What’s Next?
Earlier this year, I started a new position within the Southeastern California Conference that has implications for Korean Churches across the country. The position is part of the newly formed Korean American Ministry department within the conference. The goal of this new ministry is to ask and address the biggest issue facing the Korean church: what’s next?
This is a question that the Korean Church has been asking itself, for almost as long as its inception. While individuals and small groups may have attempted to answer the question, this ministry marks the first time that this question is being addressed on the Conference and Division level. There are 2 levels, or areas, that we will focus on.
The first is on a pastoral level. As it currently stands, there are approximately 144 Korean Adventist Churches in the North American Division, most of which have some form of an English Ministry. There are about 19 full time English Ministry Pastors who are active in ministry. The number of young students studying with the intent to become pastors is very low. As of this writing, there are only 3 Korean students who are studying theology. To compound this issue, the NAD estimates that within the next 3-5 years, about half of active pastors Division-wide will enter retirement age.
This paints a very bleak future for our churches. Not only do we have a shortage of pastors entering ministry, we are also on the precipice of nearly half of current pastors retiring within the next generation. We are quickly approaching a situation where there will be a severe shortage of pastors.
My goal is to address this issue from two approaches. The first is to create a stronger mentorship program between pastors. One of the issues facing pastors is a lack of mentorship, particularly for younger pastors. The number of churches that can support 2 English Ministry pastors is very small. As a result, most of our young pastors who enter ministry do so completely alone, without any guidance and mentorship. The mentorship program that we envision will have a training curriculum for our experienced pastors to prepare them with the responsibility of mentoring a younger pastor.
The second approach is to address the lack of pastors entering ministry. While most of our English Ministry pastors were born in America, there are a number of pastors who come from Korea by way of Sahmyook University and Andrew’s Seminary. These students, for the most part did not intend to enter ministry in America, that is to say they came to Andrew’s Seminary to study but with the intent of returning to Korea to continue their ministry. It is by God’s calling that they remained in America. Because there was no intent to remain in America, these pastors were not fully prepared for the stark difference from ministry in America compared to ministry in Korea. The biggest difference, of course, is language, but more challenging is the cultural differences. These pastors enter into a circumstance that makes ministry significantly more challenging, than it already is.
Recently, I traveled to Sahmyook University to meet with the President, faculty, and staff to present a new academic track that will equip and train students interested in doing ministry in America. This will be a two year curriculum that will cover the cultural differences in ministry, the history of the Korean Adventist church in America, the worship styles and regional/coastal differences, and all the nuances and details that comes with doing ministry in America.
The first year will be in the classroom and the second year will be a practical internship in America. This will provide practical experience for these students, and it will give local Conferences the ability to monitor and receive feedback from the churches for future employment opportunities.
The second approach to address this issue is through the lay leadership. No church, regardless of how many pastors they have, can exist without the help of lay leaders. Unfortunately, much like our pastors, our lay leaders are often isolated and are tasked with assisting with church tasks without training and support. We want to create a mentorship and training program for our lay leaders that will help network our leaders and provide practical training and resources. The pilot program, for the lay leader training program, will launch at West Coast Korean Camp Meeting starting in 2024.
My role is not only to create these programs, but to act as a liaison between our Korean churches and between the first generation and all subsequent generations. One of our secondary goals is to conduct extensive research on Korean churches in America and study how they maneuvered transition and multi-generational ministry. We believe that although our ministry context is different from other denominational churches, there is still valuable insight to be gained from our Christian neighbors.
I have also accepted the position of Asian Pacific Ministry Director at the North American Division. In this role, I help facilitate growth and communication between all Asian Pacific churches in the NAD. One of the main goals is to raise awareness of Asian Pacific Ministry, particularly in Conferences where the Asian Pacific population is small. I assist with the distribution of funding for ministry projects in the Asian Pacific ministries, and work with the International Ministry Director to help assist our churches from the NAD level.
Through these two roles I believe that we can gracefully and successfully build a bridge to the next generation of ministry in the Korean Church. There are a number of challenges ahead but with the continued help and prayer of our congregation and leaders, I believe that we can create a foundation for our churches to build the Kingdom of God, in whatever city and region your church is in.
Dr. Robin W. Park is a visionary leader with a passion for mentoring and equipping leaders. As the Asian Pacific Ministries Coordinator of the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists, he plays a vital role in fostering unity and growth within the community. Additionally, he serves as the Korean-American Mentorship Ministry Coordinator for the Southeastern California Conference, furthering his dedication to empowering leaders.
With over 30 years of pastoral experience, Dr. Park has made significant contributions to church planting and growth. He co-founded Empower Ministry, a platform that empowers lay leaders to thrive in their church roles. Through his work with the KAYAMM missionary program, he has actively promoted the expansion of Christian values and outreach.
Driven by his passion for mentoring, Dr. Park pursued a Doctor of Ministry degree and focused his studies on mentorship. Currently, he is leading a team to create a comprehensive Christian mentoring program, aiming to shape the future leaders of tomorrow.
Outside of his ministerial endeavors, Dr. Park's family plays a central role in his life. His wife, Eileen, is a dedicated nurse at Loma Linda School of Dentistry Surgery Center, while his son, Joshua, and younger daughter, Ariel, excel in their respective healthcare professions as a dentist and dermatologist. Together, they form a close-knit unit, sharing a commitment to compassion and positively impacting the lives of others in both their spiritual and healthcare journeys.