The Tent Church

Yoido started on May 18, 1958, as a family worship service in Pastor Jashil Choi’s home, but Pastor Choi and Cho had graduated seminary together. The service was just Pastor Cho, Pastor Jashil, her three children, and an old lady seeking shelter, and the pulpit was a box with a piece of cloth over it. After a few months of that tiny service, eventually, a woman was paralyzed for about 7 yrs after childbirth. Both pastors met this woman and took care of her and her children. She could not wash them properly, so they cleaned the children and prayed for this woman. They were praying in tongues and praying for healing, and a miracle happened, and she could walk again. Word spread quickly of this miracle healing, and within a few months, the living room Church was too small, with members upwards of 50. Eventually, they bought a tent to play in front of Pastor Choi’s house and kept buying bigger and bigger tents to accommodate the increasing size. The early beginnings of this Church were marked by faith healing, and serving the needy, which drew people to the Church, along with the message of hope and faith being the solution to poverty.