GOOD NEWS MISSION
Pastor Ock Soo Park “Before I was born again, I failed at everything, but after receiving the forgiveness of sins and devoting my life to the Gospel, God’s only provided me with precious opportunities to preach the good news of His salvation.” – Pastor Ock Soo
Park Pastor Ock Soo Park is the founder of the Good News Mission, an independent Baptist mission organization dedicated to spreading the gospel of salvation to the ends of the earth. Since Pastor Park received the gift of eternal salvation and forgiveness of sin in his heart in 1962, God has led him to live for the Gospel for the past 49 years. He went on to found the Good News Mission, and has done the precious work of establishing churches and training missionaries for many years. Now there are over 350 different Good News Mission churches around the world. Each church also shares the mission and dream of spreading the Gospel to every person. Pastor Park’s publication ministry continues to reach thousands people all over the world through life-changing sermon books such as, The Secret of Forgiveness of Sin and Being Born Again, Out From Despair, and Repentance and Faith. There is also, the “Good News Weekly”, which is steadily becoming one of the biggest Christian newspapers in Korea, and a monthly magazine called, “The Good News” currently in distribution internationally.
Pastor Park’s broadcast sermons cover the international airwaves in the series titled, “Lectures on Genesis,” and his written works had run in both the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. In 2001, Pastor Park founded the International Youth Fellowship (IYF), a non-profit, international organization that focuses on youth development and the cultivation of leadership through spiritual life. IYF is now one of the largest and most innovative Christian youth organizations in the world. With programs such as the IYF World Camp, the Good News Corps, and IYF Medical Volunteer program, IYF is currently setting new standards in the mission fields of the world and changing today’s youth into ambassadors of hope. In addition to the founding of the Mahanaim School of Theology, Pastor Park is currently training missionaries and workers of the Gospel of the next generation to preach the Gospel around the globe and to live a true spiritual life of faith. Currently there are Good News Mission missionaries and Good News Corps volunteers in over 60 countries around the world. God has led Pastor Park to truly live his entire life for the furtherance of the Gospel and will of God. Pastor Ock Soo Park also currently serves as the senior pastor of the Good News Gangnam Church in the Republic of Korea.
Pastor Ock Soo Park does not hesitate to say that being a pastor is the happiest job in the world
Since a couple years ago, he increasingly became known as the "Youth Problems Expert" and the "Mind Education Expert". For the past 20 years, he met around a hundred thousand students worldwide through lectures and counseling. The "Youth Problems Expert" and the "Mind Education Expert" are glorious nicknames dedicated to him by numerous youths whose values, thoughts and lives have changed through him.
All individuals, regardless of age and gender, discover the dark clouds of their hearts that clear up and turn into fine autumn skies through talking to him, which is truly amazing. His answer to the question of the secret to his ability is that he discovered the way people's hearts flow through the Bible, in other words, the world of the heart. As a young man, he was a bookworm that read practically all the books laying around his hometown. Since he began the road of a pastor, he read the Bible hundreds of times. The number of times that he read the Bible however is not what is important. What really matters is that he discovered the truth within the Bible— the world of the heart.
The Bible to him is like a book containing precedents to the problems that humans meet in life. When a young man with a difficulty comes to him, he explains the way
of the heart through a figure in the Bible. Then the young man learns where his heart is located and meets the solution to his problem. There are individual youths like this young man spread out all over the world. They now live new lives after being rectified in their hearts.
With silver hair and a smile from ear to ear, he has the features of a benevolent grandfather. He travels to over 40 countries every year to hold four-day camps for youths. In each of the countries he visits throughout the year, he pours out his heart to the youths through the mind lectures.
He runs with the college students for a short distance marathon on the last day of the camps. Time difference, weather, age, language, and ideology have never become a problem to him. Even with 52 weeks in a year, his tight schedule is something an average person cannot endure. However, his heart is greener, more passionate, and gentler than any twenty-year old.
A Message from Pastor Park
The Bible has always been inspiration and hope for me. Take the character of Joseph. He endured family betrayal, prison, and slavery to become the governor of Egypt. In a twist of fate, Joseph eventually meets the brothers who plotted against him out of jealousy and hatred. Although they assumed he would exact revenge, Joseph had already forgiven them in his heart. Instead, he comforts comforts and offers them a new life in Egypt, free of famine and pain. Throughout my ministry, I’ve met people who went on to commit suicide from fear and pain. I’ve seen others turn mentally unstable after suffering rape or sexual abuse. These people could not overcome their hatred, fear, and sorrow. Even now, there are many around us like that.
Faith gives us peace and rest. The peace that comes with the heart to believe in God and faith to trust in people positively affects every type of relationship: husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters, even friendships. Our hearts and minds need rest to be healthy and strong, just like our bodies need sleep to function. Those with strong hearts overcome sudden misfortunes or difficulties. The bottom line is that we, as people, need faith to live. Joseph could have done huge harm to his brothers, but he believed in God. He overcame his hatred after his heart became strong through faith. He discovered he could love his brothers, and thus, gained happiness and peace through them. Joseph is proof that when you have peace in your heart, you live a beautiful, blessed life.
Profile
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Founder of the Good News Mission Church
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Author of 38 books, including the best-selling titles, “Who Are You Who Is Dragging Me?” and “Secret of Forgiveness of Sins and Being Born Again”
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Author of a featured sermon series in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times
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Founder of Mahanaim, a Christian post-secondary school in NY
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Religious advisor to national presidents
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Founder of International Youth Fellowship (IYF)
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Host of the annual Ministers of Youth World Forum
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Founder of Good News Corps
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Founder of the Lincoln House School
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Founder of Good News Broadcasting System (GBS)
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Honorary Doctor of Philosophy, National University of Mongolia
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“New Leader of Churches” award, The Daily Sports
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2005 New Korean Award, Hankook Ilbo
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“2005 Great Korean Grand Prize” award from The Korea Times
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Official TI&E Speaker for the Korean National Army
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Minister of Youth World Forum (2011- Attendance of Ministers from over 20 countries)
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President of IYF World Camp (2011)
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Award of Appreciation from Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (2010)
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Foundation of Mahanaim Cyber Theological College (2010)
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Sent 3,005 College Student Volunteers to over 70 Countries through Good News Corps Program (March, 2010)
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Founded GBS Broadcasting Station in Kenya, Africa (2009)
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Founded Good News Medical Volunteer with Annual Oversea Activities (2008)
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Founded Mahanaim University in New York, USA (2007)
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Received Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy Degree from National University of Mongolia (2006)
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Published 'Notes on Genesis' Sermon in the New York Times Biweekly (2006 ~ 2007)
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Held IYF World Camp Overseas (Started in Australia in 2005; held in over 30 countries in 2010)
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Published 'Notes on Genesis' Sermon in Los Angeles Times Biweekly (2004 ~ 2006)
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'New Leader of Korean Churches' Award (May, 2004, the Daily Sports). 'True Religious Person Award' (September, 2004, the Herald Business). '2005 New Korean Award' (December 1st, 2005, the Hankook Ilbo).
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Excellent TI&E Lecturer Appointed by Army Headquarters; Started Suicide Prevention Lectures in the Military (2004)
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Founded the Lincoln House School, an alternative school (2004)
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Founded Good News Corps University Students Overseas Volunteer Program (2002)
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President of IYF World Camp (President from 2001; over 2,000 students attend every year)
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Founded International Youth Fellowship (IYF) (2001)
- Held International Youth Retreat every 2 years from 1995 and registered as 'International Youth Fellowship' in 2001; Leading Youths as the President of the 'World Camp' and 'Global Camp' every year. •
Founded Gracias Choir (2000)
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Broadcasted 'Notes on Genesis' on 'LA Radio Korea' in the USA for 5 years; Now Broadcasting Translated Sermons through TV in Los Angeles, New York, South America, Africa, etc.(since 1997)
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Built Good News Mission Retreat Center (1993)
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Daejeon Prison Reformation Committee Member(1991~ 1993)
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After sending the first missionary to Germany (1989), established 156 churches in over 80 countries so far to do missionary work.
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Started missionary work in prison as Reformation Committee Member of Suwon Prison (1988 ~ 1990) - Led Prisoners to live a new life
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Published First Edition 'Secret of Forgiveness of Sin and Being Born Again' (1987) - Sold over 500,000 copies in Korea, 500,000 copies overseas; translated and published in 24 main languages globally including English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, German, Russian, Tagalog, etc; Wrote 38 Books Afterwards.
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Started Bible Crusade in Major Cities (1986) - Held First Bible Crusade in Busan and Expanded to Annual Tour across Major Cities in Korea, including Seoul, Daegu, Incheon, Daejeon, Gwangju. Additionally, has also preached the Gospel as Bible Seminar Lecturer in Major Cities all over the world including Los Angeles, New York in the USA, Tokyo, Nairobi in Kenya, Accra in Ghana, Buenos Aires in Argentina, Lima in Peru, Moscow, St. Petersburg in Russia, etc.
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Founded Good News Mission (1986)
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Main Lecturer of 'Gospel Time' in 'Summer/Winter Spiritual Retreat' every year for over 40 Years.
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Founded Korea Gospel Missionary School (1976)
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To date, established 182 domestic and 156 overseas churches in more
than 80 countries •
Ordination as Pastor by Missionary Dick York (1971)
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Sent to First Ministry Area, Apgok-Dong, Hapcheon-Gun, Gyeongnam (1963)
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Enrolled in 'Shield of Faith Mission' Missionary School (1962 ~ 1964) - Graduated from Theology School Operated by Foreign Missionaries Dick York, Marlin Baker, others.
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Born Again by Grace of God (1962)
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Born in Seonsan, Gyeongbuk (1944)
Go to Pastor Ock Soo Park’s Website.