The 2024 Adventist Collegians with Tidings (ACT) Summer Retreat, hosted by the Korean Union Conference (KUC) Youth Ministries Department, was a transformative experience for more the 200 university students from around the world who attended. Held in Anmyeondo, an island in the South Chungcheong Province of South Korea, from June 30 to July 2, the retreat celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Public Campus Ministries (PCM) ministry in Korea and enabled Adventist university students facing spiritual challenges on secular campuses to better understand and prepare to share the mission and vision of the PCM ministry.

The conference drew university students and PCM workers from the six local conferences and one mission that comprise the Korean Union Conference. However, the retreat’s reach extended beyond Korea, with participants from Australia, the United States, and Mexico joining the gathering. The students engaged in various activities, including small group and praise sessions, prayer meetings, mentoring programs, counseling, outdoor activities, seminars, and fellowship with new friends.

Small-group sessions were held after each lecture. During this time, participants shared their thoughts and inspirations from the lectures and talked about their experiences on campus. Additionally, 32 PCM leaders, divided into smaller teams, served as mentors in order to address the diverse concerns and questions of the students. For the attendees, these were some of the most cherished moments of the retreat program, as they experienced great comfort and encouragement through sharing, discussing, and praying together.

Nurturing their faith while on campus, academics, career paths, marriage, and Sabbath observance are areas where university students often face challenges and have many questions. To address these concerns, PCM pastors and coordinators from each conference provided counseling and guidance.

The goal of PCM is to help college students draw closer to God. To achieve this, event planners dedicate significant time to prayer and praise. Many young people experienced God’s calling through these moments of worship. The praise and worship team for the event was led by Euijin Park, the PCM pastor for the West Central Korean Conference, who has a deep understanding of young people and works passionately to guide them closer to God.

The retreat also included outdoor sports, team-building exercises, and marine activities.

One of the highlights of the retreat was the keynote address by Ho Young Choi, youth director of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD). His message reminded the attendees of their mission for university ministry: “Follow Jesus, Embrace His Mission, and Change the World.” Participants then committed themselves to becoming disciples of Christ on their campuses and in their communities.

Over the past decade, PCM in South Korea has grown to include 30 coordinators, 26 campus leaders, and more than 400 students from 130 universities sharing the gospel through 40 weekly campus meetings. The ministry’s impact has been significant, with more than 2,400 graduates continuing to support it in a variety of ways. Korea’s PCM looks forward to advancing its mission among university students and spreading the gospel in the countries of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division. As the PCM ministry continues to expand, please pray for the Adventist university students in Korea and around the world.

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Photos in this report are courtesy of Korean Union Conference.

Hyoung Joon Kim (MDiv, Andrews University, Michigan, U.S.A.) is Associate Youth and Public Campus Ministries Director of the Korean Union Conference in Seoul, South Korea. E-mail: [email protected].

Recommended Citation

Hyoung Joon Kim, "Thirty-Third Summer Retreat Celebrates 10 Years of Public Campus Ministries in Korea," Dialogue 37:2 (2025): 30-31