A Brief Biography of the Missionary (with Resume)

I was born in July 1967 in a small farming village on the outskirts of Jeonju, South Korea, the son of a poor farmer. Although I grew up in poverty, by God’s grace and the abilities He gave me, I was able to excel in my studies. Eventually, I was admitted to Seoul National University, the most prestigious and competitive university in South Korea. Yet my life during the college years was a very difficult journey. I received no support from my parents, and private tutoring, a possible source of income, was forbidden by the government. I had no money to buy books, to pay for transportation, or even to eat. I simply survived through the college years.

 

But through readings and discussions, I came to see the injustices of society. I realized they were connected to the division of Korea, the corrupt politico-economic system of the country, and the military dictatorship that had ruled for decades. From my first semester in college, I joined the democracy movement and continued for eight years. I had been arrested, imprisoned, and occasionally threatened with death during those years. My spirit didn’t give up, and those years laid a precious foundation for my life. I learned the value of people and the love for people. I personalized the value of living with conscience for the sake of justice. I saw my courage to stand for justice even when there was a threat to my life. These lessons shaped my character and personality as well as conviction.

 

When South Korea began democracy in the early 1990s, I got a job in a company for a few years. I studied Korean law for three years to be a lawyer. The plan didn’t work out. After a couple of years, I started my own manufacturing business with almost nothing. It was in this hardship that I encountered God. He tested me with considerable success, only for me to find that worldly success made me forget Him and turned me into a different person from who I had been when I was poor. By God’s awakening, I rejected the seemingly rosy path. On the contrary, I made a decision: to live as a servant of God who had given me grace through my entire life. To prepare, I sold everything I had in Korea and came to the United States to study theology in late 2006.

 

In America, I completed a Master of Ministry course at Freed-Hardeman University from the spring of 2007 to the spring of 2010. Through the course, I built my foundation in the Word of God. I studied the entire Bible in depth, some parts even word by word. Everything was by God’s grace. I transferred to Harding School of Theology and completed my Master of Divinity from the fall of 2010 to the spring of 2013. In that program I focused on biblical languages, Greek and Hebrew. The biblical foundation I built at Freed-Hardeman was made even stronger through this training. All of this was by God’s grace, as He provided through the churches: Martin, Oxford, New York Korean, and Calvary Hill Church of Christ.

 

After completing my theological education, by God’s grace I was given a full-time preaching opportunity at the Jackson Grove Church of Christ. For one year I preached in English and received valuable training in ministry. This church was located in rural Mississippi, and the members embraced my family as if we were their own children and grandchildren. For us, it was a time of great comfort, encouragement, and strength.

 

In December 2013, I was invited by the Chestnut Drive Church of Christ, but my religious visa took more than two years to be approved. During that waiting time, I earned a Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) from August 2014 to May 2016. This program was also by God’s grace, for I truly needed it, and it strengthened my preparation for ministry one more step.

 

First, I learned how to understand and overcome culture shock, which I had suffered myself and which many I would serve in the Korean ministry also experienced. Second, I studied linguistic approaches to biblical interpretation, which deepened my understanding of Scripture. Third, I learned effective methods for teaching English to non-native speakers. Because of this degree, I am now able to conduct English classes. I am also grateful to Calvary Hill and Chestnut Drive Church of Christ. They provided for my needs while I was preaching part-time at Calvary Hill and doing the course work at Ole Miss.

 

In July 2016, I began Korean outreach ministry at Chestnut Drive Church of Christ, serving until December 2018. From January 2019 until January 2024, I worked with Buford Church of Christ as the Korean minister. During those eight years, my main ministries were English classes, English Bible classes, and visiting Koreans. Through them I preached the gospel and taught the Word of God to many Koreans in North Atlanta. Yet, the Korean congregation did not grow.

 

I believe that my studies, experiences, and training through the colleges and the Church in the United States were God’s providential preparation for the mission work in Korea. Oftentimes over the past nineteen years, when my efforts in reaching out to Koreans did not seem to bear much fruit, I cried out to God asking why He had called me to the United States without granting visible success. Even the elders who oversaw the Korean ministry might have wondered why God allowed them to invest resources when results were not successful. Yet now I am convinced that God’s ultimate calling on me has always been the gospel work in Korea. My study and ministry in the United States were not failures, but God’s preparation for the mission ahead.

 

All of these experiences—from my poverty and the social movement where I learned justice and love, to the decision to give up business for God, and to the academic and ministerial training through the Church in the United States—form one clear theme. God has been shaping my life to love people, to save souls, and to build up the kingdom of God. My mission in Korea will also stand firmly on this foundation, guided by His grace.

 

Minku_Chang_Resume.pdf