I arranged an interview with Missionary Sarah Barry, who came to Korea at the age of 25 and established UBF. Then I read articles on UBF. As I came to know more about UBF and Sarah Barry, I really looked forward to the interview. Her life was like a drama. She was born into a rich family in the USA and graduated university. After that, she gave up everything and came as a missionary to Korea that was desolated due to the Korean War. The UBF (University Bible Fellowship) that she founded grew to become the No. 1 missionary sending organization in Korea after many ups and downs. To meet her, I visited on the 16th of April 2008, the UBF HQs on Chongno 5th Street. I arrived earlier and was waiting for her. Soon missionary Sarah Barry, who had brown eyes and white hair, came in with the smile of a girl, saying “Please to meet you!”. Before the interview, she said, “I am a boring person.” Looking at her kind and warm smile, I didn’t believe what she said. However, she gave answers those like from the textbook. There was no decoration in her answers—her life was like an example.

Christian Today: "It’s been a while since you visited Korea."

Sarah Barry: "Yes, I came in a hurry. Because Pastor Moses Kim (Kwan-Ok), who studied the Bible with me, passed away. I attended his funeral service and visited DamYang, his hometown. I also visited KwangJu where UBF started in and met few ministers."

Toilets were pretty and I even took pictures… “Korea grew a lot through God’s blessing”

< Missionary Sarah Barry. She said Korea is her spiritual hometown.

Christian Today: "Korea changed a lot?"

Sarah Barry: "Yes indeed. When I came first, all houses in Kwangju were thatched but now there are none like that. The roads were full of pebbles but now they are all paved well. What most interesting as the toilets at the service station on the motorway. It was very beautiful—with pretty flowers…it was so pretty that I even took pictures. There is no such a pretty toilet in the USA."

As she talked about the toilet, she asked me if I have seen a thatched house or conventional toilets. I told her I saw them only in the museum. Then she said, "Didn’t I tell you…God so blessed Korea that she developed a lot." 

Christian Today: "When you first came to Korea, I suppose there weren’t many foreigners. You must be famous."

Sarah Barry: "At first I lived in a small town in Kwangju. There was no foreigner. If I went out to the town, little children followed me a lot. Some of them even made a hole on the door to see me."

Christian Today: "Weren’t you embarrassed or annoyed?"

Sarah Barry: "No. It was interesting. I liked small Korean towns. I enjoyed seeing how they lived. I also saw the wedding ceremony, the funeral, how they made pottery, and how they made paper. I didn’t know much about Korea so everything was interesting as I wanted to learn Korean customs." Missionary Sarah Barry answered to any questions in Korean without any delay.

Christian Today: "Your Korean is great. How long did you study?"

Sarah Barry: "No. I can’t speak well. My tongue gets twisted. When I first came to Korea, I was recommended by American Southern Presbyterian Church to study Korean for two years. I studied only Korean from 8 in the morning till 5 in the afternoon for two years. Reciting and memorizing…I also learned in the church nursery."

"When Korea was poor, university students liked learning…"

Christian Today: "The students in the past and now—aren’t they much different?"

Sarah Barry: "Yes indeed. The time was right after the war and the students fought for democracy and the life was tough. They had no hope and didn’t know what to do. They liked learning to get a vision. Now students are rich. There are lots of things to enjoy and they can travel anywhere."

< In the early years of UBF, with Dr. Samuel Lee.

Christian Today: "UBF sent out more than 1,500 missionaries. It’s no. 1 in the country in terms of numbers. What do you think about this great fruit?"

She then stopped talking for few seconds and cooled down and said quietly. "I didn’t do much."

Sarah Barry: "What I did was to teach the Bible and English. I can’t see any connection between the fruit and what I did. It happened when the late Missionary Samuel Lee (UBF co-founder) or the initial members like Pastor John Jun (Present Head of World UBF) prayed and sacrificed."

Christian Today: "Didn’t you teach the initial members? You are very humble."

Sarah Barry: "I did teach but I didn’t do alone. We taught together." Pastor Samuel Lee (Present Head of Korean UBF), who sat beside her, felt sorry for her when her sacrifice didn’t appear properly, so he added, "Missionary Sarah Barry is the ancestor of faith and the spiritual mother to UBF members. She is an example and a master." Missionary Sarah Barry waved her hand saying, "Thank you. I’m embarrassed. Thank you." even before he finished speaking.

Christian Today: "How many world UBF members do you remember?"

Sarah Barry: "I visited UBF chapters throughout the world when I was the Head of World UBF from 2002 to 2006. I know all those I met during that time. However, I don’t know well recent UBF leaders."

Christian Today: "You stayed in America from 1977… What kind of ministry did you do?"

Sarah Barry: "I taught the Bible as I did in Korea. I spent most of the time teaching the Bible."

"I want to teach the Bible in Yeonbyun and North Korea !"

Christian Today: "You did not marry."

Sarah Barry: "I couldn’t find a proper person, and also I was too busy to think about it. However, if I can find a good person even now, I can marry, though it may be little bit late." Those who were there with Missionary Sarah laughed aloud. Then the atmosphere became friendlier.

Christian Today: "You are 77 this year. What do you want to do for the rest of your life?"

Sarah Barry: "I want to go to Yeonbyun, China and teach English and the Bible. There are many Koreans. I want to go to North Korea too, but I don’t know when the door will be opened."

Christian Today: "Your life-long ministry looks totally focused around Koreans. What made you love Korea so much?"

Sarah Barry: "I don’t know. Perhaps I received lots of love when I came here at my young age. Maybe God made me love Koreans."

Christian Today: "Have you ever regretted?"

Sarah Barry: "No."

Christian Today: "Any difficulties?"

To recall the moment, she thought for a while and said, "When UBF tried to pioneer other places outside Kwangju, we were blocked because of political reasons and it was difficult." When was the happiest moment? It was when people accepted Jesus. Then she said again and laughed, "Didn’t I tell you in the beginning, I am a boring person"

Sarah Barry: "I’m responsible for NAE withdrawal…I hope UBF to be an organization used by God"

Christian Today: "What happened with NAE(The National Association of Evangelicals)"

Sarah Barry: "It happened because of me (UBF joined NAE in 1995 and was withdrawn in 2003). One member who left UBF wrote a slandering letter to NAE. So they rang me to see if it’s true. However I said nothing—because I didn’t want to say evil words. But when I didn’t explain, they thought it strange and withdrew UBF from the membership. It’s all my responsibility. Recently NAE president was changed and he contacted me to say sorry. This year the membership was officially restored to UBF."

Christian Today: "If you define your life yourself?"

Sarah Barry: "When Jesus came into this world, he lived with people. I made an effort to live with those I tried to convert. It is to make an effort to live like Jesus."

Christian Today: "What kind of organization do you want UBF to be?"

Sarah Barry: "I hope it can be a fellowship that can be used by God. I hope it to disappear if it becomes a fellowship that God cannot use."

Christian Today: "Do you have any plan to write an autobiography?"

Sarah Barry: "Not yet. I don’t know what to write. I am not sure if I will have time. My life is simple. So it may be boring."

But if it’s a story about a person with more than 50 years campus mission, it will be a great guide to those who have a vision for campus students, I said. Then she said, ‘Thanks!’ smiling.

After the interview, she asked me if I am a Christian and if I have a calling from God. If I said, "I am not a Christian" She was ready to teach the Bible there then. When I saw the back of a missionary who sacrificed her whole life for Korean mission, I came to think it was really beautiful and I couldn’t but thank her as a Korean who received the benefit of the gospel.

Missionary Sarah Barry

She was a missionary from American Southern Presbyterian Church and a co-founder of the UBF. She came to Korea in 1955 at the age of 25 and founded UBF with late Missionary Samuel Lee in 1961. The UBF movement started from Kwangju and expanded to Daejun and Seoul and many churches were established in the main cities throughout Korea. UBF sent out 1,500 missionaries to 87 countries. She returned to America in 1977 and established the UBF World Mission headquarters in Chicago and she was the head of World UBF from 2002 to 2006. At present, she teaches the Bible to campus students and to UBF leaders in the HQs.