Editor’s Note: This is the first installment of our “Asian American Leadership” series.
This post nor the series is not meant to be an exhaustive overview of every notable Asian American leader. But our goal is simply to bring awareness to how God continues to use Asian Americans to do his kingdom work. We welcome additional input for subsequent installments in this series.
In addition, the people on this list may or may not align with SOLA Network’s statement of faith. But we believe in the unity of the gospel, and we pray for these leaders to continue to work in faith through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Often known as the model minorities, Asian Americans are welcomed in the evangelical world for being quiet followers and workers. When they do lead, they have often led Asian American enclaves in which they are the majority.
The last decade has seen a dramatic shift, however, at least in American Christian circles. Not only have Asian Americans become more visible within the evangelical community, but they have begun to assume top leadership roles in major evangelical organizations and movements. Here are five leaders who have taken the reigns of their respective evangelical organization within the last 10 years.
Julius Kim – President, the Gospel Coalition
On January 20, 2020, The Gospel Coalition announced the appointment of Dr. Julius Kim as the next president of The Gospel Coalition. The question of who would succeed Dr. Don Carson in the influential office had finally been answered by the unanimous vote of the Council. Kim will transition fully into his role on July 1, 2020, while assuming the title of president on February 1.
The Gospel Coalition is a group of evangelical churches in the Reformed tradition that helps people navigate their Christian lives in a secular world. Its website provides resources such as articles and theological courses for people to share, and the group also hosts conferences and events to help build up Christians and train Christian leaders.
Dr. Kim currently serves as the dean of students and professor of practical theology at Westminster Seminary California and is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America, Kim also serves as an associate pastor at New Life Presbyterian Church in Escondido, California.
Kim has written several books and articles, including Preaching the Whole Counsel of God: Design and Deliver Gospel-Centered Sermons.
Tom Lin – President, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA
Tom Lin was commissioned as the eighth president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA on August 10, 2016, and he is the first full president to be chosen from InterVarsity staff.
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA is undoubtedly one of the most influential evangelical student organizations in the United States, with 1,507 campus staff members in 1,121 chapters on 772 campuses in the United States.
Tom also has served as a trustee and vice-chair of the board of Wycliffe Bible Translators, and has also served on the boards of Missio Nexus and Leadership & Legacy Foundation. He currently serves on the boards of Fuller Theological Seminary, the Crowell Trust, and the Lausanne Movement.
Tom is the author of Pursuing God’s Call and Losing Face, Finding Grace, as well as co-editor of the Urbana Onward book series, and a contributor to Still Evangelical, all published by InterVarsity Press.
He has a B.A. in Economics from Harvard University and holds an M.A. in Global Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary.
Michael Oh – Global Executive Director/CEO, Lausanne Movement
Michael Oh first joined the Lausanne Board of Directors in 2007 as its youngest member and became the Global Executive Director/CEO in March of 2013.
The Lausanne Movement is a global mission movement that connects churches and Christians to spread the gospel throughout the world. The group began in 1974 when evangelist Billy Graham helped organize the First International Congress on World Evangelism. At this meeting, participants from more than 150 countries committed to supported global evangelism, a mission that continues to this day.
Michael is a second-generation Korean American who received B.A., M.S., and Ph. D at the University of Pennsylvania. He also completed an M.Div at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School as well as an M.A. in Regional Studies, East Asia, at Harvard University. Oh and his family were missionaries in Japan and founded the Christ Bible Institute (CBI).
Joel Kim – President, Westminster Seminary California
In May 2017, Rev. Joel Kim was appointed as the fourth president of Westminster Seminary California, where he had taught New Testament since 2005. He previously taught at Calvin Theological Seminary, International Theological Seminary in Los Angeles, and in a number of countries in Asia.
Westminster Seminary California is a Reformed and Presbyterian graduate school and seminary in Escondido, California, 25 miles north of San Diego.
Rev. Kim is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America and has served as a pastor in several churches in Michigan and Southern California since his graduation from WSC in 1997. As the son of a Christian Reformed Church pastor, he was catechized with the Three Forms of Unity from childhood. Born in South Korea, his family moved to Southern California when he was nine years old, where he would learn English and retain his fluency in speaking the Korean language. He has served the global church — particularly in Asia — and has been active in the presbyteries and agencies of the PCA.
Among his publications, he co-edited Always Reformed: Essays in Honor of W. Robert Godfrey. His Ph.D. studies in Historical Theology were with the noted scholar Professor Richard A. Muller at Calvin Theological Seminary.
Walter Kim – President, National Association of Evangelicals
Walter Kim was elected to the office of president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) in October 2019 to assume the position in January 2020. Founded in 1942, the NAE “seeks to honor God by connecting and representing evangelical Christians in the United States. It represents more than 45,000 local churches from 40 different denominations and serves a constituency of millions.”
Kim also serves as pastor for leadership at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, Virginia. Previously, he ministered for 15 years at Boston’s historic Park Street Church. Kim received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, his M.Div. from Regent College in Vancouver, and his B.A. from Northwestern University. He regularly speaks at college campuses, churches, retreats, and symposia, particularly in the areas of biblical theology and cultural issues.