By Moses Noh
The North America Staff Conference was held in Chicago from February 26–28, 2026 under the theme, “As I Have Loved You – Building a Loving Community.” Over 220 staff members and young leaders from the United States and Canada attended the conference and studied God’s Word from John 13 together.
God richly blessed our staff conference with powerful messages delivered by Pastor Ron Ward, Pastor Bob Henkins, and Pastor Mark Moran. P. Ron poured out his heart as he delivered his message titled “Love One Another.” (This was the tenth time he delivered this message.) God spoke powerfully through the message to the North American staff members, leading many to repent and resolve to take Jesus’ new command to heart and put it into practice in their lives. P. Bob’s message was based on 1 John 3:16, reminding us that love is what Jesus has demonstrated through his life and death. P. Mark’s message was based on Matthew 20:28 and emphasized love in action as demonstrated through Jesus’ life and ministry. Many were deeply touched by his testimonial message. We pray that every UBF chapter in North America may be built into a genuinely loving community.
On Thursday night, presentations were given on notable works of God in North America. These included the powerful work of God through the Canadian Summer Bible Conference, the revival of campus ministry in Cincinnati UBF, the house church online network called VineLine, beautiful coworking ministries among Canadian chapters, the vibrant youth ministry in Washington UBF, and preparations for the North America Young Adults Conference (NAYAC). These were presented as examples of God’s mighty work in North America. New staff members were also introduced on the night.
On Friday afternoon, the HQ reports focused on the Education and IT departments. During the Education Department’s report, the Emerging Leaders Cohort (ELC) Gospel Team graduation ceremony was briefly held, and it was encouraging to see the growth of young leaders. Dr. Augustine Suh also announced the North America Pastoral Cohort Program to the staff members (a four-year program equivalent to a Master of Divinity). Dr. Joseph Cho from the IT Department gave a presentation on AI and ministry. He shared ethical guidelines for our staff members, which were very well received. Elder Jim Rarick presented a summary of North America UBF finances, including the past year’s revenue and expenditures, as well as information about the North America Central Account. Lastly, Pastor Nehemiah Kim from Korea gave a presentation about the upcoming World Mission Congress and Missionary Shepherd Conference in Korea.
Following the HQ reports, we had an invited talk by Paul Worcester, the National Collegiate Director for the North American Mission Board. His talk focused on how to serve campus ministry and was both inspiring and informative. Through his heartfelt presentation, we could sense his heart and passion for reaching college campuses with the gospel. The last part of the afternoon program featured Mission Strategy Presentations. Three representatives shared their perspectives on the current challenges and opportunities in our ministry, as well as future strategic directions. Missionary Joshua Hong presented an insightful framework based on Isaac’s life of digging wells. He emphasized that we need to reopen our ancestors’ old wells (our spiritual legacies) while also digging new wells for the next generation and for the growing needs of our community. Pastor Philip Wong gave a presentation focused on the Canadian ministry, and Spencer Luebben shared perspectives as a younger, native leader. The presentations were followed by short group discussions, and participants’ inputs were collected.
On Friday evening, presentations on local chapter guidelines and financial guidelines were given by Pastor Mark Vucekovich and Missionary Daniel Yang (Internal Auditor). Although these guidelines were created over a decade ago, many staff members had not read them. It was helpful to review them together during the conference. After the presentations, we heard senior staff testimonies from Pastor David Baik (former New York UBF director) and Joy Baik. Their testimonies were so dramatic and moving that many commented it felt like they were watching a movie. We praise God that we are surrounded by many spiritual giants like Pastor David and Joy Baik. As we closed the evening program, Pastor Steve Stasinos led a united prayer for North America.
On the last day, participants finalized and shared their reflections in groups. This year we tried something new. Participants were asked to study the passage in advance so that group Bible studies at the conference could focus more on discussion and application questions. Staff members were also encouraged to begin writing their reflections before the conference so that they could finalize and share them during the conference. It seems this approach was well implemented through the cooperation of our staff members. At the end, there was also time for regional meetings or house church meetings. In his final announcement, Dr. Augustine Sohn (North America Coordinator) gave thanks to God for His abundant blessings through the conference and announced that next year’s staff conference will be held in Atlanta, Georgia.
Prior to the North America Staff Conference, a pre-conference retreat was held for the North America Regional Coordinators. The regional coordinators and their spouses participated in the meeting, sharing heart-moving testimonies and engaging in meaningful discussions (Pastor Ron and his wife, Dervilla, also participated). The topics discussed included: how to support and strengthen house church ministries, how to help young people marry by faith, and what to do with inactive chapters.
Overall, the conference was full of God’s blessings. We realized once again that God is working even when we do not see it. God is working even when we do not feel it. He is working tirelessly through the 120 North America UBF chapters and house churches. Praise be to the Lord for His mighty work for the redemption of lost souls. May God’s kingdom come and His will be done through our lives and ministries. Amen.
