Lawrenceville, Georgia, July 23, 2014 – The Committee on Mission to the World (CMTW) is pleased to announce the nomination today of Dr. Lloyd Kim of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to serve as the next coordinator of Mission to the World (MTW), pending election by the 2015 General Assembly. Dr. Kim has served as a missionary with MTW since 2004 in the Philippines and then in Cambodia, and is currently MTW’s international director of Asia-Pacific.
Mark Bates, chair of CMTW and senior pastor of Village Seven Presbyterian Church said, “Dr. Kim is a proven missionary leader. He displays a rare blend of godliness, humility, academic rigor, and leadership acumen. Not only is Dr. Kim thoroughly committed to the Reformed faith, but he also understands the challenges of taking the gospel to other cultures.”
Under Dr. Kim’s leadership the MTW Asia-Pacific ministries, particularly Cambodia where he served as team leader, have grown into vibrant church-planting networks that are working to make disciples, plant churches and transform communities. About his missions experience, Kim commented, “I have seen the hand of God working mightily throughout Asia and the Pacific. I believe this experience will help me inspire the next generation of missionaries as well as serve those who are currently on the field.”
“I can’t think of anyone who can better lead Mission to the World than Lloyd Kim,” said outgoing coordinator Dr. Paul Kooistra. “He has successfully led one of our largest mission teams in a very difficult country, and has seen remarkable progress in church planting. As a missionary himself, I believe that he is going to understand the needs of MTW’s missionaries as well as be able to relate in a very special way to our many, many national partners.” Dr. Kooistra has led MTW for 20 years and in that time the mission has grown from serving 36 countries to 88, with 738 missionaries and 1027 national partners.
“I can’t think of anyone who can better lead Mission to the World than Lloyd Kim,” said outgoing coordinator Dr. Paul Kooistra.
Dr. Kim, an ordained PCA pastor, received an M.Div. from Westminster Seminary California and a Ph.D. from Fuller Theological Seminary. He served as associate pastor with New Life Mission Church (PCA) in Fullerton, Calif., before joining MTW.
In 2004 Dr. Kim and his wife, Eda, a medical doctor, were sent by MTW to Manila, Philippines. He later worked as country director of a Southeast Asian nation in which he helped facilitate the planting of several churches, while also serving as field director for the Southeast Asia Partnership. In addition, Dr. Kim taught and provided teaching resources for several theological institutions as the director of theological education for Asia-Pacific.
In 2007, the Kims moved to Cambodia to initiate a new church-planting work, which has grown to a team of 20 with five sites and four church plants. Dr. Eda Kim works part-time as a physician at a Christian clinic in Phnom Penh, which treats those connected to their church-planting work. She also mentors medical students and home schools.
As he looks to his future with MTW, Dr. Kim will build on the foundation already laid, but recognizes the challenges of the changing landscape of missions today. He stated, “Mission to the World needs to respond to these changes in a thoughtful manner, asking what part we need to play in what God is doing across the globe. My role will be to help navigate the organization through these changes, in cooperation with our national partners and the broader missions community. I hope to build on the good foundation that has been laid by [current coordinator] Dr. Paul Kooistra in cultivating a culture of grace among our staff, missionaries, and partners.”
As MTW welcomes Dr. Kim we look back on our years with Dr. Kooistra with gratitude. Dr. Kooistra brought to MTW a vital emphasis on the grace of God, and through his teachings, writings, and “Living in Grace” workshop he has profoundly influenced MTW’s culture and ministry. We are thankful for his faithful service, and pray God’s blessing on his new role as president of Erskine College and Theological Seminary in Due West, S.C.
If elected, Dr. Kim will be the fourth person to serve as coordinator for MTW. Established in 1973 by the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), MTW seeks to be a worldwide missional community and, through our love for the gospel of grace, we collaborate in transformative church-planting and renewal movements.
This story is reprinted with permission.