Affirming NAPAD identity during AAPI Month

My name is Baek Hee Kim.

I was born and raised in a Christian family in the Republic of Korea, and I came to the United States to pursue theological studies. I joined the Disciples of Christ while attending Brite Divinity School. The reason I embraced being a Disciple was because of the Open Table. At the Open Table, I felt welcomed and accepted for who I am. My given name is Baek Hee Kim; some of you may not know how to pronounce it. Yet, I found a willingness among many to learn and practice my name, affirming my heritage and traditions, welcoming me to the Table just as I am within the Disciples community. 

Every day, I renew my commitment to God’s work as a Disciple because I have witnessed many people in need being called by their true names and being invited to the Table just as they are. Did you know that there are more than 18 different ethnic and linguistic groups in the North American Pacific/Asian Disciples (NAPAD) community, including Burmese, Cambodian, Chin, Chinese, Chuukese, Filipino, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Karen, Korean, Laotian, Mongolian, Motagnard, Samoan, Tongan, Vietnamese, and Zo?

The history of the development of an organization can be viewed from many perspectives. One viewpoint is to highlight the people involved in forming a new entity. In 1992, there were only eight NAPAD churches, but after 30 years of work, there were more than 120 churches in 2022, consisting mostly of 18 different language groups, as I mentioned. NAPAD is a mission community with evangelical passion, radical inclusiveness, and a responsibility to the world. I invite you to renew your commitment to God’s work as you invite as many different names as you encounter to the Lord’s table. 

~ Baek Hee Kim, NAPAD Communications Coordinator 

This post also appeared in the May 2024 issue of New Church Ministry‘s newsletter, the New Church Know-It-All.