Jin S. Kim

Jin is the founding pastor of Church of All Nations, chartered as a PC(USA) congregation in 2004. Born in Korea in 1968, he came to the US with his family at age 7, and grew up in Columbia, SC & Atlanta, GA in multiethnic environments. He holds degrees from Georgia Tech, Princeton Seminary, and a DMin from Columbia Seminary. He serves on Minnesota Council of Churches' board, and formerly served as PCUSA delegate to the NCC, as US delegate to the 3rd Lausanne Congress, as Moderator/Council Chair of Presbytery of Twin Cities Area, and as President of Presbyterians For Renewal. He also serves as PCUSA National Field Staff to support English Ministries, coaching & advising pastors/seminarians, and as adjunct faculty at Dubuque Seminary. He preached at the PCUSA General Assembly in 2004 & 2008, and speaks widely at conferences, seminaries, presbyteries and churches, both in the US and abroad. Jin has a passion for the ministry of reconciliation and a vision for the visible unity of the global church. His household includes wife Soon Pac, Claire Nicea, 13, Austin Athanasius, 10, and Jin's parents. He is an avid golfer, enjoys volleyball, basketball, racquetball, table tennis & Monopoly, and will one day pick up ice fishing (?).

David Mwihia

David was born in Kenya in 1965. After serving parishes in Nairobi and Webuye as an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, he came to the US in 1996 for advanced studies. He holds degrees from St. Paul United College in Nairobi, ITC, Candler School of Theology/Emory in Atlanta, and United Seminary in Dayton, OH where he earned a Doctor of Missiology. In addition to his current duties at Church of All Nations, he just completed his PhD in Mission & World Religions at Luther Seminary, St. Paul! He supports various immigrant fellowships here in Minnesota and beyond. He is married to Elder Lucy Njeri Mungai (Luther Seminary, PhD 2011) and has two girls: Estherjoy Wanjiku, 19, and Tabitha Wamaitha, 10. His interests include tennis, volleyball, jogging, reading & cooking.

Marie Vah

I was born in Liberia in 1958. Our Liberian congregation merged with the French speaking West African ministry at Church of All Nations on Jan. 16, 2011. My household includes husband Joseph and daughter Vanessa, 14. More details to come.

Soon Pac Kim

Soon Pac was born in Montgomery, AL in 1970 and grew up in NC and Atlanta - a real Southern belle. She went to Emory University and received her MDiv at Princeton Seminary in 1997. She loves helping to raise the beautifully diverse children of Church of All Nations in faith, as well as working with the wonderful teachers and parents. Her interests include volleyball, softball, crafts, scrapbooking and gardening, but her greatest joy comes from making her home a warm and loving place for husband, children Claire and Austin, and parents-in-law. Soon Pac and Jin love living in the land of the Frozen Chosen/Chosun and welcome guests, near and far, to come and visit any time.

Dana Caraway

Born in 1980, Dana has the distinction of sharing the same birthday as Church of All Nations - Jan. 4! She graduated from Princeton Seminary in 2006 and is a candidate for pastoral ministry with Los Ranchos Presbytery. She studied for a semester in Korea while at Whitworth College, and spent a year in Ghana as a PCUSA Young Adult Volunteer. After learning as a padawan, er...intern, for three years, she now serves as Pastoral Assistant to our Senior Pastor. Dana is an amateur harpist, loves the outdoors and enjoys classical music, though she's growing to appreciate Led Zeppelin and the Bee Gees - she's finally becoming civilized! She's a great sport and helps out in any and every way around the church. Everybody loves Danish!

John Nelson

Born in 1980, John grew up on a farm near Blue Earth, MN. Raised Lutheran/ELCA, he attended Bethel University, and did his M.Div. at Bethel Seminary. He partners with Pastor Jin as the Coordinator of Internship Program in order to refine and advance our amazingly redemptive and transformative Internship ministry. Unlike Jesus and the typical Minnesotan, John cannot put hammer to nail, but he was an outstanding intern at CAN for two years and an excellent student at Luther Seminary where he is wrapping up his M.Th. He continues to reflect theologically on the practices of confession, testimony and communion in the diverse yet intimate congregation that makes CAN what it is. John is a candidate for pastoral ministry with the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area, and serves on our presbytery's Nominating Committee. His interests include reading, guitar, camping, traveling, football and basketball.

KC (Kyung Chun) Kye

KC was born in Korea in 1983, and was raised in the Bronx, then Ridgewood, NJ as a PK. He went to Wheaton College, and received his MDiv from Princeton Seminary in 2010. He is sociable, playful, yet contemplative. Recently, he learned to play racquetball, as winters are long here in MN. Compared to his preferred games of tennis and table tennis, racquetball proved to be highly 'unorthodox' in that there are no lines; rather, one must interact with the walls and work the angles in a completely enclosed space playing at a highly intense pace. This seemed an apt metaphor for how CAN functions and what the internship is like. KC is committed to developing genuine Christian character borne out of the crucible of suffering, perseverance and hope. Does that describe winter in Minnesota, or what?

Jae Cho

Jae was born in Seoul, Korea in 1978, and his family immigrated to Los Angeles in early 1980s. They attended Torrance First Korean Presbyterian Church. He's lived in Seattle, Palm Desert, Anchorage, and Seattle again. Jae went to U. of Washington, worked at a car rental agency for 3 yrs, and sensing a call to pastoral ministry served Baker Community Pres in their EM for 4 years, and First Pres in Bellingham as a seminary intern in his last year at Regent College (Seminary) in Vancouver. He wanted to learn more about discipleship before completing his PCUSA ordination requirements, and is grateful to be at CAN to learn what it means to be church in a multicultural/ethnic environment. Jae is a kind and compassionate person genuinely seeking to be Christ-like. Hobbies include being with family & friends, racquet sports, movies, and talking cars.

Hikari Nakane

Born in Tokyo, Japan in 1981, Hikari's family came to Chicago when she was 9. She became a Christian in high school and graduated from Bethel University, and received a Master of Arts at Fuller Seminary. She was a translator for 13 mission trips to Chihuahua, and is fluent in English, Japanese and Spanish. She has a passion for exploring the intersection of multicultural and missional theology, and is finding genuine community, healing and a renewed sense of a pastoral call at Church of All Nations. Hikari loves the CAN community and is always looking for ways to build it up. She also serves on our presbytery's Mission and Witness Committee. Even though she admits to being a "functional atheist," she is the envy of all the interns for at least being functional.

Laura Newby

Laura was born in 1982 and grew up in a very Swedish environment in Wisconsin. She graduated from Northwestern College and then spent a year teaching English in the Promised Land: Korea. She discovered Church of All Nations in the fall of 2006 and fell in love with the vision, ministry and people of CAN. Her desire is to work with the whole staff and assist in any way with the variety of ministry needs and opportunities that arise on a regular basis. As a founding resident of the "Girls House" she helps provide warm hospitality to the CAN community. Laura is thoughtful, loving and gentle, but she's also a black belt in Taekwondo and has a wicked-long reach!

Maggie Chandler

Born in 1983 and raised in Elbow Lake, MN, Maggie grew up kind of anxious and athletic. A graduate of Northwestern College, Maggie now is at Columbia Seminary in Atlanta in the MDiv program. She faithfully led our youth ministry as a Parish Resident Intern for 3 years, sharing her faith honestly and vulnerably. Maggie is the best breakdancer on staff by far! She also spent a year teaching English in Korea and is proud to have kimchee running through her veins. She totally fits in at Church of All Nations!

Hanna Kim

Hanna was born in Minnesota in 1986, and was raised in the Korean Presbyterian Church of MN, becoming a founding member of Church of All Nations. After graduating from the U of Minnesota she spent a year in Guatemala as a PCUSA Young Adult Volunteer, then spent the next year on our staff as Coordinator of Community Outreach. She has a passion for including all of God's diverse people in intimate Christian community. She is now a second year MDiv student at Columbia Seminary in Atlanta, continuing to share her boundless enthusiasm for the good news of Jesus. Hanna never forgets her roots at CAN; after all, in her own words: "I just LOVE this church; I love it!"

Cody Oaks

Cody was born in Brainerd, MN in 1981 and raised in the Twin Cities. He and his wife Melody began attending Church of All Nations in 2007 to find a Reformed congregation that truly sought to embody the sovereignty of God over all human cultures. Cody went to Augsburg College, then attended Princeton Seminary for a year, and after successfully completing a one-year internship at CAN, will now complete his studies at Luther Seminary. He is also under care of the Presbytery of Twin Cities Area. Cody is a self-proclaimed connoisseur of rock music and is an avid fan of professional baseball and hockey. As an unrepentant triumphalist, Cody tirelessly defends his love of all things Minnesota/Twin Cities to fellow congregants. We love him anyway.

Jermaine Ross

Born in 1978, Jermaine is a lifelong Texan who has come to embrace the call to discipleship. He graduated from Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, TX in 2000, became a high school English teacher, and then started seminary at Houston Graduate School of Theology in 2007, while continuing to teach. Since 2004 he served at Woodlands Christ’s Church as Praise Leader/Pianist and later as assistant to the pastor. Jermaine is super sharp, has a critical mind, and is musically gifted, but he's also relaxed, disarming and loves to share a good laugh. He came to CAN in 2009 to learn from "a leadership committed to relevant and intentional Christian discipleship and character formation in the context of real relationships, engaging the challenges of the church's fidelity to the gospel." In addition to teaching the Bible and leading a cell group at CAN, he continues his MDiv studies at United Seminary (UCC), just a half mile from CAN.