Byung Pal Ryu has now served in Fiji for 20 years. He initially ministered in the Baptist Theological College, then to an ethnic Indian Baptist congregation which has both a pre-school and a kindergarten.
"I decided to become a citizen of Fiji as the Incarnation of Christ means, He is Lord of all the nations, and my commitment is to the people of Fiji," Byung Pal Ryu explained.
He grew up in a family where his father was a Confucianist and his mother a Buddhist; where he did not know anything about Jesus Christ.
"It was while I was a secondary school student in Korea that I first attended a Christian church, and I listened carefully and, without understanding why, I thought I would be a Christian," Byung Pal Ryu remembered.
Byung Pal Ryu was one of the Fijian delegates at the recent Baptist World Alliance Living Water Australasian – South Pacific conference held in Cairns where he gave a video testimony for Australian Missionary News IPTV.
"When it dawned upon me that becoming a Christian was repenting of my sin and accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour, I realised I had been an innate and latent Christian," Byung Pal Ryu told Mark Tronson of the Australian Missionary News.
He discovered that being born again was essential part to becoming a Christian. His enthusiasm was great when he felt God calling him to Christian ministry. John 3 verse 16 was his favourite verse, which says that God loved the world so much He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall receive eternal life.
"I was a bit quick off the mark and sought to go to Bible College too soon, but dropped out," Byung Pal Ryu reflected. "After I had gained more maturity, I re-applied, with more success. I wanted to serve in Bangladesh but a professor ensured that did not happen, much to my frustration at the time."
Then a Fijian man in his college dormitory prayerfully suggested he come to Fiji when he finished bible school. This fellow student's insight was providential, and as Byung Pal Ryu exclaimed, 'I must know nothing except Christ and His will for my life'.
"So although my desire was to go to Bangladesh, I set off for Fiji where the Lord led me to an ethnic Indian Baptist congregation ministering in a mutli-ethnic community of Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and Sikhs," Byung Pal Ryu explained.
To illustrate his multi-ethnic ministry, Byung Pal Ryu told Mark Tronson the anecdote about a Muslim taxi driver who gave a verbal attack on Christianity; Byung Pal Ryu's response was to invite the driver to bring his children to the Church pre school. He has led that whole family to Jesus Christ and is now discipling them.
"My heart is completely for Christ," Byung Pal Ryu affirmed. "I am ready to die for Him and I thank the Lord Jesus every day in that I am able to serve Him day by day and preach His Salvation."