Up to now, there have been three reform movements in UBF history.
The documents describing the three reform movements are posted in an earlier entry. UBF started in 1961. The three “R-Group” movements were in 1976, 1989 and 2000. So the attempts to reform UBF have lasted 35 years.
Recently I came to know that my leaving UBF was part of a rather large exodus of members and long-time (10+ years) leaders around the world. In the past, the reform attempts were led by Korean missionaries, many of whom formed a new ministry called CMI (Campus Mission International).
The movement in 2011 is lead by “natives” (Americans, Indians, Russians, etc.). Very few Koreans are involved this time.
Today I declare that this 2011 movement is the “Independence Movement of 2011”. We are the “I-Group” people. We are not rebellious. We are not poisonous. We are no longer interested in reform. We are tired of waiting for even a drop of change.
We are people who have decided to leave UBF for the sake of freedom. We tried to agree-to-disagree and to humbly reform things from the inside. But we have concluded that this is not possible, given the current structure of UBF, the absolute power and authority given to Korean directors, the stubborn rejection of open, honest discussion by UBF elders and the refusal of UBF elders to even acknowledge any kind of problem.
Therefore, we declare our separation from UBF in order to submit to the Holy Spirit, to obey Scripture’s teachings, to find our Gifts and put them to use in our Lord’s service, to seek the unity Apostle Paul spoke of, to let the things built by man to fall to the ground and to pursue the things of God with a passionate love for grace, truth, faith, hope and love for our King Jesus, our High Priest, in whom is all authority and power.