“The church is always one generation away from extinction” (author unknown). The truth of this statement has laid heavily on the hearts and minds of Korean-American church leaders for several generations. Though the church has historically existed as the dominant institution for first generation Korean-Americans, it has become an organization that subsequent generations have abandoned en mass, particularly in recent decades. While first generation Korean-American churches multiplied from seventy-five churches in 1970 to about 2,800 in 1997, with estimates of seventy percent of first generation Korean-Americans affiliated with churches, scholars estimate that as much as ninety percent of college and post-college Korean-Americans are not part of the church. This generational rejection of their parents’ churches has been called the “silent exodus,” an appropriate term that describes both the dramatic numbers of people leaving the church and how this movement has been largely unnoticed by first generation leaders.

In 1982, first generation church leaders took notice of this departure and responded by inviting ten trans-generation Korean-American seminarians to discuss the future of Korean-American ministry with first generation pastors. They gathered in Los Angeles at the annual conference for the National Association of Korean-American United Methodist Churches (NAKAUMC) on May 11-13, 1982. Gathered from seminaries across the country, this conference was the first meeting of its kind for trans-generation Korean-American church leaders.

In many ways, this first meeting fulfilled the hopes of the first generation leaders. On one hand, it provided an opportunity for inter-generational dialogue regarding the issues facing the Korean-American church. It also provided a forum for trans-generation Korean-Americans to discuss among themselves their common vision and ministry experiences with first and second generation Korean-Americans.

On the other hand, this first meeting went beyond these initial expectations. For many of the seminarians, this was the first time they could openly share their experiences as Korean-Americans and church leaders. During their late night discussions along the pool at the Olympia Hotel, the group realized that this was a special meeting. They were among peers who understood their passion for ministry. They were in the company of others who shared their struggles with a duo identity as Koreans and Americans. The others knew the complicated dynamic that characterized their relationships with first generation church leaders. This first gathering proved to be an emotionally supportive and spiritually renewing environment for the participants.

“We were all very confused and unsure of why we were there, but we were excited at sharing a common struggle” (Rev. Hea Sun Kim).

With the support of first generation church leaders and the United Methodist Church, the group continued to meet and grow.

Growth is rarely an easy and painless process. This certainly was the case for the early members of TG. It was not long before the seminarians realized that, in spite of their commonalities, they had many differences with one another—theologically, politically, and with regards to the future direction of the group. Some people argued that the group needed to focus on the practical aspects of ministry to the second generation. Others made the case that the group needed to focus on the larger social and political issues facing Korean-Americans. These early debates set the stage for what would, at times, be tumultuous years in which differences, misunderstandings, and mistakes led to schisms in the relationships which first generation leaders and even within the TG membership.

Still, the group continued to develop. In 1984, they started the TG Summer Internship Program—a program that placed college students and seminarians in Korean churches under the supervision of first generation pastors. Designed to recruit and train future church pastors, this program succeeded in providing valuable early experiences for many present pastors—including the writer of this essay. The group began to print publications such as “Transgeneration Ministry: A Report of the Transgeneration Ministry of the Korean-American United Methodist Churches” (1984), “TG News” (1985), and “TG Journal” (1986). In 1985, the group became a formal organization. They adopted the name “Transgeneration Ministry of the Korean-American United Methodists” and established an institutional structure, including an executive committee to serve as the key leadership for the organization.