English ministries within Korean Southern Baptist Churches in the United States: Challenges for English-speaking Korean pastors

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine English-speaking ministries of the Korean Southern Baptist Churches in the United States, and in particular, the pastors of the Korean Baptist English-Speaking Fellowship (KBEMF). The intent of this study was to explore and gain a deeper understanding of the experiences, roles, and challenges of these English-speaking pastors. Research questions of the study included: How do the English ministry (EM) pastors of Korean Southern Baptist Churches perceive the "silent exodus"? What models of EM are currently being used, and what shifts toward any specific model, if any, are currently taking place? What issues are EM pastors facing in the immigrant Korean Church? What role do EM pastors see themselves playing for the future of the Korean immigrant church? Purposeful case sampling provided twelve English-speaking pastors of the KBEMF for this study. Data analysis provided themes and patterns from the interviews, field notes, and memos. The research identified a number of challenges that EM congregations face, including assimilation challenges, role-relations with the Korean ministry, and the model of ministry employed at these Korean immigrant churches. The silent exodus is still seen as a significant issue, but early preparation may help alleviate the impact of the exodus. Additionally, the research concluded that the EM congregations are in transition, with many EM congregations becoming more independent. The relationship with the Korean Ministry was a key issue for these English-speaking pastors.