March 2024 Newsletter
SWPA Synod MLK Event - April 7, 2024
Join us on Sunday, April 7, 2024 at House of Prayer Lutheran Church (2100 W Irwin St, Aliquippa) for The Legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Fires of Freedom and Cloud of Witnesses.
Dr. King’s is perhaps the most recognizable name coming out of the Civil Rights Movement, yet there were countless others working faithfully in the struggle for freedom and justice. This year’s event will highlight some of the stories of the people, especially women, who kindled and tended the fires of freedom, often from behind the scenes. This “cloud of witnesses” includes biblical women who proclaimed life in the face of death; historic people who used their voices, hands, and feet to call for freedom; and local voices from Aliquippa and the greater Pittsburgh region who continue to strive for God’s vision of the beloved community.
Schedule for Sunday, April 7
2pm - Pre-Event in Aliquippa at Uncommon Grounds
4pm - Panel Discussion "Civil Rights Leaders of Yesterday and Today"
Breakout space for children and youth
5:30pm - Free dinner from the Little Free Food Truck
6:30pm - Worship with Holy Communion, with the Rev. CeCee Mills preaching and Bishop Kurt Kusserow presiding
Pre-Event at Uncommon Grounds
Before heading to House of Prayer, join us at Uncommon Grounds Cafe in Aliquippa at 2pm. Evangelist Andrenna Williams, Director of Aliquippa Center of Ministry, will speak about Uncommon Grounds' ministry in the community, the history of the racial struggles in Aliquippa, and share some of her own personal stories. This is a great opportunity to learn about and experience the organization receiving this year's offering.
Uncommon Grounds Cafe is located at 380 Franklin Avenue, Aliquippa, PA 15001, about a five-minute drive to House of Prayer.
Registration is suggested but not required. Email Amy Kelly to register at akelly001@luthersem.edu.
Event at House of Prayer
A livestream will be available for both the panel discussion at 4pm and the worship service at 6:30pm. Look for the link on the synod webpage.
Panel Discussion: "Civil Rights Leaders of Yesterday and Today" - Join a discussion about the history of the civil rights movement in Western Pennsylvania, and hear from current leaders in civic engagement for the well-being of all. What lessons can we take from the past as we journey together? What stories of resilience and hope can inspire us for the work ahead?
A breakout session for youth will take place during the panel discussion, led by Pastor Chris Rotella and the staff of Abiding Missions.
Childcare for children age 0-5 is available during this event. Please pre-register for childcare here.
Why April for an MLK event?
While the majority of commemorations of Dr. King's legacy happen in January, as the official national holiday is tied to his birthday, we have developed a tradition of commemoration tied to the date of his assassination, selecting the Sunday closest to April 4 each year. In the spirit of the martyrs of the early church, this practice centers the sacrificial love King not only preached in his words, but ultimately showed with his life. We hope to counter all forces of death and injustice with our hope rooted in resurrection and new life.
Share with your congregation and networks!
A flyer, bulletin insert, and social media graphics are available for download (more options here) - please share information about this event in your congregation's communications over the next few weeks!
Interview with Pastor Jin Kyung Ko
by Pastor Ryan Pusch
Pastor Jin Kyung Ko, who goes by “Pastor Jin” recently sat down with me at Convive Coffee on the northside of Pittsburgh. He was recently called to serve as the pastor for two churches in the West End of Pittsburgh: St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church and Crafton United Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), which is his second call after being ordained in 2021. He shared with me a picture of his life and calling to ministry, which has led him around the world. Pastor Jin is 43 years old, and his native homeland is South Korea, which is where he spent most of his childhood. He is a member of the Association of Asian and Pacific Islanders, which is one of the ELCA’s Ethnic Specific and Multicultural Ministries. Jin’s father is a retired Presbyterian Pastor and both his mother and father served as missionaries to the Philippines for 20 years. Jin moved to the Philippines with his family for his senior year of high school, then returned to South Korea for his 2 years of mandatory military service. He served in the engineering wing of the military, and as a chaplain, then returned to the Philippines to attended college and study psychology.
When I asked him about his sense of call to ministry, he shared with me a stirring picture of his faith. When he was 4 years old, his grandmother, with whom he was close, passed away. At the age of 5, he remembers visiting a special worship center in the mountains of South Korea called “House of Prayer”. When he was there, he had an experience of the Holy Spirit that took the form of a vision of his grandmother ascending a ladder to heaven and being welcomed by Jesus. Ever since that time, he has felt called to be a pastor. Many years later, when Jin moved to the United States in 2010, he began his seminary education at the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) in Atlanta, GA, earning his Master of Divinity degree in 2014.
This was a time of many firsts: he began to learn how to speak English fluently, having already studied reading and writing it for years while he was growing up in South Korea. He was exposed to the Lutheran faith and became a member at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Peachtree Corner, GA. Here he was mentored by two retired Lutheran pastors who were members of that congregation: James Christ and Delores (Dee) Donnelly. They continued to be supportive of him throughout seminary and his search for a call. At the ITC, he began to study through the Lutheran Theological Center in Atlanta and also learned about Black Theology through the MLK Peace Office. He studied the Lutheran confessions with Dr. Mark Ellingsen, and discovered a much more graceful and loving portrait of God that he hadn’t yet experienced growing up in the more conservative Korean Presbyterian church. He was entranced into the ELCA candidacy process in 2011. This is also where he met his wife, HyoJoo Hyun, who goes by Ellen to simplify the pronunciation of her name for English speakers. They were married in 2013.
In becoming a candidate for ordination to the ministry of word and sacrament in the Lutheran church, there were obstacles that Jin had to think creatively to overcome. For instance, traditionally, students need to spend a “Lutheran Year” at an ELCA seminary. Since this wasn’t an option for Jin, he applied through the churchwide office to take Lutheran classes at Columbia Theological Seminary (CTS) through a program called the “Atlanta Lutheran Formation Experiment” or ALFE, of which Jin was one of the pilot students. For his internship year, he served at Rock of Ages Lutheran Church in Stone Mountain, GA from 2015-2016, and had a positive experience leading worship and participating in the other clothing and refugee ministries of the church.
Unfortunately, as a first generation Immigrant from South Korea, Jin has faced additional challenges to becoming a pastor, especially finding the right fit for his first call. Though he was approved for ordination in 2016, he wasn’t called to a church and ordained until 2021. Neither Jin nor his wife Ellen have spent that time idle, however, but both of them earned multiple master's degrees while studying at the ITC and at CTS over the years that they were searching for the right fit. Ellen has 2 master’s degrees, including a Master of Arts in Practical Theology (MAPT) with a focus on pastoral care. Right after completing her degree, she served as a residency chaplain at Emory, and she is seeking to become a chaplain here in PA once she is approved to work in the United States. Jin received his MAPT in 2016 with a focus on Christian Education, which he is already putting to good use at his new churches in Crafton by leading multiple bible studies. He also received a Master of Arts in Theological Studies in 2021 with a focus on the New Testament.
In 2021, Jin was called to serve at Epiphany Lutheran in Suwanee, GA as an associate pastor and ordained to the ministry of word and sacrament. Unfortunately, though this was a term call originally meant to last 5 years, his time was cut short due to the struggling finances of the church. He said it was a hard year coming out of Covid and the church was not ready to fully accept and embrace folks from different cultural and racial backgrounds. This was even though the church had called Jin to lead the outreach to the surrounding community, which had a large Asian population. After his first year of learning, Jin started an ESL class which brought dozens of new folks into the church from the surrounding community. Unfortunately, the church leadership failed to support building these new relationships with its neighbors and Jin had to start looking for a new call. We commiserated together about the too common experience of churches using the common phrase “all are welcome”, but not putting in the effort to live those words out to their fullest realization.
After the challenges of his first call, Jin is elated to be here in PA, serving two congregations in Crafton and learning how to adapt to the role of solo pastor for not just one but two churches. He appreciates having more authority but acknowledges that the added responsibility means he has many meetings to attend, so he’s quite busy. Thankfully, he is feeling very welcomed and respected as a pastor and a person at St. Matthew's and Crafton United Presbyterian churches. The first 5 months have moved quickly, and he's been getting a lot of support from his church members, as well as a special team of supporters from both congregations and a coach named Chienyu Jade Yi, who is a fellow first-generation immigrant pastor serving a white congregation in Seattle. Jin is excited to bring the churches together for picnics, joint worship, and joint events, to witness how the Holy Spirit is working in this place.
White Lutherans Organize for Racial Justice
This article came from the EDLARJ e-newsletter, sent by Michael Wilker.
White Lutherans from across the US gathered in Minneapolis March 1-3, to organize for racial justice in the church and society with leaders in the Global Majority. This group is one of six ethnic-specific associations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the whitest denomination in the US, according to the Pew Research Center.
To clarify the organization’s purpose the Assembly dropped “European Descent” and renamed itself the ELCA Association of White Lutherans for Racial Justice.
The Assembly elected Desta Goehner, an ELCA leader from Southern California, as its new president. Goehner said, “We want to be clear about our name and our work. In accountable relationships with the ethnic associations and the ELCA director for racial justice, Jen De Leon, we will focus on dismantling white supremacy in ourselves, reducing the harm of racism in our ministries and congregations, and working toward the liberation of all people. We will follow and support these leaders of the Global Majority in the work they have already been doing.”
The heart of the Assembly was a pilgrimage to the George Floyd Global Square, a living memorial for individuals and organizations to unite, remember, and resist racial injustice with victims and their families. Angela Harrelson, George Floyd’s aunt, and five other community leaders from the George Floyd Global Memorial shared with the assembly about how racial violence affects their families and neighborhoods.
Jenny Leenay, a community leader, fashion designer, and organizer of the People’s Closet, told the Lutherans, “We already have a Savior. We don’t need other saviors. We need resources and opportunities. We need people who want to make a friend, to know our names. People who want to have a conversation.”
After the pilgrimage, the Assembly gathered at Say Their Names Cemetery, which commemorates the lives and deaths of over 100 Black and Brown people killed by police brutality and other violence, including George Floyd who was murdered on May 25, 2020.
From the cemetery, the Brass Solidarity Band led the Assembly in a procession past the place where George Floyd was killed to Calvary Lutheran Church. They sang African American spirituals “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me,” “We Shall Not Be Moved,” and “Not Going to Let Nobody Turn Me Around.”
Outgoing president Shari Seifert said, “We are so grateful to George Floyd Global Memorial and the community members, Linda Taylor, Marquise Bowie, Jenny Leenay, Kia Bible, Georgio Wright, and Angela Harrelson who shared their stories, encouraged us to act in our communities, and guided us through a pilgrimage through George Floyd Square.”
Read the full recap of this event here, or at Living Lutheran.
Upcoming Book Study
Using “A Call to Allyship” as the backdrop, we gather to prepare ourselves and our congregations to follow BIPOC Leadership in this four-part anti-racism workshop.
We are thrilled that this series will be facilitated by Rev. Dr. Jia Starr Brown who serves as our Anti-racism Accountability Consultant. Visit www.JiaStarrBrown.com to learn more about Jia.) Board member Kinna Nordstrom Kemp will serve as host.
The cost for participating in this 4 part series is $40. 50% of proceeds will go to Rev. Dr. Jia Starr Brown and 50% will go to continuing the work of White Lutherans for Racial Justice. Register here.
Justice for All: Race, Class, and Economic Justice
Join the Western PA Conference of the United Methodist Church on Saturday, April 6 from 8am - 4pm at Dultilh UMC (Cranberry Twp) for the "Justice for All" event. Event details and registration may be found here.
Sisters Celebrating Diversity
Sisters Celebrating Diversity is a local group whose mission is to promote healing and unity in the body of Christ by providing training, education, and opportunities for fellowship as we embrace and celebrate racial, ethnic and cultural diversity. Their events are open to all; registration information can be found here.
Our Neighbors at Light of Life: Saturday, March 23, 10am-12:30pm at Light of Life Rescue Mission (234 Voeghtly St, Pittsburgh) - Join SCD for an interactive program with Rev. Lloyd Massie debunking the myths of homelessness in Pittsburgh. The event will include praise and worship, a guided tour, and a continental breakfast.
Our Neighbor’s Experience with “Everyday Racism”: Thursday, April 25, 6:15-8:30pm at MACS Museum Lab (6 Allegheny Square, Pittsburgh) - Join SCD to hear stories from Dr. Beverly Harris-Schenz, author of Living While Black: My Experience with "Everyday Racism" and Mary Martin: Black Government-Girl from Hillsboro.
LAMPa Lutheran Day in the Capitol
Join LAMPa and advocates from across the Commonwealth in Harrisburg on Thursday, May 9 for Lutheran Day in the Capitol and Gala Celebration of Advocates. Participants will also be celebrating the 45th anniversary of LAMPa and 50th anniversary of ELCA World Hunger. Registration is available here.