Rev. Dr. Sun-Joong Kim, Ordained Elder of the
Wisconsin Conference of the United Methodist Church
My Life and My Ministry
I was born and raised in a Christian family. My father is a retired ordained elder in the Korean Methodist Church. My parents gave me the name “Sun-Joong,” which means “a pure mediator” between people for the sake of God’s kingdom.
I was ordained in the Seoul Annual Conference at the age of 25 in 1989. I earned my B.Th. and Th.M. from Methodist Theological University in Seoul, Korea, my M.Div. and D.Min. from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and my Th.M. from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. I also completed two years of Clinical Pastoral Education residency at hospitals in Dallas and Fort Worth. My ministry experience includes serving local churches in both Korea and the United States, as well as chaplaincy in the Korean Air Force and in hospitals in the United States. Since 2013, I have been serving in Wisconsin, and my ordained elder membership was transferred to the Wisconsin Conference of The United Methodist Church. My education and ministry experience have prepared me for pastoral leadership.
Yet more than my formal training or years of service, it is the deeper experiences of life that have shaped my spirituality and pastoral identity. One of the deepest influences on my calling was the early loss of my mother. Her passing deepened my sense of vocation and taught me, from an early age, that ministry is often about helping carry the burdens of others. Over the years, life’s joys and hardships have further shaped my
faith and pastoral identity. Through those seasons, God has deepened my humility, compassion, and trust in grace. Those experiences have helped me become a pastor who seeks to listen carefully, walk gently with others, and serve with both conviction and tenderness.
I will serve Asbury United Methodist Church and Plymouth United Methodist Church by bringing together the strengths shaped by my family, education, ministry, spirituality, and life experience. My vision for the church is to help form a worshiping, witnessing, and sharing community of faith. To that end, I will focus on preaching the Gospel faithfully, teaching Scripture as the living Word of God, and offering pastoral care to those who are facing physical, emotional, or spiritual struggles.
Thank you for your warm welcome. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to begin this new chapter with you. I look forward to growing in faith together, serving Christ side by side, and sharing in the life and ministry of this church.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Pastor Sun-Joong Kim