Her name was Rev. Dr. So Jung Kim. She was what every faithful committee needs: an agitator. This is high praise. She was an agitator, like a washing machine that shakes things up to clean off dirt; she shook us loose from stale theologies and patterns. Her name was Rev. Dr. So Jung Kim.
As Presbyterians, we are each other’s people, as imperfect as that may be sometimes. We do not forget each other. We remember.
We met while serving together on the General Assembly Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations, as we acronym-enamored Presbyterians call it, GACEIR. I was a member of that committee; she was staff support. I am now ending eight years of service on GACEIR. Serving on this committee has marked many seasons in my life, from a grueling doctoral program to my return to the joyful challenge of small-church solo pastoring.
I will let you in on a groundbreaking secret: committees are actually just people.
The people on GACEIR were my harbor. There was Barry, from whom I always requested a sermon for the upcoming Sunday. He did work for the Theology and Worship office; surely, he could supply me with a passable sermon! He never made good on the deal but always valued me as a scholar and a pastor. There were dance parties with Sabrina, mint juleps with Scott, and laughter with Joanna. Dianna brought GA mandates, and Noushin kept the fire for justice burning. Cheni brought cheekiness to a fatigued committee, and Danny shared his musical talent on the purloined keyboard we used for worship. Amariah brought Spirit-fueled energy. Kit brought a smile and a story. Rick brought antiracist wisdom. Anne saw my potential to serve on GACEIR before I saw it in myself, fighting for younger voices in ecumenical and interfaith movements. Amantha showed me how to lead that committee when I was called to do so. Philip kept our global partners at the forefront, and Laurie was our steady encourager. There are many others over those years of service. Each of them left ripples in the water of my life that will continue to radiate outward.
But her name was Rev. Dr. So Jung Kim. She died on January 3, 2024, at home in Korea, of cancer. Her death came as a shock to many of us. So Jung served as the associate for theology in the Office of Theology and Worship at the Presbyterian Mission Agency. She described herself as an underdog there. But she made her own way as a holy agitator for God. She championed Everyday God-Talk, a project coloring outside the lines of traditional theology. So Jung and I were part of a panel at the 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago. We shared about the Denouncing Antisemitism and Islamophobia Study Document that was approved by the 225th General Assembly. We laughed (and drooled) over delicious food at the Sikh Langar meals and reveled in the diversity of a global interfaith family.
Her passion for ecumenism and interfaith relationships was undeniable (as was a selfie, taken with the relish of a celebrity sighting whenever she saw you). She wore her heart for all people, especially the overlooked or silenced, on her sleeve. She loved the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), even when it seemed the institution did not love her back as fully. There was never a national PC(USA) moment to mark her passing, as it came soon after she and many colleagues lost their jobs due to a restructuring. This added to the heartbreak of her loss for many of us who loved her.
Her name was Rev. Dr. So Jung Kim. She was a holy agitator, eager encourager of everyday God-talk, of theology outside the lines. Remember her name. Remember that committees, whether in local congregations, presbyteries or at the General Assembly level, are just people. Mortal, fallible, beautiful people. People seeking not to be alone or forgotten. People in whom the image of God dwells. People doing the exhausting – and sometimes by God’s grace, surprising – work of discerning the way together. As Presbyterians, we are each other’s people, as imperfect as that may be sometimes. We do not forget each other. We remember.
Her name was Rev. Dr. So Jung Kim. May her memory be a blessing.
