Help a Retired Pastor Return to Africa

My father’s journey of faith began with a single piece of bread.

He lost his mother at the age of seven. His stepmother subjected him to constant mistreatment and abuse. In the midst of hunger and loneliness, he heard that children who went to church would receive a piece of bread. At first, he went because he was hungry, but there he encountered the love of Jesus Christ—a love that would change the course of his entire life.

From that day on, he walked about 4 kilometers along country roads to attend church. Even on days without services, he went every day. Rain or snow, in the remote countryside, wearing straw sandals—going to church was the greatest joy for my ten-year-old father.

At the age of ten, he decided that he would become a pastor and spend his life sharing the Gospel.

Later, he left his rural hometown and moved to Seoul to study theology. After completing his studies, he planted a church in a part of Incheon where many people were living in poverty and facing difficult social conditions.

What began as a small church became his life’s ministry.

For 40 years, my father, Rev. Jae-Kuk Sin, faithfully served as a pastor—preaching the Gospel, caring for his congregation, and standing beside people during the most difficult and important moments of their lives.

And yes, my father spells his last name Sin, while I spell mine Shin.

For a long time, I thought he spelled it that way simply because he wasn’t fluent in English. So one day, I said to him:

“Dad, since you’re a pastor, wouldn’t it be better to change it from Sin to Shin?”

But he smiled and replied:

“No, I will keep it as Sin—because I am a sinner saved by grace.”

This short story reveals who he is. He is humble and sincere, and he has never forgotten the grace he received as a hungry ten-year-old boy.

But his ministry was never confined to the walls of one church.

Over many years, he established more than twelve churches in India. He also brought young Indian men with a calling to ministry to Korea, helping them receive theological education and training, and then sent them back to serve their churches and communities.

He has also supported hundreds of missionaries serving around the world. Some served openly, while others worked quietly in communist countries, restricted regions, and places where Christians faced persecution. Though their names and ministries cannot all be publicly shared, my father faithfully supported them through prayer, encouragement, and financial help.

During his ministry, he also traveled to Chad in Africa, where he shared the Gospel and served local churches and communities. Even after returning to Korea, the people he met and the ministry he experienced in Africa remained in his heart.

After completing 40 years of ministry and retiring, my father began to ask a simple but important question:

“How can I use the time I have left for God?”

For him, retirement was not the end of his calling.

It was the beginning of a new mission.

He founded a mission fellowship to continue sharing the Gospel, supporting local churches, and raising up the next generation of Christian leaders.

From August 12 to August 28, 2026, my father and his mission team will visit four East African countries: Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Uganda.

During this 17-day journey, they will visit local seminaries and churches, teach and encourage future pastors and ministry leaders, share the Gospel, and lead worship and prayer gatherings focused on healing, restoration, and spiritual renewal.

This is not simply a trip to four countries.

It is an opportunity to plant seeds of the Gospel in the lives of people who will one day serve countless churches, families, communities, and future generations.

More than 60 years ago, a hungry boy entered a small rural church to receive a piece of bread. Through someone’s small act of kindness, he encountered faith and discovered the direction of his life.

Now, after 40 years of ministry, that boy is heading to Africa.

This time, he goes to give what he once received—to share the Word, encouragement, prayer, and the hope of the Gospel.

You can count the seeds in an apple, but you cannot count the apples that will grow from a single seed.

One sermon can reach one church.

One lecture can encourage a group of seminary students.

One prayer gathering can revive a local church.

But no one can know how many lives will ultimately be transformed through the pastors, students, and ministry leaders who are trained and encouraged there.

Korea was once a nation that received the Gospel through missionaries who crossed oceans and sacrificed to serve strangers. The Korean church owes a great debt to those who first brought the Gospel.

Now, Korea has become a nation that sends missionaries and shares the Gospel with others.

My father hopes to humbly share what he has learned from the history of prayer and revival in the Korean church—persistent prayer, overnight prayer meetings, and complete dependence on God.

He is going to serve, encourage, share wisdom, and stand alongside African pastors, seminary students, and future church leaders.

We believe that Africa is not only a continent that receives missionaries, but one that can raise and send missionaries throughout Africa and to the world.

This journey is an opportunity to plant seeds for that future.

My father and the mission team plan to cover as much of their travel and living expenses as possible.

The primary purpose of this fundraiser is not simply to cover travel costs. The funds raised will first be used to support local seminary students and future pastors, helping them continue their studies and ministry.

Many students have a clear calling and passion, but they struggle to afford tuition, living expenses, books, and ministry preparation costs.

Even a small donation can help ensure that one person’s theological education continues. And that one person may one day serve a church, build a community, and share the Gospel with the next generation.

Some funds may also be used for direct ministry needs such as teaching materials, interpretation, and worship and prayer gatherings. We will share updates and financial transparency as much as possible.

Regardless of the amount, every donation becomes a precious seed that helps my father share the experience and faith he has built over 40 years of ministry with pastors, students, churches, and communities across East Africa.

Above all, we ask for your prayers.

Please pray for safety throughout the journey, wisdom in every teaching, strength for the mission team, and lasting fruit from every service, lecture, meeting, and prayer gathering.

A single piece of bread changed the life of a ten-year-old boy.

We do not know how far the seeds planted on this journey will spread, but we believe they will bear fruit for generations to come.

His pastoral ministry may have reached retirement, but his mission is far from over.

Please consider donating and sharing this campaign with your church, family, and friends. Together, we can help equip the next generation and bring hope to communities across Africa.

Thank you.