132 ubf people made the annual pilgrimage to the gravesite of founder Samuel Lee.
I reported the annual display of religious power last year. The ancestor worship continues and some seek the baton of Samuel Lee who died in 2002 in a fire in Chicago.
Here is a photo and excerpts from the gravesite hagiography which was based on Ezra 7:10.
“We praise God who blessed 1st memorial service, remembering late Dr. Samuel Lee’s last legacy, “Back to the Bible.” On October 5, 1st memorial service was held at the cemetery with the theme, “Back to the Bible.” 100 chairs were set up, but 132 co-workers including 23 outside guests attended.”
“The main lecture was delivered by M. Daniel Rhee from South Africa, with the theme, “Ezra’s devotion to Bible study” based on Ezra 7:10. In short, Ezra’s devotion to Bible study was a source of a national revival. M. Daniel Rhee’s lecture could be summarized in 4 ways. First, the conventional ways of UBF Bible study was introduced such as “The author’s perspective,” “Inductive Bible study method.” Second, in adversities, Dr. Lee did not fight a human battle, but fought a spiritual battle through intensive Bible study until God turned it into fruitful victory. Through 20 years’ Bible study, Dr. Lee found God’s hope for North America. It was a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Third, Dr. Lee struggled with the Sunday passage throughout the week until one word of God came to him like the morning star arising in his heart. As a result, he could plant one word in the hearts of Sunday attendants through his announcements. Fourth, succeeding of UBF ministry does not come from changing people one day from Korean missionaries to native leaders. True succeeding comes from imitating the UBF bible messages. For this M. Daniel proposed producing the standard message of UBF based on reviewing Dr. Lee’s Bible messages.
After the main lecture, a beautiful poem was delivered by M. Hannah Ryu from Mainz UBF, translated by Grace Koh , entitled “Go back to the Bible.” It was really heart moving.
Dr. Sam A. Lee from U of I delivered a joyful personal testimony regarding what his father prayed for him. Dr. Sam’s major was chemistry. So his father prayed for him, “You may study the Bible diligently until you grasp the basic chemistry of the Bible.” Because of his father’s prayer, Dr. Sam learned how to delight in the word of God and mediate on it day and night. We prayed for him to be one of blessed men (Ps 1:2,3), imitating his father’s example.
Two prayer topics were given by a presider, Shepherd Rich Ryzewski. First, pray for Ezra’s devotion to Bible study as the clear direction of our ministry. Second, as Dr. Lee gave a prayer topic, may America raise up 10,000 Bible teachers and send them out so that America may be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Our service ended with Mother Barry’s closing prayer.”
ben toh was among the 132 “ancestor worshippers,” (surely by your line of rhetoric, a pagan of the worst kind), along with family of the deceased, who of course were at the cemetary to worship and offer the ritual animal sacrifices to the tombstone. or perhaps they were just paying their respects
Hi s,
You may have a personal interest in this topic, so I apologize for my offensive post here. But please understand that celebrations at cemetaries and photos with tombstones are offensive to me, both as an American and as a Christian.
If this is just “paying respect” as you say, then please answer this one question:
Why did you not pay respect to SarahRegina in the same way?
Where are the flowers, celebrations, lectures, prayers and photo opportunies on her grave?
From my perspective, I see more about Jesus and the love of God from SarahRegina’s life than from SLee’s life. I see grace and peace from SarahRegina.
They set up 100 chairs. I thought they had the service in the cemetary’s chapel and then walked to the grave. But from reading the description, it sounds like they dragged 100 chairs into the graveyard and sat there in front of the ornate gravestone and had a worship service. Folks, this just doesn’t happen among Christians who are of sound mind and doctrine. This is only done in sects and cults; if some don’t like the religious cult connotation, then what happened here is symptomatic of a personality cult.
You call it a memorial service, but surely it was a worship service. You mentioned God’s name, but the focus was on a man, and the praise was for a man. You deny that you are engaging in a form of leader worship, but as was done when Samuel Lee was alive, you’ve BLURRED THE LINES between a man and God. Among those in the graveyard picture are individuals (P. Chang and others) who have emphatically blurred the distinction between obedience to themselves and obedience to God, following the fetid legacy of Samuel Lee. And you do this year after year.
You even drag people out there who never even met Samuel Lee and have them write and read praiseologies about him. Surely not everyone sitting and standing there in the graveyard agreed with everything that was said and done there, and some may have even been dragged out there. But most of you continue to engage in this form of idolatry. Even Mr. Toh, who–for all his recent enlightened and reformed thinking–still cannot help but fall on his own sword for Samuel Lee, making it sound as if the racism and abusiveness that Lee instituted was actually his own idea and practice (http://tinyurl.com/nau2e5g).
Hi Ronwad,
Thanks for your comment. Are you trying to sound like someone else?
I attended the memorial service because I was invited to attend. God used Samuel Lee in countless ways to influence me toward a Christ-like life. He had the most formative and positive Christian influence upon my life, especially my love and study of Scripture and an intentional life lived for the kingdom of God. In his mentoring of me over the last 22 years of his life, I am profoundly grateful and thankful for his labor and prayer.
There are things that I do not agree nor approve of that were done by him or by some other UBF leaders. From time to time I will address them unashamedly and clearly (much to the chagrin of many current UBF leaders!).
I know that I am threading a very fine line. I love my brothers and sisters who are still in UBF, and those who have left UBF. I do not believe that I am in any way compromising my faith nor advocating bad and unbiblical practices by showing my love, gratitude and respect by attending the memorial service.
“Are you trying to sound like someone else?”
Are you asking whether I’m trying to write like someone else or whether I’m trying to impersonate someone? If so, the answer is neither. If the question is about my user id, I hope you didn’t miss the “R. Thicke” -> “BLURRED LINES” reference.
“On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, ‘The voice of a god, and not of a man!’ Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.”
(Acts 12:21-23, ESV)
There’s a lesson there for both leaders and the lead. Based on recent events (memorial service and museum), it seems to me that neither UBF’s leaders nor their sheep have learned this lesson.