[Uganda] Bishop Serwadda’s Online New Year Service with Pastor Ock Soo Park

On the evening of December 31, 2020, the “Passover” New Year’s Eve Service organized by Bishop Serwadda was held online through “Dream TV,” five radios and social media. It was held at Mandela Stadium for nearly 20 years, but it was held online this year due to the coronavirus.

Bishop Serwadda, a Christian co-chairman of the Presidential Committee on Religion and President of BAF pastors association, met Pastor Ock Soo Park for the first time at the opening ceremony of the Uganda World Camp in 2017, and attended a Bible Seminar in Korea and CLF Conference in October 2017, making him confident that “Pastor Ock Soo Park is the servant of God who preaches the true gospel in this era.”

On December 31, 2018, Pastor Ock Soo Park was invited to attend New Year’s Eve Service at Uganda’s largest Mandela Stadium, which has been going on for 18 years. The Gracias Choir’s performance and Pastor Ock Soo Park’s sermon was broadcast live on three TV stations and five radio stations at the stadium’s New Year’s Eve Service, and the true gospel was delivered to tens of millions of Ugandan citizens, including 100,000 people at the stadium.

However, this year, the coronavirus led to the New Year’s Eve Service online, and on the evening of December 31, 2020, Bishop Serwadda invited Pastor Ock Soo Park as a principal lecturer at the New Year’s Eve Service once again. Pastor Ock Soo Park delivered his words for an hour at the online service that went on TV and radio, and the Gracias Choir’s performance was also broadcast.

The Gracias Choir’s performance softened and opened the hearts of people of Uganda, which were hardened by the coronavirus, and brought peace to their hearts. Then, the sermon time proceeded.

“There is someone who wants to be blessed by God by doing something well. I help the poor, I am loyal to the church, I donate, I serve, and that’s how the person wants to be blessed by doing something. In Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8, it says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” The Word of God is telling us that the blessing to enter the Kingdom of Heaven is not by our works. No matter what good things we do, it’s all works. It is impossible with our works. If we were to be able to do it by our works, then Jesus would’ve never come to this earth. Jesus came to this land because it cannot be done by our works, and He washed all our sins on the cross freely by His grace, leaving not even fingertip of sin. In Romans 3:23, we are sinners because we sinned, but in verse 24, it says we have been justified forever freely by grace. All we have to do is just believe.”

The true gospel was delivered through broadcast, and pastors and government officials who watched the broadcast continued to send messages and expressed their gratitude.

“I’m very thankful that we could welcome the New Year with Pastor Ock Soo Park and the Gracias Choir, and I could see Uganda people receiving happiness in their hearts while watching the broadcast. Now people understand Pastor Ock Soo Park’s sermon, and we yearn for his sermon. This year, we had to proceed the New Year’s Eve Service online due to coronavirus, which was broadcast throughout Uganda through “Dream TV,” “UBC TV,” and five radio stations we have. Being able to hear Pastor Park’s message was a blessing to the people of Uganda. I thank the pastor and I hope he will visit Uganda again in 2021 for the New Year’s Eve event.”

- Richard Semakula / UBC main anchor, Dream TV Director

Pastor Ock Soo Park’s 2021 New Year’s message was broadcast on the morning of Sunday, January 3, on Uganda’s UBC national broadcasting station. The live broadcast was made at the request of Antonio, a producer of the national broadcaster who participated in the 2019 World Camp in Korea as a reporting team. Antonio heard the Gracias Choir and the message of Pastor Park, which was broadcast live on “Dream TV,” and immediately contacted them and suggested that he would broadcast the New Year’s message at the national station. On this day, viewers opened their hearts wide by listening to the sweet music of the Gracias Choir, and were amazed as they heard the message of Pastor Ock Soo Park.

“The music of the Gracias Choir touches people’s hearts. On December 25 and 27, our Ugandan national broadcasting station aired a Christmas concert and pastor’s sermon, and people were very surprised and happy. And while watching Dream TV and the choir performance on December 31, I asked the Uganda church to broadcast the New Year message to the national broadcaster. I hope that Pastor Park’s message will spread throughout Uganda and that the people of Uganda will meet the true joy.”

- Producer Antonio / Uganda UBC National Broadcasting Station

Jesus was able to be born inside the hearts of people of Uganda through Online New Year’s Eve Service, and they were able to start the new year 2021 with the life of serving the gospel together with God as the Word of God entered. We believe that in 2021, the children of the Lord will be many in Uganda like dust of the earth through online and broadcasting, and that all people of Uganda will be blessed.