In South Korea, Adventists Take ‘Passing of the Torch’ Very Seriously

By: Beom Tae Kim, for Northern Asia-Pacific Division, and Adventist Review

The EUM project, which was launched as part of the Adventist church’s “Hope 2020” future generation training project, has gone one step further with the establishment of the EUM Foundation.

The EUM Foundation is a Christian community ministry that helps parents in their 30s and 40s become leaders of the church and pass on the faith to the next generation with support from local churches and conferences, the Korean Union Conference (KUC), and the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The official launch of the Adventist Faith EUM Foundation (EUM) took place October 25, 2020, at the KUC headquarters. The event included an opening devotional, a meeting of the general assembly, and the launching ceremony. In attendance to show support and encouragement of EUM were officials from the NSD and KUC, members of the Korean Adventist Women’s Association, and lay leaders. Those attending the ceremony enjoyed a special video with greetings and testimonies from EUM families in each region who could not attend due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The EUM project, which was formerly under the KUC Family Ministries department, is now an independent entity, and the same applies to the foundation, regional church leaders said. “The plan is for EUM to carry out projects to nurture the next faithful generation, providing education, training, and scholarships for mission work,” they explained.

The program makes an impact on young families by starting as soon as couples become parents.

“This ministry is considered a must-have project for the future Adventist Church,” church leaders said. “The project is expected to offer and carry out step-by-step programs to foster the spiritual development of the participating families.”

Leaders stressed that, regardless of the session or the head of the foundation, the project should continue on the basis of stable financial contributions. To show support for the initiative, an anonymous benefactor donated 100 million Korean won (about US$90,600), leaders reported.

EUM began in 2017 to nurture future missionaries who could eventually be equipped to share their joy in God with the world. To date, 141 babies have been accepted into the EUM project. Leaders pledged to support young families, to “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6, NKJV).

The original version of this story was posted on the Northern Asia-Pacific Division news site.