Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
Korean churches unite for historic joint Easter service
Lee Young-hoon, senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church, speaks during a preparatory meeting for an Easter joint service to be held at the church in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Yoido Full Gospel Church
By Baek Byung-yeul
Korean churches are preparing for a historic joint celebration this Easter, which falls on April 5, bringing together 72 denominations to mark the holiday with a parade and a unified worship service, according to the organizing committee.
The organizer for the Easter joint service announced that they will have the 2026 Easter Parade at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on April 4. The event will feature around 8,000 participants from 40 teams and include various programs such as Easter Village experience zones and a celebratory concert.
The Easter joint service will take place the following day at Yoido Full Gospel Church. The service is particularly significant as it falls on the same date as the arrival of American missionaries Horace G. Underwood and Henry Appenzeller in Incheon in 1885, which marks the beginning of Protestantism in Korea.
Lee Young-hoon, senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church, who serves as the chairperson for both the service and the parade, emphasized the importance of the gathering during a press briefing Thursday.
"I offer my sincere repentance for the divisions that have existed within the Korean church and the loss of our spiritual leadership," Lee said. "Through this service, we intend to show a Korean church that is truly united."
The senior pastor also emphasized that in the face of ongoing domestic polarization, inter-Korean tensions and international conflicts such as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, Korean churches must serve as a voice for peace.
The joint service, themed "Resurrection, Peace and Love," will be delivered by Kim Jeong-seok, chairman of the Korean Methodist Church.
"True hope comes from the historical event that Jesus Christ overcame the power of death and rose again," Kim said. "We plan to use all the offerings collected during the joint service to help the marginalized and those in need in our society."
The event serves as a significant milestone for the religious community, bringing together various groups. By gathering at Yoido Full Gospel Church, organizers hope to establish a new tradition of unity that resonates beyond the church walls.