A Missionary Legacy Comes Full Circle

Our friends at Topeka First received this message in early September:

Dear Pastor and Church Family of First Presbyterian Church of Topeka,Warm greetings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.



We are a missionary family serving in Indonesia. Both of us grew up at Choryang Church in Busan, South Korea, where we first met in the young adult ministry and felt God's calling.

Our mother church, Choryang Church, was founded in 1892 by Rev. William M. Baird, who was faithfully supported and sent out as a missionary through First Presbyterian Church of Topeka. Because of your church’s sacrificial prayer and mission support over a century ago, the gospel took root in Korea, leading to the birth of our home church and inspiring generations—including our own family—to carry that same missionary heart to Indonesia.

We are currently in Kansas on a sabbatical. After learning that the historic home church of Rev. Baird is so close by, our hearts were filled with deep gratitude. We would love to visit your church to worship together, see this meaningful place of mission history, and personally express our heartfelt thanks to your congregation on Sunday, September 6.

We look forward to worshipping with the community that played such a vital role in our faith journey and mission heritage.

Thank you so much, and may God continue to bless your church richly.

Warm regards,

LEES family

The Lees family joined the congregation for worship and fellowship on September 6, 2026, and to make things even more special, Pastor Sandra Brown visited the Choryang Church in Busan during her sabbatical in 2023! God is So Good!