With the long-awaited new year of the sacred calendar, the 2026 General Assembly was held. The General Assembly began with the opening worship service on March 16 and continued for three nights and four days at the New Jerusalem Pangyo Temple until the 19th, the first day of the first month of the sacred calendar. In the presence of the Holy Spirit, pastoral staff members who had devoted themselves to preaching the gospel of the new covenant around the world attended the gathering. They looked back on the past year, confirmed the vision for the new year, and renewed their determination to complete the gospel.
Sow Love and Reap the Fruit of Love
At the opening worship service on the 16th, Mother prayed that abundant blessings and rewards would be bestowed on the pastoral staff members who take the lead in saving souls and fulfill the mission of prophets. She also expressed Her hope that in 2026 they would accomplish all that they had planned according to the will of God and thereby cultivate abundant spiritual pastures. In addition, She taught, “A man reaps what he sows. Only by sowing love can we reap the fruit of love,” and said, “In every situation and circumstance, let us care for our brothers and sisters with a right mindset and the warm love we have received from God, and let us save all souls” (Gal 6:7–9).
General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol emphasized, “God’s work must be carried out in God’s way, and the way God has shown us is love.” He added, “If pastoral staff members first practice the example of love they have learned from Father and Mother and the members also follow that example, a great work of the gospel will arise in an instant.” He urged that this year, in every aspect, “practicing love” should be placed as the highest priority (Isa 54:13–17; Jn 6:45; 15:1–9).
The program of this General Assembly focused on analyzing results and presenting future direction, including a review of 2025, plans for 2026, and presentations of outstanding examples in each field. Over the past year, the Church of God actively carried out mission work even in unreached areas of the gospel and exerted a positive influence both inside and outside the Church through various activities led by the “Words of Mother’s Love” campaign. This year, in order to help the rapidly growing number of members mature in faith and to accelerate gospel preaching, the Church plans to establish strategic bases that can systematically support churches around the world and further improve its systems.
To this end, the General Assembly presented specific proposals, including customized pastoral roadmaps for each country and church, as well as measures for mutual cooperation through connections between churches in Korea and overseas. Pastoral staff members and officials from departments of the General Assembly World Headquarters actively discussed these matters and together drew a blueprint for the completion of the gospel. Mother was present throughout the entire schedule, blessing them through prayer and giving unstinting encouragement so that they could accomplish even the gospel goals that had not been fulfilled the previous year.
The presentations of outstanding examples, such as overcoming challenging circumstances and achieving gospel development through church establishment and the training of pastoral staff, all came down to one message: love. When pastoral staff members first paid careful attention to the members according to the Teachings of Mother and practiced consideration and service, the members’ faith grew, unity was achieved, and a virtuous cycle was formed in which “warm churches” were established and grew.
Through videos and on-site presentations, pastoral staff members vividly saw and heard gospel cases from around the world and reflected on their duty. Pastor Ko Hong-jun from Tokyo, Japan, said, “I reflected and repented, wondering whether I had ever forgotten the importance of love under the pretext of being busy. I will engrave in my heart and practice the truth that love is needed more than anything in this age.” Pastor Kim Jin-hwa from Changwon, Korea, also said, “The words and example that Father and Mother have taught us are the best textbook. So that every member can resemble that love, I will first put warmth into my words and actions.”
Making the Church of God a Warm Home for All Humankind
On the 19th, the first day of the first month of the sacred calendar, the commemorative worship service for General Assembly Day was held at the New Jerusalem Pangyo Temple, with 1,600 people in attendance, including pastoral staff members and the General Assembly Headquarters’ staff members. On this occasion as well, Mother once again emphasized love. She prayed that in the new year the gospel would be preached in Samaria and to the ends of the earth, and said, “Let us build warm churches where souls weary from life in a desolate and exhausting world can find comfort. I hope you will become prophets of love who reveal the glory of God through good deeds and bear much fruit of love.”
Beginning his sermon with the words, “God’s teachings are the guideposts of our lives,” General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol said, “God, who sacrificed Himself without avoiding even the suffering of the cross, commanded us, ‘Love one another as I have loved you,’ and ‘Do you love me? Feed my sheep.’ In the new year, with renewed determination, let us build churches where the teaching of God’s love is alive and at work” (Mt 28:18–20; 22:35–38; Jn 13:34–35; 21:15–17).
In the afternoon, the closing worship service followed. General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol awakened the spirit of the prophets, saying, “In the spiritual wilderness of faith as we journey toward the heavenly Canaan, the kingdom of heaven, let us overcome Satan’s temptations and schemes and walk the right path of righteousness with firm faith” (2 Ti 3:12–17; 1 Co 6:18–20; Eph 5:1–5; Heb 12:14–17; Pr 2:16–19). Mother repeatedly expressed Her gratitude to the pastoral staff members who are carrying out weighty duties on the front line of the world mission, and encouraged them, saying, “Even things that are difficult by one’s own strength can be more than accomplished when we pray and act in the One who gives us strength. Make every effort to the end to preach the gospel to all humankind and become pastoral staff members who are praised and loved by Father.”
The pastoral staff members returned to their respective churches with special determination, engraving the teaching of Mother’s love in their hearts. Elder Anil Kumar, who is carrying out pastoral work in India, said, “Throughout the General Assembly, I was so happy to be with Mother that it felt as if I were in another dimension. When I return to India, I will carry out pastoral work with love, just as Mother does.” Pastor Choi Kwang-soo from San Francisco, CA, U.S., expressed his aspiration, saying, “In a society divided by conflict, the Church of God achieves harmony that transcends cultures and generations. At the center of this is God’s love. With pride and faith, I will deliver the gospel of the new covenant and love throughout the United States and further to other countries as well.”
2026 General Assembly Awards Ceremony: A Time to Renew Determination and Passion Through Mother’s Guidance and Encouragement
On the 15th, one day before the General Assembly schedule began, the General Assembly Awards Ceremony was held at the Okcheon Go&Come Training Institute. Approximately 11,000 members attended, including pastoral staff from Korea and overseas, as well as title and position holders.
During the first part, the worship service, Mother commended the pastoral staff and members who had devoted themselves to saving souls in their respective places over the past year. She also awakened in them the mindset with which to greet the new year of the sacred calendar. She encouraged them, saying, “Prayer is the sure way to call upon God’s power. With renewed faith each day, let us pray fervently and run vigorously toward the kingdom of heaven.” General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol emphasized, “The more the gospel is preached, the more fruit it is bound to bear. Let us sow the seeds of the gospel in the vast field called the world, save many souls, and all receive awards at the awards ceremony that will be held in the kingdom of heaven” (Lk 19:11–26).
The second part, the awards ceremony, was held in five categories, including preaching, education, and church establishment. A total of 79 awards were presented to churches in Korea and abroad, including Sangam Church in Seoul, Saha Church in Busan, Auckland Church in New Zealand, and Maputo Church in Mozambique. Congratulatory performances by the Messiah Orchestra and the ensemble, along with a special video summarizing the 2025 gospel work that had been carried out passionately and in unity, added joy and realization to the awards ceremony.
As the event concluded, Mother said, “In an age when disputes and conflicts occur frequently, let us fulfill our mission to deliver hope to humankind.” In response, the attendees shouted “Amen” with one voice and resolved to devote all their strength to preaching the gospel.
