16th March 1945Pastor Jung Myung Seok was born on March 16th, 1945 at 4 am in Seongmak-ri, Jinsan-myun, Kumsan-gun, Chungchong Province, South Korea, as the third child in the family of seven children.

1951-1958Pastor Jung Myung Seok started believing in God’s existence at a young age of six. Being born in a village where the Christian gospel has not been preached to, he came to believe in Jesus when a Christian elementary school started to share the gospel with the children in the class. After which, Christian missionaries came to distribute free Bibles to each household in Songmak-ri. That was when he first started to read the bible. As his faith deepens, Pastor Jung Myung Seok started to seek Jesus earnestly, and from the age of thirteen, he began to converse with Jesus while in deep prayer.

1960-1965Due to the extreme poverty he faced in his life, Pastor Jung Myung Seok was eagerly looking forward to the coming of Jesus and to be set free from his vicious cycle of agonies. At the age of 15, even though he completed his elementary education, his family was unable to support him to proceed to middle school. Compared to his peers, he had a deep grief of not being able to receive education and was worried that he would be uneducated and live in a foolish way. From that time on, Pastor Jung Myung Seok began praying, confessing earnestly “Lord, please teach me!“.

During the daytime, he would farm in the fields and at night, he would be praying deeply and reading the bible. Even though he tried so desperately to find the answer to life through the Bible, he could not understand it. When he challenged himself to study the Bible in greater detail, and to pray earnestly in the mountains, enduring the hunger, solitude and cold, Jesus appeared and taught him in his prayers! When Jesus inspired him to unravel the deep meaning of the Bible, Pastor Jung Myung Seok deeply realized that there is no greater teacher in life than Jesus.

With Jesus as his role model, he started preaching the gospel at the age of 20. Realizing the desperate heart of Jesus to save lives, he started to evangelize on the streets and brought more than 10,000 people a year back to God.

1966 – 1969

ENLISTMENT AND DEPLOYMENT TO THE VIETNAM WAR

Having spent his entire youth following Jesus’ heart of loving lives, Pastor Jung Myung Seok struggled deeply in his heart with the fact that he was enlisted for military operations in the Vietnam war on Feb 22, 1966 at the age of 20 years and 11 months. He was part of the South Korea Army’s 9th Division (White Horse Division) 28th Regiment 3rd Company 1st Platoon 2nd Squad as part of the US-led coalition against the Communist North Vietnamese and South Vietnamese insurgents (backed by the Soviet Union and People’s Republic of China).

FIRST TOUR OF DUTY (AUG 1966 TO SEP 1967: 13 MONTHS)

South Korea’s involvement in the Vietnam War (Big Map)

Zoomed in Map

“GO AND LOVE!” NEAR DEATH EPISODE AT CHAI MOUNTAIN

During his first tour of duty, Pastor Jung Myung Seok (Corporal) was involved in operations such as the “Hong-Kil-Dong” Operations From 9 July to 26 August 1967. A few days before this operation, the South Korean 3rd Company had a skirmish with the Vietcong while retreating from Chai Mountain (Nui Chap Chai), North-West of Tuy Hoa, because the sun was setting. The next morning, the squad leader asked if anyone was willing to go the Chai Mountain to find any surviving Vietcong. Most people wanted to avoid this dangerous mission, and eventually the Squad leader directed Jung Myung Seok and his comrade Corporal Yoo Gun Tae for this mission. In his own words, Pastor Jung Myung Seok described the miraculous experience. (Click here). 

Later, Jung Myung Seok brought the Vietcong as a prisoner back to the camp and told his comrades not to harm the prisoner. However, Jung Myung Seok later found out that Platoon Commander Son Seong-Jon had killed the prisoner cruelly with a claymore. Jung was so shock that he could not breathe. He then went talked to the commander. (Click here). 

COMPLETION OF DUTY & RETURN TO KOREA

After his first tour of duty, Corporal Jung Myung Seok was awarded the Citation of Distinguished Service in War (dated 1967 October 13) by the Commander of the ROK Army Forces in Vietnam and Chief of Staff of the ROK Army, General Chae Myung Shin.

전공 표창장

Nui Hon Ba (Hon-Ba Mountains) South of Tuy Hoa

Sadly, after he left for Korea, his Company (3rd) suffered terrible losses, especially during the ‘Ninh Hoa battlefield’ period in October 1967 (refer to previous map). The Vietnamese military managed to enter Ninh Hoa and to established control, killing half of the men from the 3rd Company’s Firearms Platoon. Later, in the operations which started on 12 Feb 1968 at Hon-ba Mountain (Honba means “to be near the sea”), the 3^rdCompany 1^st Platoon suffered 3 deaths. The next day, 3^rd Company 2^nd Platoon 2^ndSquad’s Staff Sergeant got killed as well. As a result of these tremendous losses, the morale of Jung’s company was completely shattered during his absence. 

2ND TOUR OF DUTY (18 FEB 1968 TO 15 APRIL 1969)

Soon after Jung Myung Seok’s re-entered the Vietnam Warzone in Feb 18^th 1968 , his company was involved in the 6^th DDo Gae Bi Operation on 6th April 1968. In a miraculous transformation of its fortunes, the 3^rd Company 1^st Platoon achieved great military achievements without a single death or even casualty.

Taken in March 1968 on the humpback rocks of Honba Mountain near where Song Yon-woon and others were killed, soon after Jung Myung Seok returned to Vietnam and after the safe completion of an operation. (From the Left: Kim So-Lei, Jung Myung-seok, Jung Won-do, Chang Seong-gu) [Choi Hee Nam, My Blue Days, Pg 365]

Pastor Jung Myung Seok ended his meritorious military service on 15 April 1969 without killing a single person, but captured several prisoners and protected his comrades valiantly. Above all, his commander and brothers-in-arms testified for his unwavering reliance on God that became a source of inspiration and healing for his Company and Platoon.

After the war, Pastor Jung Myung Seok also achieved the Hwarang Order of Merit and Inheon Order of Merit for his valor in combat and outstanding performance that contributed to the success of several operations.

References :https://jungmyungseok.wordpress.com/2017/01/26/jung-myung-seok-vietnam-war/

1970Pastor Jung was desperate to realize the meaning of the Bible, so he continued his ascetic life of prayer on the mountain, and studied the Bible to the point where he could almost memorize every verse. When he starved for 70 days because he had nothing to eat due to poverty, he became emaciated and almost died. Just as everyone would become emaciated if the body did not eat, he realized piercingly ‘how precious the Word of God is for the Spirit’. 

20 June 1971After coming back from Vietnam War, he was inspired by Jesus to build a church for God. He used the money he earned from serving in the military and built the Seokmak Church in his hometown.

1978On June 1st, 1978 Pastor Jung Myung Seok left his hometown and arrived in Seoul. Equipped with nothing more than the Bible and charts for the lessons, he started to preach the Word.

1978 – 1981With no money and no one to support his cause, Pastor Jung started preaching the Word from humble beginnings. He preached the Word and prayed for the sick by day, while being homeless by night. As he continued to preach the Word without giving up, despite harsh conditions, he managed to gather a small group of young people who were seeking the truth.

March 1982After 3 years of missionizing, Pastor Jung Myung Seok established the MS Gospel Association (currently the Christian Gospel Mission).

1983Within a few years, his followers grew so rapidly that Pastor Jung Myung Seok made his first tour of 18 different campus groups in Seoul in March, and a national tour of 10 cities by July. Under the encouragement of other pastors who were with him, Pastor Jung enrolled into the Wesley Theological Seminary and began to organize and set up the structure of the Christian Gospel Mission(CGM) in greater detail.

December 1984Published the book of “parables”

September 1986
Established the Korean Christian Supervisory Board (Words of Truth)

January 1987
Established first church in Los Angeles, America

January 1988
Established first church in Taiwan

March 1989
Organized the “World Evangelist Assembly”

July 1989Started the Construction of the Natural Temple

December 1989
Pastor Jung Myung Seok published “Inspirational Poems” and made his debut as a poet. After he travelled to different parts of the world reciting God’s messages in 1,500 poems and publishing them. In addition, he has exceeded Solomon’s 1000 proverbs by receiving from God over 12,000 proverbs. Publishing one or two books a year, Pastor Joshua Jung Myung Seok has written many books over the years.

June 1990
Published the first edition of “Heaven’s words, My words”, the first in a series of collection of proverbs

March 1993
Started the Providence Seminary School

1994
March – Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan assembly
August – Evangelistic assembly in America
September Evangelistic assembly in Japan

March 1995
Held mission tour in 198 regions and cities in Korea and overseas

November 1995
A Monthly magazine published that he was awarded the Newcomer’s Award, was recognized as a poet in the world of poetry

May 1996Published the second edition of “Inspiration Poems”

August 1997
Korea national-wide mission tour

April 1998
Organized the Evangelistic assembly in South East Asia, graduated from the course of Administrative studies from the University of Zhongnan.

January 1999He extended the gospel by focusing on preaching worldwide. He held international cultural events to bring together the young people all over the world as one and to preach the gospel in over 50 nations. Pastor Jung Myung Seok embarked onto the stage of world missionizing and he travelled to Europe, Asia and through a diverse range of cultural and arts activities, organized annually international world peace celebratory events. Every year, thousands of people from different nations engaged in such cultural exchanges, fostering mutual understanding and global unity while centring on the theme of peace. Not only that, the CGM Social Services Association was also established. In the midst of cultural and arts exchange, the message of love and mentality of peace centring on God was shared and conveyed to the young people of the different nations.

August 1999
After 25 years, over 200,000 followers of CGM in over 50 countries are taking a creative and bold approach to culture, arts, and social services to lead a new way of thinking. Working under the belief that “Peace will come with love”, the Christian Gospel Missions aims to overcome the limitations of the country and nation to achieve love and peace for the world.

October 1999

Establishment of the organization Christian Gospel Mission (CGM)

February 2001
Establishment of the Christian Gospel Mission (CGM) volunteer group

May 2001
First ceramics private exhibition in WolMyungDong

November 2001Pastor Jung was awarded a Doctorate from the “Open International University for Complementary Medicines Research Centre”. Over the past 25 years, Pastor Jung Myung Seok has healed and cured through faith and prayer incurable diseases including psychological diseases that could not be cured by modern medicine. Normally, this university will only award such titles to those who already obtained their PhD in Medicine or Psychology but they made an exception for Pastor Jung Myung Seok and recognized him for his incredibly outstanding achievements in the fields of medicine & psychology.

July 2004
Published the second, third and fourth edition of “Heaven’s words, my words”

March 2005Published “Book of Salvation”, fifth and sixth edition of his book of Proverbs “Heaven’s words, my words”

February 2008 As the chairman of CGM, organized events for opportunities to spread the Holy Son’s Words of the time period

September 2010 

“Destroying the Satan” art exhibition

January 2011“Fate” got recognized and selected as the representative artwork in the UWA Perth International Arts Festival

2013
Completion of “Prayer Mountain” rock landscaping project in WolMyungDong

January 2013New series of Providence History magazine

July 2013
Published the third edition of “Poems of inspiration”

September 2013
Published the Wol Myung Dong guidebook (Part 1)

October 2013
Published the “Treasures of Rock, Treasures of Life” festival book of Proverbs

December 2013 Published the “Peace Soccer” book

January 2014
Re-publishing of “Heavens words, My words” proverb book (Volume 1-7)

March 16th, 2015
Day of life, celebration in Wol Myung Dong

March 17th 2015新时代圣乐(Spiritual music of the new times) orchestra performance at the Taiwan National theatre

May 2015
“Flower queen” festival in Wol Myung Dong

December 2015

Completion of waterfall rock landscaping project in Wol Myung Dong

October 1st, 2016
Published the book “Conversations with the Holy Son” about life stories of Pastor Jung Myung Seok