늘 차분하기만 하던, 때론 침울하기도 하던 회의 분위기가 그날은 갑자기 달라졌다고 기억합니다. 한 분의 이사가 당신의 은사에 따라서 학교가 지고 있는 재정적 부담을 해결하는 일에 앞장 서겠다며 다른 이사들께 협력을 요청했습니다. 학교가 갖는 재정적 부담이란 신관개발부담금이란 이름으로 고양시에 내어야 하는 돈 3억5천만을 의미합니다. 짧게 설명하면, 설립자 되신 명예이사장님께서 남편이름으로 되어 있는 땅에, 교직원용 숙소를 지었기에, 그 땅이 대지로 지목이 변경됨으로 얻은 이익을 개발부담금으로 시청에 납부해야 하는 금액입니다. 만약 땅을 학교에 먼저 기증하고 건물을 지었으면 3억5천이나 되는 부담금을 물지 않아도 되었다고 들었습니다. 책임있는 위치에 있는 누군가가 건물을 짓기 전에 법률적 검토를 먼저했더라면 좋았을뻔 한 아쉬운 일로 기억됩니다.
(신관으로 불리는 교직원 숙소동)
하지만 고양시로서는 규정에 따라서 개발부담금을 고지했고, 대한민국 여느 대학원대학교처럼 재정이 넉넉지 않은 학교로서는, 산더미 같은 부담이 된지 몇 년이 흘렀습니다. 그래서 총장으로서 당연직 이사가 되어 참석한, 지난 1년의 이사회 분위기는 무거울 수 밖에 없었다는 기억입니다. 그런 상황에서 깃발을 흔들었으니 순식간에 분위기가 반전된 것은 당연할 것입니다. 그리고 더욱 감동적인 것은 바로 다음날 올라온 문자 때문입니다. “안녕하세요~ 어제 이사회떄 저에게 신관부담금 모금 관련 귀한 역할을 맡겨주셔서 감사합니다 ^^ 신관부담금 모금을 위해서 기도하며 세운 계획을 공유합니다. 먼저 2월 한달간은 이사님들과 함께 기도로 준비하길 원합니다. 매일 한분씩
시작하려고합니다. 동문, 교수님+교직원, 이사, 후원자 등에게 모금 계획과 취지를 알리고 적극 모금을 시작하려고합니다.(하략)” 회의로 끝나지 않고 위임된 사항을 바로 행동으로 옮겨주셨기 때문입니다.
(본관을 배경으로 구름이 예쁜 날)
이런 회의 분위기를 듣지도 보지도 못한 울산에 사는 분이 사흘 째 되는날 갑자기 제 아내에게 전화를 주셨습니다. “목사님 사모님 건강하게 잘 계십니까? 학교가 어렵다는데 저도 좀 후원을 하고 싶어서 연락드렸습니다. 계좌번호 부탁합니다” “아이고 권사님 건강하십니까? 권사님도 넉넉지 않으신데 웬 후원을 하시다니요…” “내가 여기 시골 와서 사는 것 아시지요. 가진 것도 없는 사람이라, 교회 건축헌금도 해야 되는데 걱정을 했더니 하나님께서 할 일(새로운 직장)을 주셨습니다.” 권사님은 젊은 날에 예수믿는다고 남편에게 심한 핍박을 받으셨지요. 구타를 당하는 것은 물론이고 집에서 쫓겨나기도 하고 말입니다. 그래도 그 남편 전도해서 예수믿고 집사직분까지 받으신 후에 아마 교통사고로 천국을 가신 것으로 기억합니다. 그때 오십도 되지 않은 나이에 혼자되셨지만 늘 기쁘고 감사하시며 시장에서 두부공장을 하시다가 지금은 그만두시고 시골에 가서 기거하시는데 그래도 교회 예배에는 빠지지 않으시고 구역장으로 약한 성도들도 돌보시고 열심히 전도하고 계십니다.
(신관에서 내려다 본 본관의 전경)
이제는 나이가 70살이 되었는데 소개로 요양보호사를 하라는 권면을 받아, 사시는 곳에서 멀리 떨어진 경주까지, 학원에 한 달 반동안 다니시면서, 열심히 배워 시험에 합격을 하시고, 89세된 할머니를 돌보고 계십니다. “아이고 권사님 대단하십니다. 70이 넘었는데 그 시험을 어찌 보시고 합격을 하셨으며 젊지도 않은 나이에 요양보호사 일을 하십니까?”라고 했더니 “목사님은 나보다 나이가 많은데도 총장 일도 하시는데 제가 왜 (요양보호사 일을) 못해요.”
“사모님이 예전에 나더러 그러셨잖아요. ‘권사님은 두부공장하시면서 늘 감사하며 즐겁게 일하시니 정말 보기가 참 좋습니다. 직업에는 귀천이 없는데 하나님께서 맡기신 일이면 뭐든지 다 귀한 직업이지요.”라고요. 아내는 그런 말을 했는지 하나도 기억나지 않는데… “지금 이 요양보호사 직업도 하나님 주셨으니 얼마나 감사한지요. 건축헌금도 할 수 있고 그래도 좀 여유가 있어서, 목사님 사모님 생각나서 조금 후원하려고요.” 그 힘든 일을 하시면서 우리 학교를 위해 뭔가 후원을 하시겠다니 얼마나 감사한지요. 같은 날, 이미 퇴직하신 다른 장로님도 귀한 후원금을 보내주셨으니 하나님의 역사는 시작된다고 고백할 수밖에 없습니다.
I recall that the atmosphere of the board meeting, which had always been subdued and at times even gloomy, suddenly transformed that day. One of the board members stepped forward, offering to use their gifts to take the lead in resolving the financial burden resting on the school, and asked the other directors for their cooperation. The financial burden facing our school refers to a sum of 350 million KRW levied by Goyang City under the name of a development surcharge for the new building. To explain briefly, the honorary chairperson, our founder, built a faculty and staff residence on a plot of land registered under her husband's name. As the zoning of that land was consequently changed to a residential building site, the profit accrued from that change incurred a development surcharge that had to be paid to the city hall. I was told that had the land been donated to the school first before constructing the building, the university would not have been saddled with this hefty burden of 350 million KRW. It remains a regrettable circumstance that could have been avoided had someone in a position of responsibility conducted a thorough legal review prior to construction.
(The faculty residence wing, known as the New Building)
However, Goyang City issued the notice for the development charge strictly in accordance with regulations, and for our school—which, like most graduate universities in Korea, is financially constrained—this has remained a mountainous burden for several years. That is why the board meetings over the past year, which I attended as an ex-officio director in my capacity as university president, were inevitably weighed down with heaviness. In such an atmosphere, when someone boldly raised the banner of initiative, it was only natural that the mood shifted in an instant. What touched me even more deeply was the text message received the very next day: “Hello~ Thank you for entrusting me with this precious role at yesterday’s board meeting regarding fundraising for the new building surcharge ^^ I would like to share the plan we have prepared through prayer to raise these funds. First, for the month of February, I hope to prepare through prayer together with the board members, reaching out to each person daily...
We intend to inform our alumni, faculty, staff, board members, and supporters about the purpose and plan of this fundraising campaign and begin actively gathering support. (omitted below)” It was truly moving because the matter did not merely end in a meeting, but was immediately translated into tangible action.
(A beautiful day of drifting clouds framed behind the Main Building)
Three days later, someone living in Ulsan, who had neither heard of nor seen the atmosphere of that board meeting, suddenly called my wife. “Pastor’s wife, are you and Pastor Jung keeping well and in good health? I heard the school is facing difficulties, and I wanted to offer a little support, so I’m calling. Could you please share the bank account details?” “Oh, Senior Deaconess, how have you been? You don't have much to spare yourself; how can you think of sending support...?” “You know I live out here in the countryside now. Being someone with very little, I was worrying because I also needed to give towards the church building fund, but God graciously provided me with work (a new job).” In her youth, this deaconess endured severe persecution from her husband simply for believing in Jesus. She suffered beatings and was even driven out of her own home. Yet through it all, she prayed for and evangelized her husband until he came to faith in Christ, eventually serving as a deacon before going home to heaven following a tragic traffic accident, as I recall. Left widowed before she had even turned fifty, she lived with perpetual joy and gratitude, running a small tofu factory in the marketplace. Now retired from the factory, she lives quietly in the countryside, never missing church worship, faithfully caring for weaker believers as a district cell leader, and zealously sharing the Gospel.
(A panoramic view of the Main Building looking down from the New Building)
Now, at the age of seventy, she was encouraged to become a certified caregiver. She commuted to an institute in Gyeongju, a considerable distance from her home, for a month and a half. After diligent study, she passed the qualification exam and is currently caring for an 89-year-old grandmother. When my wife exclaimed, “Oh, Deaconess, that is truly amazing! You are over seventy—how could you sit for such an exam, pass it, and take up the demanding work of a caregiver at your age?” she replied, “The pastor is older than I am and yet serves as a university president; why shouldn't I be able to work as a caregiver?”
“Pastor’s wife, don't you remember what you told me long ago? You once said: ‘Deaconess, seeing you run that tofu factory with such constant gratitude and joy is truly wonderful. No honest work is lowly or noble in God's eyes; whatever task God entrusts to us is precious and holy.’ My wife had completely forgotten having said those words, but she remembered. ‘Now that God has given me this job as a caregiver, how could I not be thankful? I can contribute to the church building fund, and having just a little to spare, I thought of you and the Pastor, and wanted to send a small gift of support.’” To think that while laboring through such strenuous work she wishes to support our school—how immensely grateful I am! On that very same day, another retired elder also sent in a precious contribution, compelling me to confess from the bottom of my heart: God's work has indeed begun.
Ek onthou hoe die atmosfeer van die raadsvergadering, wat altyd so kalm en by tye selfs somber was, daardie dag skielik verander het. Een van die direksielede het na vore getree en aangebied om volgens sy besondere grawes die leiding te neem om die skool se finansiële laste aan te pak, en die ander lede om samewerking versoek. Die finansiële las waaronder die skool gebuk gaan, verwys na ’n bedrag van 350 miljoen Koreaanse won wat as ’n ontwikkelingsheffing vir die nuwe vleuel aan die stadsraad van Goyang betaal moet word. Kortliks verduidelik: ons stigter en erevoorsitter het personeelbehuising opgerig op grond wat op haar man se naam geregistreer was. Omdat die sonering van die grond na ’n residensiële bouperseel verander is, moet die berekende wins uit hierdie hersonering as ’n ontwikkelingsheffing aan die munisipaliteit oorbetaal word. Ek het verneem dat as die grond eers aan die skool geskenk was voordat die gebou opgerig is, die universiteit nie met hierdie reuseheffing van 350 miljoen opgesaal sou gewees het nie. Dit bly ’n betreurenswaardige saak wat vermy kon gewees het indien iemand in ’n verantwoordelike posisie vooraf die nodige regsaspekte behoorlik ondersoek het.
(Die personeelwoonstelblok, bekend as die Nuwe Vleuel)
Goyang-stadsraad het egter die heffing volgens vasgestelde regulasies opgelê, en vir ’n instelling soos ons s’n—wat soos die meeste nagraadse universiteite in Suid-Korea finansieel maar noustrop trek—het dit oor die jare ’n reusagtige berg van ’n las geword. Daarom was die stemming tydens die raadsvergaderings van die afgelope jaar, wat ek as rektor ampshalwe moes bywoon, onvermydelik swaarmoedig. Toe iemand in so ’n situasie die vaandel van inisiatief omhoog hou, was dit vanselfsprekend dat die stemming meteens omgeswaai het. Wat my selfs nog dieper geraak het, was die teksboodskap wat die volgende oggend deurgegee is: “Goeiedag~ Baie dankie dat u gister tydens die raadsvergadering hierdie kosbare rol rakende die fondsinsameling vir die nuwe gebouheffing aan my toevertrou het ^^ Ek deel graag die plan wat ons biddend opgestel het om die nodige fondse in te samel. Eerstens wil ek gedurende Februarie saam met die direksielede in gebed voorberei en daagliks met elkeen in aanraking kom...
Ons beplan om die doel en plan van hierdie fondsinsameling aan alumni, dosente, personeel, direkteure en ondersteuners bekend te maak en aktief fondse in te samel. (res weggelaat)” Dit het my so geroer omdat dit nie net by woorde in ’n vergadering gebly het nie, maar dadelik in die daad omgesit is.
(’n Lieflike dag met sierlike wolke agter die Hoofgebou)
Drie dae later het iemand wat in Ulsan woon, en niks van hierdie vergadering geweet of gesien het nie, onverwags my vrou gebel. “Mevrou die dominee, gaan dit nog goed en gesond met u en ds. Jung? Ek het gehoor die skool beleef moeilike tye en ek wil baie graag ’n bydrae lewer; kan u asseblief vir my die bankbesonderhede stuur?” “Ag, liewe suster, hoe gaan dit met u gesondheid? U het self so min om van te lewe, hoe kan u dit oorweeg om ons te ondersteun...?” “U weet mos ek woon deesdae hier op die platteland. Aangesien ek maar min besittings het en bekommerd was oor my bydrae tot die kerkboufonds, het die Here vir my ’n nuwe werkie voorsien.” In haar jonger dae het hierdie suster hewige vervolging van haar man verduur bloot omdat sy in Jesus geglo het. Sy is nie net geslaan nie, maar herhaaldelik uit die huis gejaag. Nietemin het sy aangehou om vir hom te getuig totdat hy tot bekering gekom en selfs as diaken gedien het, voordat hy na my wete in ’n motorongeluk hemel toe is. Sy het voor haar vyftigste verjaardag reeds weduwee geword, maar het altyd met blydskap en dankbaarheid ’n tofu-fabriekie op die mark bedryf. Noudat sy dit gestaak het en op die platteland woon, mis sy steeds geen enkele kerkdiens nie, dien sy as wykleier om swakker gelowiges te versorg, en verkondig sy ywerig die Evangelie.
(’n Uitsig op die Hoofgebou vanuit die Nuwe Vleuel)
Noudat sy sewentig is, is sy aangemoedig om ’n versorger vir bejaardes te word. Sy het vir ’n maand en ’n half lank gereeld na ’n opleidingsentrum in Gyeongju gereis—’n goeie ent van waar sy woon—getrou geleer, die eksamen geslaag, en sien tans om na ’n 89-jarige oumatjie. Toe my vrou verbaas uitroep: “Marilyn, suster, dit is werklik wonderbaarlik! U is al oor die sewentig—hoe het u daardie eksamen aangedurf en geslaag, en hoe doen u sulke veeleisende versorgingswerk op u ouderdom?” het sy geantwoord: “Die dominee is ouer as ek en werk nog as rektor van die universiteit; waarom sou ek dan nie as versorger kon werk nie?”
“Mevrou het mos jare gelede vir my gesê: ‘Suster, as ek sien hoe u daardie tofu-fabriek met sulke blymoedigheid en dankbaarheid bedryf, is dit werklik ’n riem onder die hart. Geen werk is voor God gering of verhewe nie; enige taak wat die Here aan ons toevertrou, is heilig en kosbaar.’” My vrou kon glad nie onthou dat sy dit gesê het nie, maar die suster het dit gekoester. “‘Noudat die Here vir my hierdie werk as versorger gegee het, hoe kan ek dan nie dankbaar wees nie? Ek kan nou my deel vir die kerkboufonds bydra, en aangesien ek ’n bietjie oor het, het ek aan u en die dominee gedink en wou ek graag ’n klein bydrae stuur.’” Dat sy te midde van sulke strawwe fisieke arbeid aan ons universiteit wil dink en ’n offer wil bring—hoe diep dankbaar maak dit my nie! Op presies dieselfde dag het ’n ander afgetrede ouderling ook ’n kosbare skenking gestuur, wat my net opnuut laat bely: waarlik, die Here se wonderbaarlike werk het begin.