Elder Hangcheol Shin, age 56, with his loving wife and three daughters, Parish 15, South Korea


One morning in January 1984, I was taking a walk. A 15-ton dump truck ran over me. It was a big accident. When I was rolling on the road, fear of death swept over me. I thought at the moment, 'My life is ending in this split moment.' Then this slipped out through my lips, "God! Save me, and I will go to church and do good works." And surprisingly, I was not injured at all.


I wanted to end my life due to alcohol addiction and depression

After the accident, from July in 1984, I began attending church. Not knowing the Word of God, I couldn't have faith. I was just a churchgoer. Also I liked drinking alcohol because my parents would give me alcohol even when I was very young. It was natural for me to drink alcohol. It was a source of joy in my life.
In 1989, I got married but I continued to enjoy drinking alcohol. So I frequently argued with my wife and even beat her. We had three lovely daughters, but I didn't change. My wife and I hated each other and fought with each other continuously. We were like enemies. In the end, I came to show the signs of alcohol addiction and had gastrointestinal disorders. When I was sober, I felt nervous and shook. I complained about minor things that normal people might have easily understood. I got angry, and held ill feelings inside. I was living in pain every day.
In 1993, I started up a business named Joongang Brain which makes and sells office storage supplies. Since I opened it with small amount of money and the business didn't go well, debt was mounting over time. I thought nothing was going well with me. With no motivation, I was socially phobic, and depression took over me. It was not just once or twice that I wanted to give up on my life.
Nevertheless, I went to church three times a month for business' sake. Whenever I went, I repented, "God! I drink alcohol and commit sins. I am sorry. Please lead me to a church abounding in the word of life and help me to live a proper believing life like a decent human."


I met the God of love who healed my body and heart

In the meantime, I was guided to Manmin Central Church by Deaconess Seolhyun Na.
On November 15 in 2002, I was offering up the church's Friday All-night Service. Before the sermon was preached, the video about Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee's 2002 India United Crusade was playing. The crusade deeply moved my heart.
Then Dr. Lee delivered a lecture on Genesis. During the message, he emphasized that we should cast off sins in our hearts and should live a life of goodness. His voice sounded like God's voice which was like the sound of thunder to me. I became assured that God led me to a church filled with the word of life. So I registered as a Manmin member on the following Sunday. Then I received Dr. Lee's book Tasting Eternal Life before Death which was a gift for new-comers.
After reading Dr. Lee's testimony in the book, I became filled with joy that I finally met the true shepherd. Listening to his sermons every week, I realized that the true Christian life is to cast away untruth and accomplish the heart of the Lord. That is what God really wants us to do!
And that was not the end of it. I was healed of alcohol addiction and gastrointestinal disorders after Senior Pastor's prayer for the sick, and stopped drinking alcohol and smoking! I came to love praises, so I threw away about 2,000 music albums of pop songs, classical music, and so on. I prayed every night in Daniel Prayer Meeting. I unloaded my burden of sins and became able to share love with other believers in the church. Then, social phobia and depression were gone. Hallelujah!


Blessings are overflowing in my life

After these spiritual problems were addressed, blessings started to come upon my business. Although businessmen in the same field moved to another field due to various difficulties, I had no problem. Rather, more companies wanted to sign contracts with my business. I had more work than before. I felt so thankful for the grace of God. So I began trying to be a source of help for God's kingdom. Then God blessed me. I was reminded of having broken peace with my wife and He gave me grace of thorough repentance for it.
A year after my registration in the church, I became a small group leader. Then, I became a group leader, vice president of a mission, sub-district leader in my parish, and leader of sub-district leaders in my great grand parish, and then I even became vice president of Sub-district Leaders' Association. While I worked faithfully, it dawned upon me that what's important is that I should cast away untruth and work faithfully with the heart of spirit. I started to look back upon myself.
My parents were very strict. As the seventh child among their eight children, I had self-centered character and strong self-righteousness. I was not moved to show forgiveness, consideration, or yielding of my position or belief. Worse, I was introverted and even conceited. So, I started to offer up prayer with fasting and repentance. And I tried to put myself in others' shoes. I longed to become void of ego and fill my heart with the Lord. I diligently broke my 'self'. I also fasted and prayed whenever Senior Pastor conducted overseas crusades.
On March 31 in 2014, I finally received blessing to achieve the heart of spirit, the heart God wants.
My oldest sister, who was receiving treatment for colorectal cancer, watched me become renewed. She came to my church and received Senior Pastor's prayer. And it was medically proven she was completely healed.
Another sister of mine works for Seoul Metropolitan Subway. She registered in our church. She was recently blessed to get promoted from a stationmaster to a chief master supervising 150 stations. My mother is leading a happy Christian life as well.
I am very grateful and excited because I met this precious church at this end time and came to join in extending the kingdom of God. My family also overflows with happiness because my loving wife and daughters are also living with hope for Heaven. I give all thanks and glory to God who came to me, healed me, renewed me and blessed me. I'd like to shout it out!
"Come to Manmin Central Church. By God's powerful works, evil hearts change into good hearts, good personalities are developed, diseases are healed, all kinds of life problems are solved, and blessings overflow! Welcome!"