Greetings
Founders Joseph(Hyunyoung) Kim
Duck Joo Lee
Missionary
GMNET (Guatemala Mission Network) was first conceived when missionaries Joseph(Hyunyoung) Kim and Duck Joo Lee began their ministry as visiting professors at the National University (USAC/CUNOR) in 2007.
In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to halt missionary work, they joined forces with fellow co-workers (Elder Hakkeun Chang, Dr. Christopher Kang, Pastor Vicky, and Professor Dulce) to organize a field-centered professional missionary team, modeled after Paul’s Missionary Band. They named it GMNET (Guatemala Mission Network).
Currently, GMNET consists of 10 professional missionaries, three of whom are local Guatemalans. These missionaries possess expertise in various fields, including evangelism, medicine, education, agriculture, media, and technology. They practice holistic mission by sharing both the bread and the Gospel in indigenous Mayan villages, focusing on the three-fold ministry of Jesus: teaching, preaching, and healing. They remain connected as one body in Christ, continuing their mission through specialized team ministry.
Co-workers participate not only in an individual capacity but also establish a cooperative system by connecting their affiliated organizations as GMNET partners. Previously, individual ministries—such as university student ministry, community development, medical missions, children’s ministry, dairy goat farming, and chicken farming—were conducted separately in the university and rural indigenous villages. Since the organization of GMNET, these have evolved into collaborative team ministries with the university, leading to comprehensive community development missions.
We are deeply grateful for the prayers and support from our partnering churches and individuals, including the Korean Community Presbyterian Church of Atlanta , PGM Mission, Silver Mission, Dream Mission, HOMA Mission, HKPC Church, Guatemala's CUNOR University, and the City of Cobán
President Hakkeun Chang Elder
Guatemala Mission Network, GMNET
In the 1970s, Billy Graham (William Franklin Graham Jr. or Billy Graham) felt the need for an international conference to reestablish the meaning of Christian missions in a world of political, economic, intellectual, and religious upheaval. This was because he believed that the church needed to understand the ideas and values hidden behind the rapid changes in society. In July 1974, over 2,400 participants from 150 countries gathered in Lausanne, Switzerland, to hold the International Conference for World Evangelization.
The delegates who attended this conference were filled with prayer and discussion for God’s presence and world missions, and it is said that it revitalized the church in three major aspects.
First, the theological foundation for world missions, second, unreached people groups, and third, holistic or integral missions. At this conference, it was emphasized that both evangelism and social justice are necessary for missionary work. It is known that the concept of holistic or holistic mission was widely accepted today due to the 1974 Lausanne Conference.
According to Google, ‘holistic mission’ is defined as “comprehensive mission in which the church’s witness work is not only evangelism but also the church’s social responsibility toward the world.”
In 2007, missionary couple Hyunyoung Kim and Deokju Lee began missionary work for the residents of a nearby Mayan village centered around Coban, the third largest city in Guatemala. Through their holistic missionary work, they have been working with several faith-based organizations (Korean Community Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, Health One Medical Association, HOMA) to focus on gospel work and have been carrying out regional development work including medical/healthcare.
I pray today that the Lord’s kingdom will expand in Guatemala and that it will serve as a foundation for becoming a base for the gospel in Central and South America.