Joshua Hong
Event Category: The Pan-Africa Cohort (PAC)
Location: Online
Theme (Title): Shepherdology
Instructors: Dr. Paul Hong, Little Sarah Kim, Pastor Abraham Kim, Missionary Mark Yoon, Pastor Mark Vucekovich
Total Participants: 11
Being a campus ministry leader is God’s calling for many UBF members. The founders of our ministry, Dr. Samuel Lee and Sarah Barry, along with many senior leaders, dedicated their lives to shepherding God’s flock, particularly college students. Most UBF members hold the conviction that God has called them to be shepherds for His people. A UBF shepherd is more than a kind person, an effective evangelist, a skilled Bible teacher, or a devoted prayer servant; a true shepherd is someone who knows the Good Shepherd, Jesus, personally and strives to emulate Him in every aspect of life and ministry.
The course consisted of five sessions: Vision (Dr. Paul Hong), Basic Training (Little Sarah Kim), Character Formation (Pastor Abraham Kim), Community Formation (Missionary Mark Yoon), and My Shepherdology (Pastor Mark Vucekovich). Each session extended beyond the scheduled time due to the lively interaction between facilitators and students. The African shepherds showed a deep eagerness to learn practical wisdom and spiritual substance from these senior missionaries and pastors. Through these five sessions, I learned that these senior leaders have deeply wrestled to live out the life of the Good Shepherd, Jesus, in their personal lives and ministries.
At the end of the course, we were asked two reflective questions: (1) What aspect of Jesus’ shepherding has most moved my heart, and why? (2) In what aspect of being a shepherd has God most convicted me, and why? For the first question, compassion and sacrifice were the most frequently mentioned. For the second, common answers included consistency, selfishness, and compassion. Despite working full-time jobs to support their families, these African shepherds have faithfully cared for God’s flock and served their communities. God’s calling is forming them into genuine shepherds for His people. Each one personally knows the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep and earnestly desires to grow more like Him.
Please pray for each member of the Pan-Africa Cohort that they may continue to grow as faithful shepherds for African souls and nations. The next course is Early Church History.