by Paul Kim

The month of May is designated as Asian Heritage Month. But in Korea, May is designated as the Family Month where we honor our parents on Parent’s Day and celebrate our children in Children’s Day. And it is my honor to share the wondrous works God has been doing with our Family in Christ.

Our church, the Korean Anglican Church in Maryland, is a Bible-based church that values traditional teachings. Having the two words, “Korean” and “Anglican” used together may not sound so natural to many in America, but the word “Anglican” is also not a commonly known word in Korea. In Korea, the Anglican Church is not a well-known denomination, and for those that have heard of the denomination, it is often perceived as a liberal denomination. However, many Korean Anglicans actually hold onto the traditional teaching of the Bible. When we share our faith in salvation, eternal life, resurrection, and God’s miraculous works to our Korean immigrant community, many people overcome the negative perceptions and are inspired to think anew.

God has provided our church with both miracles and guidance. We have witnessed miraculous healings, including a recovery from late-stage cancer and waking up from a coma after a month of prayer. Though a small congregation, the Lord has provided for us financially for the past 20 years. Just like God provided for the Israelites in the desert, the same God had supplied all our needs. In fact, He provided beyond our needs! He has enabled us to support Christian charities such as the Barnabas Aid and ARDF.

Over the past three years, the structure of our church has changed drastically. Many of our founding members and leaders have either passed away, left, or could not attend the church due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, we have seen God using a new platform to reach a wider audience. Although the number of people participating in the in-person service at the Church of the Resurrection is around 10 congregants per week, we have another 15 people participating in the online service and 150-350 listening to our sermons weekly, including individuals from other states and South Korea. We also hold 4 services throughout the week through Zoom, including morning prayer services at 6 a.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, Bible Study at 8 p.m. on Thursdays, and Worship Night at 8:30 p.m. on Fridays. Through these prayers, we have seen the anointing of God’s presence and the growing bond and fellowship among the church members.  

As Anglicans who primarily serve Korean-speaking individuals, we believe that it is important to offer services in Korean. While some Korean churches in the U.S. have shifted their focus to English-language ministries, we have found that there are also many young parents who prefer to teach their children in Korean due to the growing influence of Korean entertainment in the world. Moreover, many young people prefer to worship and praise in Korean, as their native language. As such, we believe that our Sunday schools and other programs should continue to grow.

Our hopeful vision for the future is to focus on evangelizing the younger generation. We believe that young church leaders who are fluent in Korean and English are needed to lead this effort. This requires a multi-generational effort, with the older members of our church supporting the younger generation and praying for their growth. We are confident that God will lead and grow our church in amazing ways.

The work for God, however, cannot be done without prayers, and we would like to ask our brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for the Korean Anglican Church in Maryland. Specifically, we ask that the Korean Anglican Church will faithfully and humbly serve God and serve the community He entrusted to us to serve with Biblical truth and guidance. We believe that God will achieve His plan for our church in His own time.

Finally, we would like to thank Rev. Patrick Cunningham for his companionship and encouragement in our faith, Rev. David Drake for his support, Mr. and Mrs. Bosley for their love, and the Church of the Resurrection for their help. We are also grateful for the love and prayers of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic.

The Rev. Paul Kim is the Rector of Korean Anglican Church in Lutherville, Maryland.