Who are we? Why are we here? Through my classes at Central, I work to help Christians rediscover the identity and role of the church and encourage them to participate in the mission of God in their everyday life where they are sent to. It is very thrilling that I can participate in God's mission in that way. I joined Central seminary in 2013 and am serving as an assistant professor of missional church studies. When I think of working at Central over the past years, I can picture people from various racial and cultural backgrounds gathering together and participating in God’s mission. Also, from my experiences with Central, words like “tolerance,” “encouragement,” “prayer and concern for social justice,” “innovative,” “global,” “celebration,” and “cooperation” come to mind. I think that the people, culture, and atmosphere we have built together are great gifts and strengths of Central.

I was born and raised in Seoul, S. Korea in the faith of my maternal grandmother and mother. After training and ministry as a short-term missionary in the Philippines, I graduated college and began the MDiv program in S. Korea. When I completed MDiv and worked as a young adult pastor, I came to the U.S. in 2004, and completed Th.M in missiology at Calvin Seminary and got my Ph.D in Intercultural Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (a dissertation of “Missional engagement with contemporary Korean culture: a case study”). I live with my wife (Katie), my loving friend and support, and two lovely kids (Michelle and Joshua). We have lived in Overland Park, KS since 2015.