FIVE QUESTIONS
When Rev. Dr. Cho preaches, 50,000 show up to listen

By Mary Kaye Ritz
Advertiser Religion & Ethics Writer

When they call the Rev. Dr. David Yonggi Cho's Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, South Korea, the world's largest church, they're talking numbers.

Big numbers. Membership of 780,000 numbers.

Cho, the church's 68-year-old senior pastor, answered these questions in an e-mail:

Q. Ministering to a massive church can't be easy. How much do you delegate, and how much do you insist on doing yourself?

A. "I'm ministering at two Sunday services. Around 50,000 people attend each service, and I minister at one midweek service. I oversee the general operations of the church. The rest of the services and the business part of church operations are delegated to 600 ministers and also about 600 office workers."

Q. Much has been written about your prophecies and prophesying, even to the point of being accused of occultism. How do you respond to your critics?

"I don't prophesy often. But from time to time God shows me the things that God would like to do, so I speak about that.

"People make great ado, but really I'm not so deeply spiritual to prophesy much. I don't respond to critics."

Q. Do you consider your audience in speaking your message? In other words, do you tailor what you say to who is listening?

"I concentrate on God first and wait upon him to receive the message. Then I adapt that message to the needs of my audience."

Q. What are your plans for the United States?

A. "I have Full Gospel U.S. Assemblies that have about 400 churches. I have Bethesda University in Anaheim, Calif. But all of these works are delegated. Now I'm in the process of retirement in two years, so I don't have any specific vision for the U.S.A."

Q. What plans do you have in store for Hawai'i?

"I've been to Hawai'i more than 30 times, and I've held many meetings in Honolulu and on Maui. This time I am invited by the American church to speak. The Korean ministers are having their general council a few days before, so I will speak to them, too. I don't have any other plan or goal."