"Came from Eunbit Church~"... 26 Years of Sharing Side Dishes, Solitary Deaths Disappeared [Post-Religious Era]⑦

Sharing Side Dishes with Neighbors in Need Since 1998
Lost Husband in 2010, Managing Ministry Alone
Volunteer Makes Side Dishes Weekly
Visits 100+ Households in Paju Beopwon-eup
"Hidden Blind Spots More Dangerous Than Basic Welfare Recipients"
"Zero Solitary Deaths for 4 Years, Reason for Continuing Ministry"

Editor's NoteIn most religions, there is a noticeable decline and aging of prospective clergy. While this is a natural phenomenon due to population decline, the influence of an era that values materialism is also cited as a major reason. How does the religious community perceive and respond to this phenomenon? Furthermore, how does religion exist in our society today, and what impact does it have? We take a closer look at the inner workings of Catholicism, Buddhism, and Christianity.

Every Saturday early morning, Eunbit Church, located on the foothills of Beopwon-eup in Paju City, is bustling with the hands of volunteers preparing food. About ten volunteers prepare meals for 80 to 100 people and personally deliver them to homes. Volunteers carrying three days’ worth of side dishes not only become kind companions to the elderly but also carefully observe and record their daily needs. Pastor Kang In-hee of Eunbit Church is responsible for gathering this information and fulfilling those needs. She attentively watches over all aspects of life to ensure no one goes hungry due to lack of food, no one feels isolated and lonely, and no one becomes discouraged by life’s many challenges. It has already been 26 years, and 20 years since settling in Beopwon-eup, Paju. Based on the identity of a ministry community, she is not interested in increasing church membership. Instead, she connects warm hands to places in need and guides those who accept the gospel through such warmth to nearby churches. Stable sponsorship is not guaranteed. Although it is difficult to foresee even a week ahead, the sharing of side dishes continues with helping hands each time. She hopes the gospel will be delivered through the side dishes but does not emphasize her title as pastor. At first, she simply goes to listen, empathize, and comfort. Even now, many do not know that she is a pastor. For her, sharing side dishes is not charity done out of leisure. It is not because she can, but because it is a calling she must fulfill. What is the driving force behind denying herself and living for others? We asked Pastor Kang In-hee of Eunbit Church about the story behind this.

Every Saturday morning, volunteers gather at Eunbit Church to prepare food to be given to the village elders.
[Photo by Eunbit Church]

- When did you start sharing side dishes with those in need?

▲My husband began sharing side dishes with those in need in Ilsan in 1996. I naturally joined him after we married in 1998. At that time, Ilsan was a very underdeveloped area. Many youths could not attend school due to disabilities and other reasons, so we set up a study room in a vinyl greenhouse and operated it free of charge from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Since many had mobility difficulties, we personally drove them to take the qualification exam for high school equivalency. After appearing on MBC’s ‘Our Era,’ quite a few volunteers came to help.

- Now you are settled in Beopwon-eup, Paju. How did that come about?

▲At that time, the city hall issued an order to dismantle the vinyl greenhouse, so we had to move. Also, as Ilsan developed, many welfare centers were established, so we thought we should move to a place where help was more needed. After searching for a suitable place for a month, we came to Beopwon-eup, Paju, in 2004. We brought in containers to the mountain fields and restarted the side dish ministry. At that time, many children from divorced families were raised by their grandparents in this area, so we reopened the study room.

- How was the situation after moving from Ilsan to Paju?

Pastor Kang In-hee being interviewed at Eunbit Church located in Beopwon-eup, Paju City
Photo by Seo Mideum

▲The situation was not very good. Financially, it was difficult, and since the distance increased after moving, the help from existing volunteers stopped. Another challenge was overcoming the resistance of elders who felt ashamed to receive help. By visiting frequently, we slowly opened the hearts of the elderly. However, in 2010, my husband passed away due to illness. Since the elders relied heavily on him, he worried until his last moment about the shock they would experience. Honestly, at that time, I was ready to give up everything. I had no living expenses and a lot of debt, so I thought there was no way and tried to find another path.

- Was there a turning point that changed your mind?

▲I was preparing to become an after-school teacher at an elementary school when the thought suddenly came to me that Jesus was born not in a grand city but in the smallest village, Bethlehem. I thought, “Maybe this place could be Bethlehem.” After changing my perspective, not long after, a company chairman came after seeing the side dish sharing on CTS Christian Broadcasting and gave great help. He said he had decided to help only two places before dying of a terminal illness, and he found this place through the broadcast. I was so grateful that I wanted to visit and thank him, but he passed away shortly after.

- How is the side dish sharing usually carried out?

▲During the week, I personally visit to assess the situation. Then on Saturdays, volunteers and I prepare side dishes, and the volunteers deliver them and provide companionship. We help find housing and solve various life problems.

- Who are you currently helping?

▲We help about 107 elderly people. Many are basic livelihood security recipients, but we also assist those in hardship who do not qualify. In fact, welfare for basic livelihood recipients has improved significantly compared to before, so they receive many benefits. Many helping hands reach out to those who are visible. The problem lies with those in blind spots. Those with family unable to support them or who have useless land counted as assets but cannot qualify for basic livelihood benefits live in very harsh conditions.

- Can you give an example?

▲There is a person who is blind and relies on hearing, living alone with difficulty, struggling to raise surgery costs. Recently, bacteria spread from the ear to the brain, requiring surgery, but because they own land, they do not receive basic livelihood benefits. The land is a small inherited enclave (land not connected to a road), which is so useless that it does not sell even if put up for sale. However, the town office only tells them to dispose of the land, which is a difficult situation. Lives of those in such blind spots are often much worse than those of basic livelihood recipients.

- It seems there are many practical difficulties in resolving welfare blind spots.

▲It is not easy to connect help to those who really need it. People around those in difficulty usually ask me for help. Most of them are truly struggling in blind spots. In such cases, according to my principle of ‘not going before welfare,’ I try to resolve issues through welfare first rather than intervening directly. This is also out of respect for social welfare workers’ duties. However, acceptance varies greatly among social welfare officers. Some are proactive, but many are reluctant. They think I am increasing their workload. Even though the situation is very difficult, some are not designated as basic livelihood recipients, so I have gone directly to the town office. After pleading with the officer, saying, “Let’s go together to the person’s home. There is no guarantee they will wake up tomorrow,” they inspected the site and the person received basic livelihood benefits.

Each volunteer visits 10 to 15 households carrying side dishes they made themselves and provides companionship.
[Photo by Eunbit Church]

- You have been sharing side dishes for quite a long time. What changes have you seen?

▲Just having someone visit the home brings about tremendous change. Those who used to lie down without washing now wash their face, shave, and wait eagerly for visitors. When volunteer families with children visit, the elders are very happy. Opening the door is like opening the heart. When interest, love, and the gospel are put inside, people change remarkably. Four years ago, two to three people died alone each year, but this year marks the fourth year without any solitary deaths.

- Along with such rewarding experiences, you must have many difficult memories as well.

▲Among those I delivered side dishes to, there was a usually quiet person who unusually held my hand and talked for over three hours on the street that day. They spoke very actively but took their own life the next day. When I visited the next day, the door was not opened, and I remembered the saying, ‘If there is no response to knocking, just leave as you have no face to see them drunk,’ so I left it be. A few days later, they were found dead. The shock was immense. Their friend called me drunk and asked, ‘You said you save people, so why did you let someone die?’ I was unable to move for a while. When someone who was not like that spoke so brightly, I blame myself, thinking, ‘If I had sensed it earlier, could I have prevented it?’ This is also why I am currently studying counseling psychology.

- It must be discouraging at times...

▲Still, the joy is great. Seeing people change makes it impossible to give up this work. The Bible says, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,’ and it is truly so. Not everything is solved by material things. When interest and the gospel are delivered through side dishes as a medium, people change. That joy is indescribable.

- Are there any current challenges or messages you would like to share?

▲When helping people on the ground, many need assistance but are excluded because they are third parties. For example, when someone suddenly goes to prison, I try to check on their surroundings, send letters, or put money in their account. But when I inquire with local governments about their location, they say they cannot disclose information unless you are family. However, most have no family or have broken ties, so they are effectively neglected. For funerals, it is difficult to prepare appropriately without knowing if the death is unclaimed. While preventing abuse is important, I hope such sincere efforts are well considered. This is work to restore people properly.

- End of the 'Post-Religion Era' series -

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.