Child Evangelism Fellowship of Korea

Overview

Child Evangelism Fellowship of Korea is the Korean national organization of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), whose international headquarters is in the United States. The organization describes itself as a biblical, international, and interdenominational mission agency devoted to ministry among children. It belongs to no particular denomination and works alongside many denominations. It cites Matthew 18:14 as its foundational verse. Its purpose is to bring the gospel to children outside the church and to lead them into local churches.

Founding and History

The international CEF was founded in the United States in 1937 by the Rev. Jesse Irvin Overholtzer. Overholtzer is said to have become convinced, after hearing the preaching of Charles Spurgeon, that even young children, if rightly taught, can truly believe and be born again just as adults can. CEF began its overseas ministry in 1943, when it sent its first missionary outside the United States, to Mexico. It now reports activity in about 200 countries.

The ministry in Korea began in 1957, and the organization's website likewise gives 1957 as its starting year. The number of local chapters has grown over time, with figures such as 53 and 54 cited at different points. According to reports and the organization's own description from around 2025, it has 55 chapters nationwide. Details of its early history, such as who first began the work in Korea and when the organization was incorporated, could not be confirmed from public sources and are therefore not included here.

The international CEF identifies its president, Junghwan Jeremiah Cho, as a native of Korea. He held various positions with CEF Korea beginning in 1988, served as a missionary to Sri Lanka, and became director for the Middle East region in 2014.

Major Activities

• Good News Clubs: These meet weekly for one hour in homes, parks, playgrounds, churches, community facilities, and other locations. Sessions include singing, Scripture memorization, a Bible lesson, a missionary story, and review games, and children who wish to receive Jesus are counseled individually. As of 2025, about 2,100 clubs were reported to be operating nationwide.
• Short-term evangelism programs: These include three-day and five-day clubs, party outreaches held on Children's Day and at Christmas, summer Good News Camps, and support for church vacation Bible schools.
• Teacher training: Each chapter holds teacher training seminars that teach church teachers and ministry workers practical methods of evangelism. Such seminars are reportedly held in more than 140 locations each year.
• Curriculum development and publishing: The research and publishing departments produce Good News lesson materials, preschool seminar resources, evangelism training materials, songs, and videos. The organization also publishes a regular newsletter.

Organization and Denominational Relations

Child Evangelism Fellowship of Korea is neither a denomination nor an association of denominations, and it therefore has no system of member denominations. It consists of its headquarters and local chapters, together with its missionaries and volunteer teachers. It describes itself as an organization that works with churches, and it aims to connect the children it reaches with the Sunday schools of local churches.

Assessment and Challenges

The organization has set the goal of ensuring that all of South Korea's approximately 5.3 million children under the age of 14 hear the gospel at least once. It has been reported to be expanding its Good News Clubs against a backdrop in which the evangelization rate among the country's younger generation remains around 4 percent and Sunday schools are in decline.

The international CEF also describes challenges facing the ministry in Korea. Growing awareness of child protection has made it harder for strangers to meet with children, and religious activities are restricted in and around public schools. It also notes that children's attention is increasingly absorbed by mobile phones and the internet.