Rev. Min-Jung Park, D.Min., on the creation of a Korean affinity group

The Association of Korean Chaplains (AKC)

As the Korean community grows in America, many Korean chaplains believe that it is important to form a chaplaincy organization to connect Korean chaplains with each other, to further educate Korean chaplains on their roles in their respective communities, and to educate Koreans in the care of non-Koreans and, conversely, non-Koreans in the care of Koreans.

On December 21, 2006, eight Korean chaplains, four women and four men, gathered together at The HealthCare Chaplaincy (HCC) to create the Association of Korean Chaplains (AKC). There were sparks among us and our energy lit up the room with excitement. This was an historic moment in the professional lives of Korean chaplains.

The idea and encouragement to organize Korean chaplains came from Rabbi Bonita E. Taylor, Associate Director of CPE at The HealthCare Chaplaincy. Rev. Meigs Ross, who is the program’s Director, enthusiastically supported the idea. We thank The Chaplaincy for encouraging and hosting our first meeting.

To begin, the attendees* shared their experiences as multifaith chaplains in the Greater New York area, including at: St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Lenox Hill Hospital, NYU Hospitals Center, North Shore University Hospital, Winthrop-University Hospital, Bellevue Hospital, New York Hospital Queens, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center, and New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia campus.

Rev. Young-ki Eun was elected AKC’s first president. He defined its central purpose to connect Korean chaplains worldwide to bring better pastoral care to Koreans and non-Koreans in distress. He further dedicated the AKC to highlighting the importance of Korean culture in the United States. Among the methods used will be contributing essays to PlainViews, The Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling, and other professional journals.

We plan to educate Korean leaders both in the United States and in Korea of the importance of systematic study in pastoral care. We acknowledged the value of CPE and how it has further developed our pastoral care skills. Equally important, we have had opportunities to learn about colleagues from other cultures and religions – and they about us. We noted that CPE in Korea is not very active. Most seminaries in Korea do not emphasize pastoral care courses or CPE. The AKC plans to dialogue with Korean seminaries, churches and hospitals about the benefits of CPE. The AKC also plans to be a bridge between chaplains and CPE students in Korea and those in the United States.

To qualify as a member of AKC, a Korean individual must complete at least one unit of CPE. A student who does not meet this pre-requisite can join as an associate-member. There are membership fees to cover organizational expenses. We are also planning to open a bank account and to file with New York State as a non-profit organization. Meetings will be held quarterly in 2007.

A secular sage said, “To start something is the same as having it already half-way done.” Did not a Bible verse also encourage us, “Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be! (Job 8:7)”

If you are a Korean or a non-Korean Chaplain who serves a Korean population, please contact us through youngki.eun@utoronto.ca.

* Attendees were: Jongmi Bae, Jaeyoun Chang, Young-Ki Eun, Paul Y. Hong, Eun Joo Kim, Sungmin Lee, Min-Jung Park, and Seung-Jin Yun.

Do you have thoughts about advocacy you’d like to share with your colleagues? Send an e-mail to info@PlainViews.org.