Popular South Korean minister and co-founder of Yoido Full Gospel Church, Pastor David Paul Yonggi Cho has on Tuesday passed on at 85.
As at 2007, Yoido Full Gospel Church (Assemblies of God) was the world’s largest congregation, with a claimed membership of 830,000 but it remains South Korea’s biggest church till date.
Cho’s death, who was regarded as God’s General, was announced on the 14th of September, 2021 as at 7:13AM.
Before his death, the native of Ulsan, South Korea was reportedly diagnosed brain hemorrhage and had been battling with the condition since July 16, 2020.
In a Facebook post, founder and senior pastor of City Harvest Church, Kong Hee confirmed the passing of the pastor, saying;
At 7:13AM this morning, my pastor and spiritual father, Dr David Yonggi Cho (1936-2021), just went home to the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. I love you, Dr Cho.
Also, Revivalist, Chad Macdonald wrote on his Facebook page;
I have just received word that Dr David Yonggi Cho stepped into his eternal reward today and is now in the presence of The Lord. What a powerful Man of God he was, truly an apostle of the Lord.
It was he who first taught me how to pray and I will forever be grateful for that revelation. When I first stepped into the sanctuary of Yoido Full Gospel Church the tangible glory of God was overwhelming. There was an unmistakable roar that permeated the atmosphere as tens of thousands in unison prayed in the Holy Ghost.
Background
Born on February 14, 1936, in Ulju-gun, Pastor David Yonngi was a popular South Korean Christian Minster who alongside his mother-in-law, Choi Ja-shil cofounded the Yoido Full Gospel Church (Assemblies of God).
His education was badly affected because of financial issues. After his graduation from middle school, David Yonggi decided to enrol in an inexpensive technical high school to learn a trade because his father’s sock and glove business went bankrupt and he couldn’t afford high school or university tuition.
At that time while learning the trade, David began frequenting an American army base near his school, and where he learned English from soldiers whom he befriended.
He mastered English quickly, and became an interpreter for the commander of the army base, and also for the principal of his school.
Pastor David Yonggi Cho was not born into a Christian family, he was raised as a Buddhist but converted to Christianity at the age of 17, after a girl who visited him while suffering tuberculosis told him about Jesus Christ.
As a pathway in taking up the call of God in his life, Cho began working as an interpreter for American evangelist Ken Tize. In 1956, when he received a scholarship to study theology at Full Gospel Bible College in Seoul. While there, he met Choi Ja-Shil, who became his mother-in-law and a close ministerial associate. He later graduated in March 1958.
Cho held his first worship service at the Daejo Church which had in attendance only four people. The church grew rapidly and soon had 50 members. Cho and church members began a campaign of knocking on doors and inviting people to come to church, and within three years, it had grown to 400 members In 1961, the church purchased its first plot of land at Seodaemun-gu.
As at 2007, the ministry was said to be the world’s largest congregation, with a claimed membership of 830,000.
In 2008, he retired as the leading minister of the church, with Young Hoon Lee succeeding him as senior pastor.
In 2014, Cho was convicted of embezzling $12 million in church funds. He received a suspended sentence of three years in prison with a five year probation and was ordered to pay a penalty of $4.7 million by Seoul Central District Court.
However, one of Cho’s sons, Hee-jun, who serves as secretary general of Yeongsan Christian Cultural Center and was a former chairman of Next Media, was sentenced to three years in prison.
May his soul rest in peace.
