KAINOS: Sahmyook

The lack of Korean-American young Pastors in North America is a felt need of all our churches, whether or not your church currently has an EM Pastor or not.

The long-term solution is to raise a new generation of young Pastors and equip and nurture them so that they can enter ministry and make an impact on their local church. But the nature of a long-term solution is that it requires time. So what do we do in the meantime?

Every year there are students from Korea who enter Korean-American ministry. This union is largely due to the lack of readily available English-Ministry Pastors.
The challenge is that the Korean Pastors have to navigate cultural and language barriers in addition to the challenges of ministry.

KAINOS:sahmyook was created to serve as the short-term solution for the lack of Pastors available in North America.

KAINOS and the Sahmyook University Theology Department in South Korea have partnered together to help create a track for Korean Theology students who may be interested in entering Korean-American Ministry in North America.

The result is a 3 year program that includes classroom lectures and education on Korean-American culture and ministry, hands on internship experiences at local Korean-American churches in North America, and networking and connections with KAINOS project and local SDA Conferences to help build a pipeline between the students and potential local churches.

By intentionally creating a pathway for Korean students to learn the nuances of Korean-American culture and ministry before they enter into it, we hope that it will create an atmosphere for success at the local church level.

If you are a student at Sahmyook University who is interested in joining the program, please click below to contact us.

KAINOS: Sahmyook Timeline

  • YEAR one

    The first year is a winter intensive course. Lecturers with first-hand experience in Korean-American ministry in North America will visit Sahmyook University campus to give lectures and seminars about Korean-American culture, ministry, and the history of the Korean-American SDA Church in North America. These courses are accredited by Sahmyook University and credit towards graduation is provided.

  • year two

    After the first year is completed, students who wish to continue in the program will apply for a summer internship at local churches in Southern California.

    For 3 months, students will be assigned to specific Korean-American churches and will spend that time as an intern at those churches. Their responsibilties will include attending staff and board meetings, going on visitations, helping with worship services and and Sabbath activities that may happen. They will also attend and assist during KAYAMM and West Coast Korean Camp Meeting.

    In addition to the internship, students will also meet to go over certain curriculum topics and meet with local church pastors to understand on a deeper level the nuances of ministry in a Korean- American context.

  • year three

    The final year will involve the students making a decision for their future in ministry. For those who wish to continue ministry in South Korea, they will continue with the track provided by Sahmyook University. Students who are interested in ministry in America will then meet local Conference officials to help determine the best location for their ministry to begin. The benefit of working with KAINOS:sahmyook is the networking that takes place between the students and members of KAINOS and the local Conferences in being able to identify ministry opportunities for the students in North America.

2025 kainos:sahmyook interns

The inaugural KAINOS:sahmyook Year 2 interns.

They will serve at Yorba Linda SDA Church, Riverside Korean SDA Church, and Loma Linda Korean SDA Church.

Everlyn