Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church is thrilled to welcome the Rev. Dr. Eun Joo Kim as our new Parish Visitor. In this role, Eun Joo will offer vital pastoral care to hospitalized and vulnerable congregants.

For Eun Joo, this work is deeply personal.

After immigrating from South Korea to the United States at the age of six, Eun Joo has spent most of her life in New York City. She resides in Whitestone, Queens, with her mother, Ok Soon, and her brother, Samuel.

Eun Joo attended Hunter College High School in Manhattan and received a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University. She later earned both a Master of Divinity and Master of Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. Most recently, she completed a Doctor of Philosophy in Church Leadership from Fordham University.

Eun Joo currently serves as the site coordinator for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Young Adult Volunteers program in New York City and is an active member of the Korean American Presbyterian Clergywomen organization.

“We hit the jackpot with Eun Joo,” says the Rev. Werner Ramirez, Associate Pastor for Congregational Care & Family Ministries. “Her ministry will be a lifeline to those in our congregation who are homebound or facing health challenges.”

A calling to care

The daughter of a Presbyterian pastor, Eun Joo brings a wealth of pastoral experience in diverse settings and a deep connection to the Reformed tradition.

Ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Eun Joo served as a hospital chaplain at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens for a decade. She provided pastoral care to patients and family members as they navigated health challenges.

In addition to her chaplaincy work, Eun Joo has served congregations in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Korean Presbyterian Church in America (KPCA).

She now brings that expertise to Fifth Avenue, where much of her ministry will center on accompaniment.

Incarnational ministry

In her approach to pastoral care, Eun Joo brings a keen attention to the power of physical presence.

“As Christians we believe that the Word became flesh,” says Eun Joo. “I believe in incarnational ministry. Attending to our physicality—particularly in an age of A.I. and isolation—helps us become more human.”

In her role as Parish Visitor, Eun Joo is committed to walking alongside individuals as they face challenging seasons of life.

“As pastors and chaplains, we have access to people’s lives in the good times and the hard times,” Eun Joo says, “It is a privilege to do that.”

That emphasis on presence and care is part of what drew her to Fifth Avenue.

“Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church,” says Eun Joo, “exudes a sense of welcome and a sense of home.”

Rejoicing always

For Eun Joo, that sense of welcome is closely tied to her own story. “I am an immigrant and a daughter of immigrants,” she says. “That is a big part of my identity.”

Eun Joo takes pride in Korean culture, and, in her spare time, she loves listening to K-pop and watching Korean dramas. She is particularly excited to see BTS in concert this August.

Whether she is talking about ministry, music, or Korean culture, joy is a guiding characteristic for Eun Joo. “People often describe me as joyful,” she says.

One of her favorite passages of Scripture is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always,  pray without ceasing,  give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

“Eun Joo brings warmth, joy, and extraordinary pastoral gifts to this community,” says Ramirez. “We are thrilled that she’s joining the team.”