Key points:
- The CRCC Madang program offers a retreat and a virtual training program to help Korean American pastors serving in different contexts.
- This year’s program has been updated, with fresh input and design ideas from alumni, who are also involved in leading the training.
- More than half of The United Methodist Church’s Korean American pastors serve in cross-racial/cross-cultural appointments.
Korean American pastors serving cross-racial/cultural appointments have an opportunity to strengthen their ministry through a program that starts in May.
The National Association of Korean American United Methodist Pastors Serving Cross-Racial/Cultural Appointments, chaired by the Rev. Heewon Kim, will host its annual CRCC Madang retreat May 5-9, followed by a virtual training program running from July 15 to Dec. 2.
CRCC Madang is a holistic learning experience to help pastors become transformative leaders in the denomination and beyond. The program provides practical training and continuing education from colleagues and experts to help pastors more effectively serve churches in cross-cultural appointments.
This year’s Madang program begins with a weeklong intensive spiritual formation, learning and reflective time in person, followed by six months of biweekly online classes. It covers diverse topics, including cross-cultural theology, conflict resolution, multicultural biblical interpretation, artificial intelligence in ministry, and anti-racism from an Asian American perspective.
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Founded in 2017 by the Rev. Grace Pak, a former president of the association, CRCC Madang emerged from a recognized need to support pastors navigating the complexities of cross-racial/cultural appointments.
“There were no learning opportunities, which were needed in the CRCC (cross-racial/cross-cultural) community, even though there were plenty of experts who had gifts and talents in ministry,” Pak recalled.
Seeing a need, she devised CRCC Madang, a program meant to cultivate a new generation of Korean American United Methodist pastors who serve cross-racial appointments. Partnering with the National Association of Korean American Women Clergy, she piloted the program in 2015, and it launched officially two years later.
The Rev. Paul H. Chang, executive director of the Korean Ministry Plan, said 570 Korean pastors were serving in cross-cultural appointments as of 2024. That’s more than half of the approximately 850 Korean American pastors in United Methodist churches and extension ministries.
Kim, the association’s current president, was one of the program’s first graduates, and he now serves three churches in the Northern Illinois Conference. He shared his experience.
“Madang was full of meaningful learning, with diverse subjects from various experts,” he said. “We were all beginners in ministry, and eager to learn and hear the experiences and ‘know-hows’ of ministry from our seniors. I loved their honest and candid sharing.”
The most significant lesson he gained from the program was from the Rev. HiRho Park, who was then on staff of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry.
Kim recalled her saying that an appointment could seem unfair, but the keys to overcoming an unfair appointment are “to equip yourself with your pastoral skills and abilities rather than complaining about it.”
“Her advice became a strong and realistic challenge for me,” he said.
The Rev. Jin Hur, a 2024 graduate, who is serving The United Methodist Church of Peace in Richfield, Minnesota, said Madang was a space for communication, care and encouragement.
“I learned at Madang how pastoral care can transform crisis into moments of gratitude and grace. The experience not only contributed to my pastoral growth but also to my personal spiritual development,” Hur said.
The Madang program has evolved and enhanced drastically. Alumni, not board members, will lead the retreat and sessions, with more practicality and updated ideas from the recent graduates.
The Rev. Miso Park, a 2021 graduate serving Bergen Highlands United Methodist Church in the Greater New Jersey Conference, is a member of the leadership team. She noted that graduates in the hosting area also plan and design the retreat.
“Most of my classmates have served a church between three to eight years in isolated rural areas, so there were not enough opportunities to meet and learn from experienced pastors,” Park said. “However, we had faculty members who were experienced and experts in cross-racial ministry from all over the country, who shared their experiences and taught us very practical matters of ministry.”
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The Rev. C.J. Woo is a 2022 graduate and pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Incarnation in Schaumburg, Illinois.
Woo said Madang taught him how to read the Bible with cross-cultural perspectives.
“I learned that the Bible contains cultural perspectives, especially cross-cultural ones, such as the Holy family’s escape to Egypt and Exodus,” he said. “My eyes were opened.”
Madang’s reputation is growing within the denomination. After a 2024 feature in United Methodist News, a district superintendent encouraged Korean American pastors to enroll.
The Rev. David Martinez, executive director of Contextual Leadership Development at the Board of Higher Education and Ministry, attended the 2022 retreat to adapt its model for Hispanic clergy, while Colorado’s Mountain Sky Conference plans to observe this year’s sessions.
The Rev. Sungho Lee, a longtime Madang board member, framed the program as a divine calling.
“God called us to bring new spiritual wind to The United Methodist Church and America,” he said. “CRCC Madang helps pastors work hard and diligently in their pastoral settings. It is a place to learn the ministry that we did not learn from seminaries. It is a place of training practically and solidly to enhance the pastoral skills and abilities of Korean pastors appointed to a cross-cultural church.”
Madang board chair Bishop Jeremiah Park described Madang as “a called community, a missional community, a learning community, a connectional community and a beloved community to answer to a church and community getting diverse.”
As the Rev. John Han, a 2024 graduate, shared, “Madang became a healing space after my mother’s passing. It’s where we lay down our burdens and reignite our hope for ministry.”
With a vision to graduate 150 leaders over a decade, CRCC Madang continues to nurture a generation of pastors poised to transform both church and society.
Kim is director of Korean and Asian news at United Methodist Communications. Contact him at 615-742-5470 or [email protected]. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.
