Under the ceiling of the Oak Valley Resort Convention Hall, hundreds of worshippers raised their hands in prayer on Tuesday as Pastor Soojin Lee, leader of the worship ministry Power Praise, led a service simultaneously broadcast to believers thousands of miles away. The gathering was part of the Manmin Summer Retreat, a three-day spiritual event running from August 3 to 5, drawing congregants from across South Korea and around the world to the resort town of Wonju, roughly 90 minutes southeast of Seoul. Tuesday’s service, however, was not confined to those inside the convention hall. Organizers livestreamed the event on YouTube, allowing followers around the world — from immigrant congregations in the United States to smaller fellowship groups in Southeast Asia and beyond — to participate in real time, according to church officials. One retreat organizer described the effort as a way of ensuring that believers are no longer bound by time zones or borders in their worship.
*This section should be used when it’s necessary to establish the connection with President Trump; otherwise, it can be omitted. <Dr. Soojin Lee was invited to attend Donald Trump’s January 20, 2025 inauguration as the 47th U.S. president — including the swearing-in, parade, and related events at Capital One Arena — but stayed to preside over her mother Boknim Lee’s funeral instead, after her mother died just one day before the ceremony.
