At the General Conference Session in St. Louis, Abigail Koo, director and co-founder of the Emmanuel Missionary Choir, leads a group of children mostly from the Living Word Fellowship Church in Berrien Springs, Michigan. [Photo by Katie Fellows]
Debbie Michel
July 17, 2025“I had rehearsal right up until three days before I gave birth,” she said without much fanfare.
Koo is the director and co-founder of the Emmanuel Missionary Choir, a group made up of children ages five to 19, mostly from the Living Word Fellowship Church in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Since 2022, the choir has grown from 18 to 47 members, representing 16 nationalities including Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Romania, Peru, Russia, Israel, Pakistan, Venezuela, Mexico, Taiwan, Samoa and the United States. But more than numbers or cultural diversity, their name defines them: Emmanuel: God with us. Missionary: their purpose.
A Calling That Aligned
When Koo saw the General Conference’s call for music applications, the theme “I Will Go” struck a chord. “It just fit right in with our mission,” she recalled. “Our mission is to train the young people to go forward with the gospel, with their songs.” They submitted a recording of “Here I Am, Lord,” a piece based on Isaiah 6:8.
After months of silence, an email arrived last fall: they were invited to sing at the session. The children wound up presenting four songs: one on Friday morning, a medley of two songs on Sabbath morning during the offering, and one during the Sabbath afternoon mission spotlight.
“It was our prayer that the World Church would see that this calling is for all of us, young and old,” Koo said. “And seeing the young children answer to it would be encouraging to everyone around the world.”
Sacrifice and Structure
Preparation required more than musical precision. It demanded time, patience and faith. Fundraising included food sales and car washes. Even the children got involved. "They worked hard for hours under the hot sun to wash cars in order to raise money for new uniforms," said the choir’s manager Rebekah Cho.
Meanwhile, Koo navigated new motherhood. During her short maternity leave, colleagues including professors and professional musicians from Andrews University stepped in to run masterclasses.
That sense of spiritual purpose shaped the children’s approach to the event. “The children know that it’s not about us,” Koo said. “We call it presentations. We sing in front of other people, but we’re not doing this as a show.”
Unshaken by the Stage
Thirteen-year-old Elizabeth Cho was a ball of emotion the morning of their first appearance. “We were all nervous, but excited to perform in front of all those people,” she said of singing before the crowd of 40,000 in America’s Center. “A lot of people would hear and see and remember us.”
Still, she held on to Koo’s instructions. “Miss Abigail was telling us we’re not performing for anyone out there but for God—to do our best and have fun for God.”
The bright lights and massive screens made that challenging. “It was hard to not look up at the big screens to see our faces and not giggle,” Elizabeth admitted.
Ten-year-old Evie Caro also remembered the intensity of the 6:30 a.m. call time but recognized the sleep sacrifice was well worth the effort. “I like having the thought we might be helping a lot of people who might be in the audience,” she said.
Roots and Remembrance
Some choir members have been singing with Koo for years. Loissy Marley, a recent high school graduate who joined in her sophomore year, was one of the original members. In fact, she joined because her younger sister Ellsy was in the choir but came to appreciate it because of how the experience shaped her in more ways than one. “Choir has taught me how to make friends and understand different people—especially from singing at elderly homes,” said Loissy. “There are different ways to share God’s word. We can do it through music.”
For Loissy, the experience was also bittersweet. Ellsy passed away in Nov. 2023 at age seven, and Loissy was reminded how much her sister would’ve loved the General Conference experience. In the meantime, the lyrics she sings mean more than ever. “The songs give me hope about the Second Coming. I keep the lyrics in my heart and always remember them.”
Looking Ahead
For Koo, a trained musician who lived in Cambodia for five years and worked with internally displaced people in Myanmar and refugees in Thailand, the GC session was not a peak. “This is really the beginning,” she said by telephone a few days after returning from St. Louis. “I want to take the children to the rural places in the mission field, where there are marginalized people.”
“We have visions of our children being the voices of the children who are underprivileged,” she added. “We are extremely privileged in the United States. We can be the voices for the children that don’t have what we have.”
As the choir continues to grow in number and reach, Koo remains clear about the mission. “It’s really about the children singing for Jesus and for them to know that all the faculties that God has given us is for his glory, for evangelism.”
Watch the choir sing “A Jubilant Song” during the Sabbath GC program
Watch our interview with a member of the choir shortly after the choir’s Friday performance [15:18]
Watch this highlight video from their experience getting ready for St. Louis
Debbie Michel is editor of the Lake Union Herald.
