Can you imagine visiting a dentist under a tree? Or being baptized in a hospital? Through the years, the Adventist hospital in Seoul, South Korea, has done everything possible to reach the Korean people. Occasionally this meant pulling teeth outdoors. Then about 50 years ago, the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering overflow helped expand the hospital so that it could care for more people.

This special offering promotes specific projects around the world that grow the church in tangible ways. These projects change lives, sometimes by supporting institutions that provide educational opportunities, medical services, evangelistic training, and more.

One such institution was the Seoul Sanitarium and Hospital, which opened in the 1930s under the leadership of Dr. George Rue.

By 1967, South Korea had endured both World War II and the Korean War, and yet the Adventist hospital still stood. The former division president wrote, “The present buildings have withstood the ravages of time and two wars. An entirely new plant is needed, and the amount to be realized from the overflow will be but a part of the full amount required.”

Land was sold to raise additional money, and donations poured in from church members and workers. The next year “plans were under way” for the new hospital.

The long-awaited day finally came. At the official ground-breaking ceremony in 1969, the details of the new hospital were shared: “Utilizing the most up-to-date hospital design, this 160-bed general hospital will be the most modern and efficient in Korea, yet will be neither the largest nor most expensive.”

The hospital officially changed its name from Seoul Sanitarium and Hospital to Seoul Adventist Hospital, so that the name would point to the Advent message.

Ministering to patients, the hospital staff aimed to share the Gospel. One patient was so impressed by what she learned that she pleaded to be baptized before she died—to make do, the hospital’s physical therapy tank served as the baptistery.

Ministry remained the focus, and the hospital bolstered evangelism and educational initiatives in the country.

Medical clinics were offered in small villages where young people wanted to attend church, and the clinics helped win over their parents as well. More than 100 people were baptized as a result.

One conference president described a 10-hour dental and medical clinic he observed:

“Dr. Robert Allen…saw 150 patients resulting in 130 extractions plus fillings, scalings and numerous consultations. Dr. Vernon Butler and Dr. Chun encountered everything from leprosy to tuberculosis as they treated 473 patients during the hours of the clinic.…For 75 percent of the people this was their first contact with the Seventh-day Adventist Church.”

The construction continued and an important building contract was signed. In addition to the 13th Sabbath Offering, the necessary resources came from more land sales, accumulated operating funds, and fundraising efforts.

The hospital expansion opened in July 1976. The day was a joyous one—this tremendous project was finally completed after eight years. S. D. Kim described the highlights of the 160-bed facility:

“The new hospital has central air conditioning and heating. Piped-in oxygen and vacuum to every patient room, a speaker system throughout the building, and many other features make it one of the finest medical centers in Seoul.”

The Seoul Adventist Hospital has expanded and grown even more since then, adding services and increasing its patient capacity. It continues to be a beacon of health and healing in South Korea and cares for thousands of patients each year. The Thirteenth Sabbath Offering contributed to this first major building project, which captured the attention and hearts of Adventists around the world.

Thank you for supporting Thirteenth Sabbath Offering projects, both in the past and today. You have made a difference in the lives of many of God’s children.

Special thanks to:

Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research

National Archives and Records Administration