Pastoral Reflection

The Dignity and Autonomy of the Immigrant Church

Rev. Chongho Kim 김정호 목사 There is a prayer I regularly offer for our children during our early morning prayer services: “Lord, help our children live with independence, initiative, creativity, and happiness.” I pray this because I have seen many people who, despite having great wealth, marrying someone of high social standing, or achieving worldly [...]

2026-10-25T11:22:17-04:00October 25th, 2026|

When Local Churches Thrive, the Denomination Thrives

Not long ago, a neighboring church that had been part of the same parish as our church experienced a conflict over a pastoral appointment. Eventually, the pastor who had served that congregation took early retirement and, just a few weeks ago, planted a new church. I sincerely hope that our annual conference leaders will seek [...]

2026-10-18T11:31:32-04:00October 18th, 2026|

Healing Rain Prayer Gathering

   We are beginning a healing prayer gathering. We are now in the final stages of planning the renovation of the second-floor space in our main building, which will become our Urban Prayer Retreat Center. Before creating a physical space for rest and healing, we want to become people of prayer ourselves and grow into [...]

2026-10-11T09:58:58-04:00October 11th, 2026|

A Church of Solidarity in an Age of Isolation They Could Not Do It

We have been richly blessed through our Fall Revival, “Grace Upon Grace,” which began last Friday. The four pastors who are preaching during this special revival—Rev. Kwang Nyun Kim, Rev. Byung Ku Song, Rev. Han Bae Lee, and Rev. Kwang Sup Lee—were all students at Methodist Theological Seminary, entering in 1979 and 1981, and lived [...]

2026-10-04T10:28:34-04:00October 4th, 2026|

“They Could Not Do It”

In yesterday’s early morning message, a father brought his demon-possessed son to the disciples, asking them to heal him. But they could not. What the father later said to Jesus has stayed with me: “They could not do it.” I wonder if this is what the world might be saying about the church today. Or [...]

2026-09-27T11:30:37-04:00September 27th, 2026|

Seeds of the Gospel: The Best Is Yet to Come

I have just returned from the groundbreaking ceremony for the Laos Peace Center. Whenever I think about traveling to Laos, I hesitate because getting there requires so much time and energy. Yet a good mission field always gives us something in return—something to learn, something that moves our hearts, and something that challenges us. From [...]

2026-09-20T10:22:54-04:00September 20th, 2026|

Speaking of Peace, Seeking One Soul

This week, I attended an international Christian peace conference at the Korea Press Center in Seoul under the theme, “Churches Working for Healing, Reconciliation, and Peace.” The conference addressed the church’s calling in places of conflict around the world, including Palestine and Ukraine, as well as the church’s role in working for peace on the [...]

2026-09-13T10:20:43-04:00September 13th, 2026|

A Small Drop in the River of Peace

Tonight, I am flying to Korea. From Wednesday through Saturday, I will be attending the 2026 International Ecumenical Peace Convocation, jointly hosted by the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches in Korea. To be honest, it is not easy for me to make this trip. I also felt that perhaps it [...]

2026-09-06T11:36:21-04:00September 6th, 2026|

When the Old Dream Dreams, the Church Revives

This weekend, I am leading revival services at Los Angeles Korean United Methodist Church, founded in 1904 as the first Korean church on the U.S. mainland. This is my third time leading revival services at this historic church. I was here about twenty-five years ago and again fifteen years ago. The history of this church [...]

2026-08-30T12:02:08-04:00August 30th, 2026|

The Sounds of New Life

I hear the joyful sounds of new life. A child in our Sunday school who usually played alone, closed off in his own little world, grabbed my arm during Vacation Bible School and said, “Pastor, I love you.” At our youth retreat, a question was asked , “What did you enjoy the most?” One student [...]

2026-08-23T11:30:22-04:00August 23rd, 2026|
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