LEADERSHIP

Jin S. Kim is founding pastor of Church of All Nations (2004) and founder of Underground Seminary (2014). In 1975 his family emigrated from Seoul, Korea when he was 7 years old. He grew up in South Carolina and Georgia, went to Georgia Tech, Princeton Seminary, and has a Doctor of Ministry from Columbia Seminary. He has loved serving the local church as a full-time pastor and innovator continuously since 1993. Jin is passionate about justice, mentoring the next generation of disciples, building massive new decks, and decolonizing the church in favor of village renewal. He & Soon Pac have two grown children they're very proud of.

Dana was born in Missouri in 1980 and grew up in Southern California. She graduated from Princeton Seminary in 2006 and came to CAN as a pastoral intern that fall. She was ordained as a minister by the Presbytery of Twin Cities Area in 2017. She studied in Korea for a semester while at Whitworth College, and spent a year in Ghana as a PCUSA Young Adult Volunteer. Dana loves the outdoors, roller skating, and helps shape the liturgical life of the church. In her day job she's a hospital chaplain, but sees her true calling as serving the faithful at CAN.

John G grew up in St. Louis Park, MN and came to CAN in 2008. After graduating from Underground Seminary's 2nd cohort in 2018, he apprenticed with a master carpenter for three years. In 2021 John began to serve the church full-time as a staff carpenter, leading many construction projects—anything from decorative barn doors to massive cedar decks. He also supervises a group of construction volunteers that's come to be called “JCrew.” John loves to write songs, play guitar, make smoothies, travel, and learn history.

Paul was born in Ames, Iowa in 1981 and grew up in the Midwest and the deep South, as well as in his native Korea. After graduating from the U of Alabama, he received his MDiv at Columbia Seminary in 2007. During seminary, he served as a pastoral intern at CAN 2005-06 (he's still known as Intern #1) where he met his wife Thao. After another year of post-seminary internship at CAN, they served a congregation in Houston doing children, youth and young adult ministry for six fruitful years. They then moved back to be part of the CAN fam again. Paul & Thao are overjoyed to raise their two boys in our church village.

Jim Bear Jacobs was born in 1977 in St. Paul, MN. He is a member of the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Nation, an American Indian tribe in central Wisconsin. He graduated from Bethel Seminary and served on staff at various churches before joining CAN as a member in 2014 and eventually serving as one of our parish pastors. He is founder and convener of Healing Minnesota Stories, raising the public’s awareness of American Indian causes and the struggle for justice. His day job is Co-Director for Racial Justice for Minnesota Council of Churches.

JinSoo was born in Seoul in 1976 and grew up in Jeju Island and the Philippines before immigrating to the US at age 15. He went to high school in Chicago and NJ, then to Georgia Tech for undergrad and masters before doing his MDiv at Regent College in Vancouver. After serving as an EM Pastor at IN2 Church in NYC, he joined CAN as a parish intern in 2013. His passion is leading our praise ministry and recovering the indigenous spirit in Korean music. He helps to operate the CAN-supported business Ink 'N Flower with his wife InKyung.

Soon Pac was born in Montgomery, AL in 1970 and grew up in NC and Atlanta, GA. She went to Emory University and received her MDiv at Princeton Seminary in 1997. After 24 years of directing Children's Ministry, her new role flows naturally into the churchwide and multigenerational events that she loves organizing. The church’s permaculture work has been an integral path to growth and inspiration and has led her to now manage Silver Lake Botanicals, one of our church-based businesses. Her greatest joy comes from making her home a warm and loving place for her family, church and visitors. Along with Jin, she absolutely adores her two grown children!

Jeremiah was born in Jackson, MN in 1982. He got his MDiv from Princeton Seminary in 2008, then joined CAN as a Parish Intern in 2009 before taking a call as Associate Pastor at Christ Presbyterian Church in Carlsbad, California in 2011. He then served as Pastor at First Pres Duluth (MN) 2015-20. He began his Doctor of Ministry at Underground Seminary in 2018, when he moved back to the Twin Cities with his wife and two kids. He has loved serving as a Parish Pastor at CAN since 2021.

Seulgee was born in Seoul, Korea and came to Minnesota in 2008 to advance her studies. She made CAN her family and home right away. She received her DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) in Collaborative Piano and Coaching at the University of Minnesota in 2014. She teaches piano and has a studio at CAN. Seulgee graduated from Underground Seminary's 4th cohort in 2023.

Pastor David is a native of Kenya, went to St. Paul United College in Nairobi, was ordained in the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, then served parishes in Nairobi and Webuye. His family came to the US in 1996 for advanced studies. In the US he earned degrees from ITC in Atlanta, Emory's Candler School of Theology, and United Seminary in Dayton, OH (Doctor of Missiology). He also has a PhD from Luther Seminary in St. Paul. He has been serving as a Parish Pastor at CAN since 2006, and is beloved by the whole congregation. His day job is serving as a hospital chaplain and teaching at local seminaries. Pastor David is married to Elder Lucy Njeri Mungai (Luther Seminary, PhD 2011), and has two grown daughters, Estherjoy and Tabitha.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Hikari’s family immigrated to Chicago area in 1990 when she was 9 years old. She graduated from Bethel University, and then attended Fuller Theological Seminary. She is trilingual in Japanese, English and Spanish and is passionate about the development of church life from an intercultural lens. Her commitment to matriarchal interpretation of scripture and its expression in the life of the faith community is at the center of her exploration of her pastoral call at Church of All Nations. She became a pastor of our church in 2023. Hikari loves working with the Young Adult Ministry as pastoral staff and finds joy in the healing and nurturing of the next generation. She also leads a church-based secondhand apparel business called Femme ReTale. 

Born in 1980, John grew up on a farm in Blue Earth, MN. Raised Lutheran/ELCA, he attended Bethel U, did his MDiv at Bethel Seminary in 2006, and completed a MTh at Luther Seminary. John came to CAN as a pastoral intern in 2007, and in 2014 became co-founder and assistant instructor at Underground Seminary. He also helps to lead our church's permaculture design. John was ordained as a minister by the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area in 2017. His interests include reading, guitar, sports and travel. He loves the village life at CAN.

As Ministry Catalyst Laura attunes to the congregation’s vision and energy to support the community’s evolving needs and natural development. She is co-founder of Underground Seminary and currently co-leads CAN’s permaculture work, in addition to practicing somatic therapy to support trauma and attachment healing. Laura has been a member of Church of All Nations since 2006. She is a 5th generation European-American, mostly of Swedish heritage, born and raised in rural Wisconsin.

Marie was born in 1989 in Minneapolis and grew up in the Twin Cities, coming to CAN in 2008. She serves as our Office Assistant and Building Coordinator, cooks for Underground Seminary and Sunday fellowship lunches, and assists in product development for Silver Lake Botanicals [our permaculture-based line of herbal teas, salve, lip balm, soap, etc].

Isaac was born in Minneapolis in 1991 and has been a member of CAN since 2011. He was part of the first cohort of Underground Seminary, where he received a Master of Divinity in 2016. He launched Uprising Bread Co. in 2019 as one of our community's many church-based businesses, inspired by CAN's entrepreneurial culture and by the sociopolitical analysis he gained at Underground Seminary. He began teaching literature at Underground Academy in 2022. As Ministry Assistant, he organizes the church library and assists with the praise team.

Addin was born and raised in Minnesota. After working briefly post-college, Church of All Nations became his home in 2019 after hearing Pastor Jin at a CCDA conference via YouTube. Addin graduated with an MDiv from Underground Seminary in 2023 and now teaches at our very own Underground Academy and leads our Youth Ministry. He hopes to heal, learn, and mature in order to serve the next generation faithfully.

Born in Chicago in 1998, Gabriella has been a member of CAN since she was 10 years old and basically grew up in our church. She loves serving as custodial staff. She graduated from Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC) and from the University of Minnesota with a degree in nutrition. She is working on becoming a registered dietitian. In her free time, she enjoys walking in nature, cooking, gardening, music, and participating in our Young Adult Ministry.

Born in Southern California in 1992, Jordan grew up Presbyterian (PCUSA) her whole life. After graduating from Northern Arizona University in 2014, she moved to the Twin Cities to join the first cohort of Underground Seminary (class of 2016) and to be a part of Church of All Nations. Jordan serves as Bursar on the Finance Committee, waters the gardens of our permaculture work, and loves being at the heart of our intimate community.