "wars and rumors of wars."       Kerr said, "Then, on September 11, 2001, the U.S. was attacked on our soil by an enemy that wants to take away our political, economic and religious freedom.       "9/11," Kerr continued, "was an attempt to strike terror and destroy our way of life."       Kerr recalled being stationed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Sept. 11, 2001. A few months later, the casualties of the war on terror began to arrive. They were young men with mangled arms and legs paying the price of freedom.       In 2003 Kerr transferred to Arlington National Cemetery where he conducted nearly 2,000 funerals, mostly for veterans of World War II. At the end of the each service, Kerr would present the folded flag to the widow and express appreciation for her husband's service.       "But the difficult ones were the 19-year-olds coming back from Afghanistan or Iraq, those with young wives, young children and parents younger than me who were devastated by the loss of their husband, father and son.       "This," Kerr told his audience, "is the cost of freedom."       Kerr challenged the nation to unite. Recalling the image of politicians gathering on Capitol Hill on that fateful day singing "God Bless America," Kerr encouraged Americans to come together again, united in prayer for God to stand beside us.       He warned, "But we must unite under the right banner. We must unite 'under God with liberty and justice for all.'       "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach," Kerr told the crowd. "Our victory depends on our moral and spiritual strength, and we must remember to unite under the banner of righteousness.

SEOUL, South Korea (BP)--Some say it is a new day in South Korea. After a landslide election in November, Myung-Bak Lee was sworn into office on Feb. 19. In defeating Dong-Young Chung of the liberal United Democratic Party, Lee provided the conservative Grand National Party with its first presidential election win in 10 years.

SEOUL, South Korea (BP)--A large sign outside the multi-story Shinsegae department store in downtown Seoul reads, "Pray for the safe return of the hostages in Afghanistan." It is written in Korean, Arabic and English.       But as Korean Christians pray, church and mission agency leaders are struggling with how best to adapt to environments and cultures where a Christian presence is unwelcome and often dangerous. They are discussing how best to complete the task of taking the Gospel to "the ends of the earth," while protecting those under their watch who have been called to difficult places.

GYEONGGI PROVINCE, Korea (BP)--"I spend one day in heaven and one day in hell. I am constantly shuttling between these two places." Mrs. Chey Pok Lee wipes her eyes as she describes the agony of waiting for news of her 38-year-old son, Chong Hee Chey, one of the 19 Korean hostages still being held by Taliban militants in Afghanistan.       Chey, an overseas marketing agent with a Korean electronics company based in Seoul, has been on previous humanitarian aid trips, to Turkey in 2006 and India in 2005. He also has taught English to Korean students in an English language institute. He went to Afghanistan as an interpreter for doctors and nurses on the 23-member Korean team that was taken hostage on July 19.       And he went just to play with the children. "He learned magic so that he could entertain the Afghani children," his mother said. "He also left Seoul loaded with toys, books and other things that he thought the children might need and enjoy."