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A UMNS Commentary
By the Rev. Constance Y. Pak*

1:00 P.M. EST March 25, 2011

The Rev. Constance Y. Pak joins in choir practice at Lake Ronkonkoma United Methodist Church in Lake Grove, N.Y., where she serves as pastor.
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More than two weeks after the Northeastern Jurisdictional Clergywomen’s Consultation, my heart is still warm, my spirit still full of joy and my soul still dancing with salsa rhythm.

As part of the design team, I participated in the event from the first planning meeting to closing worship. However, it is more than the joy of accomplishment that makes me so content and happy.

This joy comes from knowing I belong to the beautiful mosaic faith community of The United Methodist Church. I’ve met wonderful, intelligent, gifted, “bold and bodacious” sisters in Christ, all with different backgrounds, with whom I could build friendships.

Throughout the event, our energy was “bubbling up, bursting out, breaking through….” I am relieved to learn I’m not alone in this faith journey. We all walk together in spite of our differences. Meeting other ethnic minority clergywomen greatly empowered me and strongly affirmed my call. I am proud to be a Korean-American clergywoman serving a cross-racial/cross-cultural congregation in The United Methodist Church.

I grew up a loyal, third-generation Presbyterian. In my second year at Princeton Theological Seminary, I courageously ventured beyond the church I knew well. With curiosity, I took courses in United Methodist history, doctrine, theology and polity. I especially liked the emphasis on sanctification and connectionalism. Finally, I decided to become a United Methodist.

The Rev. Constance Y. Pak
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The seminary president and the vice president were not thrilled. They said, “Constance, we think of you as a missionary to the Methodist Church.”

I answered, “Oh, no! I believe that I was predestined to be a Methodist!” I’ve never forgotten what I said, and I’m proud of being called by God to be a United Methodist pastor. Like Wesley, I believed that the world is my parish. I wanted to experience, embrace and create a genuinely inclusive global church.

The United Methodist Church opened its heart, mind and doors to welcome me.

Even though I am a bilingual and bicultural person, I was not particularly interested in serving Korean-American churches. I wanted to serve cross-racial/cross-cultural congregations. The United Methodist Church’s appointive system allows bishops to send pastors wherever their ministry is needed. No method is perfect, but I believe United Methodism has a more apostolic and progressive system to reach out to the world than do other denominations.

Since The United Methodist Church slowly and cautiously initiated cross-racial/cross-cultural appointments more than two decades ago, our congregations have become more diverse, inclusive, alive and growing, compared to other Protestant churches. More than 300 Korean-American pastors are serving cross-racial and cross-cultural appointments in the United States. Close to half of them are clergywomen. When we add the many other ethnic minority pastors who are serving cross-racial and cross-cultural churches, the number is much higher.

Our denomination has opened doors for ethnic minority pastors, but many local churches still resist them. Ethnic minority women pastors must put extra energy and effort into overcoming racism and sexism. However, I think of this positively. Wherever we go, we are history makers: the first non-Caucasian and often the first female pastor in a congregation’s history.

The Rev. Constance Y. Pak stands with confirmation class members at her church. A UMNS photo courtesy of Constance Y. Pak. View in Photo Gallery

Korean-American clergywomen face a double glass ceiling. While Korean-American churches have come a long way toward being open and inclusive, many still do not fully acknowledge clergywomen’s authority or welcome them as pastors. I appreciate the past efforts of Korean-American churches, but we need to go further. We need more help and more support to share the burden of that yoke.

I treat whatever struggles I experience as growing pains toward achieving the vision of the kingdom of God. It is not an easy journey. I have to put all my being into moving one rock at a time. It’s hard work. The love of God in my heart provides wisdom, patience, energy and passion and will melt the fear of change that results in racism and sexism. We need to move forward together as we face the difficulties and challenges. We’ve come this far, and we can’t give up.

One of my bold, bodacious and wild dreams for The United Methodist Church is that ALL pastors will have cross-racial/cross-cultural experiences to allow us to be a truly authentic, embracing, inclusive, diverse, evangelical, mission-oriented, growing global church. I foresee our faith community as a place where unity, peace and balance will exist harmoniously.

I keep this acronym in my heart: UNITY can happen when you (U) and (N) I (I) thank (T) Yahweh (Y). When we give thanks to God for creating us as we are, we can see each other with open hearts, minds and spirits, and love others as ourselves. I trust my fellow United Methodists to embrace my vision and walk the faith journey with me.

*Pak is pastor of Lake Ronkonkoma United Methodist Church in Lake Grove, N.Y.

News media contact: Jacob Lee, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5118 or newsdesk@umcom.org.