Rev. Young Ook Kim, who died July 16 at the age of 87, joined the Christian Reformed Church in 1987 and dedicated himself to laying the foundation of the denomination’s Korean Council (now Korean Ministry Association).
Kim graduated from Chongshin Theological University in Seoul, Korea, and went on to earn post-graduate degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary and Reformed Theological Seminary. He pursued Ph.D. studies at Covenant Theological Seminary and Concordia Seminary. Ordained in 1972, he served as pastor at Garden Grove Korean Presbyterian Church beginning in 1975 and pastored Garden Grove Korean CRC in Anaheim, Calif., from 1988 to 2001.
His broader ministry included serving as the international secretary for Mission Aviation Fellowship from 1982 to 1988, and he founded and served the Korean Mission Aviation Fellowship in the U.S. Later, he served two terms as president of Asia United Theological University (ACTS) in Seoul, Korea, from 2011 to 2019.
At ACTS, Kim dedicated himself to mentoring theological students and was deeply committed to mission work in North Korea through humanitarian aid, visiting the region three times. In 2012, he authored the book North Korea Mission from the Evangelical Point of View.
Kim attended Han Sarang Church (pastored by Sung Joo Kang in Garden Grove, Calif.) until recently, and he later attended Classis Ko-Am as a retired member.
He is survived by his wife, Ok Hee Kim, and their son, Andrew Heisung Kim.
About the Author
Jonathan Kim is a CRC pastor of Ye-Eun Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, California. He writes news for The Banner and lives in North Hills, California.