Sharon Kim is associate professor of sociology at Calstate Fullerton, a mom of two boys, ages 11 and 15, and author of Faith of Our Own, a book about 2^nd generation spirituality in Korean American churches.  She is heavily involved in ministry, as her husband is the senior pastor of Garden Christian Fellowship. In her free time, Sharon enjoys spending time with family, reading good Christian books, and traveling.

Who have been key and influential leaders/role models for you, and how have they shaped who you are today?

Many strong, Christian women have had an impact on my life.  When I was an undergraduate, I attended Berkland Baptist church, and one of my mentors there was Rebecca Kim, who was a great Bible teacher and a great role model. I had never met anyone like her before, and the example she set had an amazing impact on my life.

Also, my mother and mother-in-law (who passed away 4 years ago) were both amazing prayer warriors who provided invaluable support and encouragement.

I’ve discovered that God made me with spiritual gifts in teaching and administration.  I discovered my administration gift when my husband and I were planting a church and didn’t have staff to work with.  He did the preaching and I did the administration, and through that experience, I discovered I was good at it and was able to develop it.  Over these years, I’ve exercised my teaching gift in various settings both within the church and within the university.

What is a word of advice that you would offer to other evangelical Asian American women?

I think it’s really important for a woman to discover who she is in terms of her unique gifting and personality instead of trying to be somebody she’s not or trying to fit into any kind of mold – and then, to confidently minister out of that.

Interviewed by Joy Wong