Key points:
- The Korean Ministry Plan of The United Methodist Church gathered Oct. 2-4 to refine its mission priorities for the next four years.
- The plan began as a funding body that distributed denominational grants but has evolved into a program body — adding leadership development, advocacy and mission.
- During the next four years, the plan will emphasize leadership formation, congregational development, next-generation ministries, justice-related work and global partnerships.
The Korean Ministry Plan of The United Methodist Church gathered Oct. 2-4 in Teaneck, New Jersey, to refine its mission priorities over the next four years: emphasizing church planting, leadership development, next-generation ministries, justice engagement and global partnerships.
Opening worship set the tone as California-Pacific Conference Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank preached from Jeremiah 29:11. She reminded worshippers that the beloved promise — “I know the plans I have for you … plans to give you hope and a future” — was first spoken to exiles living under oppression, not comfort.
God’s message, she said, was not a quick rescue but a call to “build homes, plant gardens, raise families and pray for the peace of Babylon.” Drawing parallels to today’s atmosphere of division and anxiety, Escobedo-Frank added, “God empowers people to live fully, care for one another and nurture hope — even when deliverance seems delayed.
“God’s plan may not be the one we would choose, but it is still a plan for good — a call to prosper, to love our neighbors and to live with hope even in the middle of our suffering.”
That theme of grounded hope framed the Korean Ministry Plan’s work, as participants celebrated progress in mission, reviewed ministry outcomes and prayed for the future of Korean United Methodism.
The Rev. Paul Hak-Soon Chang, executive director, traced the plan’s evolution at a plenary session.
“The Korean Ministry Plan began as a funding body that distributed denominational grants,” Chang said. “Over time, it has become a program body — adding leadership development, advocacy and mission.”
He emphasized the plan’s four core values: passionate spirituality, radical hospitality, small-group ministry and sacrificial stewardship — all of which, he said, “are helping Korean congregations become spiritually healthy and grow.”
Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, president of the Korean Ministry Plan Council and resident bishop of the East and West Ohio conferences, praised its growth and credibility.
“KMP has moved beyond being a simple pass-through for funds. It has become one of the most trusted ministries in our connection,” he said. “Korean United Methodists play an important role in world mission and in our denomination’s partnerships.”
Chang added that the plan has expanded into justice and global engagement.
“We are participating in immigration and racial-justice advocacy and in international mission projects,” he said. “Looking ahead, we will deepen collaboration with the Korean Methodist Church (KMC) and strengthen ministry with the Korean diaspora.”
The plan’s “glocal” strategy integrates Wesleyan tradition and Korean spirituality to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
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Between 2017 and 2024, the plan supported 16-20 new or revitalized Korean-language congregations, launched a $1 million matching fund for church planting and provided assistance to post-pandemic congregations. It also created a conflict-transformation task force, partnered with The Upper Room to launch the Korean Academy of Spiritual Formation and supported next-generation ministries through the Nexus network.
The Korean Ministry Plan’s advocacy has also extended to immigration reform, racial justice and peace on the Korean Peninsula, while mission partnerships have grown in Japan, Mongolia and Europe.
During the next quadrennium, the plan will emphasize leadership formation, congregational development, next-generation ministries, justice-related work and global partnerships.
Global partnerships will expand to autonomous Methodist bodies and central conferences, with particular attention to Korean diaspora networks in Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa.
“Post-disaffiliation, we are investing in transformational leadership marked by spirituality, healing and reconciliation,” Chang said. “We believe small groups, radical hospitality and sacrificial stewardship are not just cultural strengths; they are evangelistic strategies.”
A special goal is to plant 12 new Korean-speaking and five English-speaking congregations designed to become self-sustaining within three to five years. Participants at the Korean Ministry Plan annual gathering saw that vision taking shape as reports were presented on new church plants and their journeys toward sustainability.
Bonfire Korean United Methodist Church in Olathe, Kansas, launched in 2024 through the Great Plains Conference’s New Church Development initiative. Supported by funding for immigrant and minority ministries and sharing space with Olathe Grace Church, the congregation averages 15-20 in Sunday worship — many of them first-time churchgoers.
“One-on-one faith conversations and baptism preparation are central,” said the Rev. Chang-Hyun Kim.
A midweek community dinner called The Table — serving Korean traditional soup, gomtang — builds relationships and generates modest income. “We’re widening our circle and exploring sustainability,” Kim said, noting plans for a Thanksgiving neighborhood event called Table Plus.
Lordship Korean United Methodist Church in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, held its first worship service on July 6, led by the Rev. Byung H. Jung and his spouse, planting without a core team but with strong conference support. Meeting at Memorial United Methodist at 11 a.m. each Sunday, the church reaches families connected to the nearby SK manufacturing complex and local military communities.
“We’re seeing about 18-20 regular attenders,” Byung Jung said. “As visa issues ease, we expect growth and stronger ties with neighboring Korean churches.”
Unity in Christ United Methodist, near Cherry Hill, New Jersey, was born from a 2022 congregational disaffiliation. Members who remained affiliated with the denomination began worshipping together and received the Rev. Minho Cho as pastor in 2023. By September 2025, Unity in Christ had 63 adult members and two Sunday services.
Sharing space with St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church under a joint board, the congregation hosts spiritual-formation gatherings and leads the Y.E.S (Youth Engages Seniors) project, linking immigrant teens with isolated elders across three senior centers. Despite local challenges and a declining Korean population, the church is expanding toward Philadelphia, focusing on young families, lay leadership development and ministry with workers at the revived Philadelphia shipyard.
“We’re choosing neighbor-love and persistence,” Cho said.
For 2025–2028, the Korean Ministry Plan Council will include two bishops appointed by the Council of Bishops, the executive director and program associate, and representatives from the Korean Association of The United Methodist Church, clergywomen and cross-racial clergy networks, Nexus (next-gen), Korean United Methodist Women and lay leaders.
Throughout worship and work sessions, participants celebrated the 140th anniversary of the Methodist mission to Korea, evaluated ministry progress and prayed for emerging church starts in Philadelphia; Fort Lee, New Jersey; and Berkeley, California.
“Korean United Methodists bring gifts the whole church needs: deep prayer, radical hospitality, disciplined small groups and sacrificial generosity,” said Bishop Jung. “Those gifts, offered in partnership, build communities of hope.”
As they departed the gathering, the participants were reminded of the lyrics of the gospel ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock, which Bishop Escobedo-Frank had quoted during opening worship:
“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. Even in exile, God’s people can plant gardens, raise children, pray for their neighbors — and discover that hope multiplies.”
Kim is director of Korean and Asian news at United Methodist Communications. Contact him at 615-742-5470 or [email protected]. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.
