Finding Faith in the City

KangWon Kim used to think of New York City as only a sprawling place full of traffic, busy lives, and violence.

But the pastor of Happy Valley Christian Reformed Church in Pleasanton, Calif., took away different impressions after joining some 20 other Korean CRC ministry leaders for a recent visit to the city.

“After visiting New York City, I came to love the city itself. Also, the city reminded me of when Jesus told Paul [in a vision] that ‘there are a lot of my people in this city’ [Acts 18:10],” said Kim.

The trip for Korean pastors, many already members of or thinking about joining the CRC, was coordinated by Charles Kim, an ethnic leader and director of Korean Ministries for Christian Reformed Home Missions.

“The focus of this gathering was to explore what God is doing in the city. We took the opportunity to join Movement Day events (held Oct. 24-27 and sponsored by Redeemer Presbyterian Church), to which leaders from 95 different countries came together,” said Kim.

In addition, said Kim, “we had a forum on Urbanization and Christianity at City Seminary and spent time with the staff members. We visited an immigrant church located in the Bronx and learned about changes happening in the Bronx.

“Finally, we visited Archegos Capital, which is an investment firm located in New York, and listened to stories from a hedge fund manager about integrating his faith and work as an investor in the city.”

This was a time of immersion in which the visitors learned about ministry as they walked around New York and traveled by van, taxi, and subway, said Kim, “to witness the changes and to hear stories from those who are very engaged with city life and living out their faith.”

From experiencing the hustle and bustle of city life to meeting and talking with people working in various ministries, Kang Won Kim, the pastor from California, said he was able to see God at work in many ways in New York City.

“I was able to see that God has his great plan for this city and other cities in the world. While interacting with God's devoted pastors and leaders, I have realized the depth of God's love and hope for New York and other cities,” he said.

Kim was especially inspired by the visit to City Seminary, located in Harlem. Founded and directed by CRC minister Mark Gornik, the seminary teaches that the city, with its rich history and array of resources, is the classroom.

Its students are church leaders coming from many countries and circumstances. Many of them are bi-vocational pastors who live in the New York City area.

“I was amazed during my visit to City Seminary. There was an abundance of empowerment, love, respect, and devotion among Rev. Gornik, his staff, and the immigrant leaders,” said Kim.

“This gave me hope for the future immigrants from Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa.”

Gornik said he was grateful to host the Korean pastors and to offer a taste of city ministry. The pastors also had the chance to learn about the seminary’s Next Generation Project, an initiative looking at the challenges immigrant churches face in handing down the faith to young people.

In addition, the Korean pastors met for different activities that encouraged interaction, encouraging them to discuss their own work in immigrant communities and to gain ideas on how to enhance their ministries.

“We were able to give them an overview of issues in the city and an introduction into the faithful ministry of the global body of Christ in the city,” said Gornik.

For David Koll, the CRC’s Director of Candidacy, who also went along on the trip, the highlight was a display in the seminary art gallery featuring a project that focuses on the needs of forgotten people—refugees, immigrants, girls who have been trafficked for sex, and others.

“City Seminary and all that it is doing is a fascinating project,” said Koll. “The seminary is training leaders for the future by making clear that we need to address the needs of our cities and we need to do that in the right ways.”

Gornik said the Korean pastors talked to him of how impressed they were by the visit they made to the Damascus Church of Mount Eden in the Bronx.

“The pastor works as a social worker at the hospital across the street, and he came over to meet with us to talk about his ministry,” said Gornik.

Gornik said the pastor discussed how his work at the hospital is an extension of his ministry.

Overall, the time they spent with the Korean pastors, Gornik added, “was a way to affirm and encourage them. They also serve in multiple cultures and contexts, where there are different languages and needs.”