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Murphy – Folks gathered together at Town Hall to welcome one of 21 Korean Intercessory Teams in America for a focused time of prayer and fellowship aimed at fostering community spirit and unity Thursday afternoon.
Their teams’ desire was to pray for a revival and awakening in America and her churches. About 30 people assembled, including Police Chief Tim Lominac, Fire Chief Al Lovingood, Mayor Tim Radford and First Baptist Church pastor Jimmy Tanner.
Pastor Jung Sang-mun from Kwang Myung Church in Korea prayed for and over Lominac, Lovingood and Radford – along with each of their departments and personnel – before moving on to specifically pray for the nation, community and churches.
The pastor’s words were translated from Korean to English by Elizabeth Park of Texas.
The Korean Prayer Ambassadors joined their voices with that of their pastor in praying for America and its citizens. The praying was not done timidly or quietly, but rather as a fire storm of fervent desperation to reach the ear of God. The room came alive, with people of faith and conviction truly wanting God’s blessings poured out upon America and Murphy.
“We were truly humbled to welcome the South Korean Prayer Ambassadors to Murphy. Their visit was a powerful reminder of the importance of faith in our community, and their prayers for our town and our public safety officials are deeply appreciated. It was a beautiful display of international cooperation and a shared belief in the power of prayer to unite us all,” Radford said.
The Korean Prayer Ambassadors said they are grateful for the missionaries sent to South Korea, jump-starting prayer in their country during difficult times. They also expressed thanks for the American military, which fights for freedom.
The group said they want to see God make America stronger, which would make their home country stronger in the process.
“I’ve always been proud of my dad’s service in the Navy. Him being a Korean War veteran and me having the opportunity to be a part of this prayer group, after they acknowledged our country’s involvement for their freedom, made me even more proud of my dad’s sacrifice he made for our country,” Lominac said.
Radford presented a colorful throw as a gift to Sang-mun featuring Murphy’s historical buildings as well as a proclamation naming May 16 as “South Korea Prayer Ambassadors Day” in town. In return, Sang-mun presented Radford with a certificate and a thank you for his commitment to see a spiritual awakening in America.
“For their mission team, prayer warriors to come at their own expense to America and really, they were very appreciative of American support. Why they chose Murphy, North Carolina to come to – our whole community has to be honored because they could have gone anywhere in the nation, and one of those chose Murphy,” Lovingood said.
“They were led by God.”