Ministry Continues, Regardless of Discrimination and Hate

In 2022, I began a new appointment. With hope and excitement, I embraced the commitment that “United Methodist pastors are sent not just to churches, but to communities.” However, not long after moving in, everything changed. Kids in the neighborhood hurled racial name-calling at us in our backyard. They harassed my husband and my little boy on the street. At night, they rang our doorbell and ran off. No matter where we were, we felt watched. It shattered us.
What held us together was community. Our district superintendent prayed with us. Our church rallied around us with righteous anger. Together, they helped us stand up. Through this experience, I began asking myself a critical question as a pastor: “How do I move beyond reacting to responding in a pastoral way?” What follows are five responses I developed and implemented.

1. Appeal to the Community

When I first shared our story, other local pastors and church members responded by saying the kids were poorly supervised troublemakers who pulled random pranks that went wrong. It was exhausting for us as the victims to have to convince people that racism was at the root of the problem. I knew we needed to approach this situation systematically because discrimination and hate threaten the safety and values of the entire community.

We documented everything: recordings of the racial name-calling, security camera footage, and a detailed timeline. Next, we filed a police report. We sent the same information to the junior high school and the superintendent. I met with the mayor to discuss how discrimination and hate violate our community's core values. Sadly, both the school and the mayor were reluctant to take decisive action. They worried it might become a political issue. The police finally visited the families and issued warnings; that seemed to satisfy everyone, except us.

2. Create Spaces for Dialogue

Institutional responses weren't enough. We needed to shift the narrative to show that racism isn't a political issue but a threat to our community's values. So, I signed up to speak at the city's quarterly citizen forum. Addressing “Unity Beyond Labels: Building a Respected, Strong Community Together,” I invited my pastor colleagues to present. I wanted to frame racism as everyone's problem, not just an emotional appeal from a victim. The discussion was lively, and I could feel the seeds of caring in our community.

3. Share Your Authentic Story

While the forum was impactful, it reached a limited audience. I needed to reach more residents. I wrote a heartfelt letter about my family's experience for our church newsletter. In response, a church member submitted an article to the local newspaper. The story was shared on our church's Facebook page and in community Facebook groups, generating hundreds of comments. Neighbors shared similar experiences: “Our kids went through this too.” People made commitments to “restore kindness and love in our community.” Our honest story opened hearts and created powerful solidarity. It was a reminder of the power of storytelling.

4. Use Creative Approaches

I realized that, alongside calling out and fighting discrimination, we needed to tell our story in ways people could appreciate. With help from local Korean pastors, we organized a concert. The evening sparked meaningful dialogue. Afterward, we shared the struggles Korean pastors and their families face and talked about the kinds of support we need from churches and communities. When pastors were asked, “What advice do you have for churches welcoming pastors from different countries and cultures?” they offered this wisdom: “Share common experiences to build understanding. Pay attention to different perspectives because that's where God's work truly reveals itself. Embrace new experiences. Use the discomfort and unfamiliarity of being in a strange place to treasure connections with others.”

Through music, stories, and food, we experienced how people can support and empower one another as a community. The donations from the concert were seed money for a little library project in our area, for we believe our narratives must go on, even to the youngest kids.

5. Launch Sustainable Change

Our church community became convinced that we needed to teach our neighborhood about diversity, love, and kindness. With concert donations and a Social Reform Grant from the Northern Illinois Conference, we began a little library project. We've installed it in the church parking lot and filled it with children's books about diversity, love, and kindness. We've donated books to local school libraries and plan to start a book club for kids. We're praying that children will encounter new stories and find opportunities for transformation through this little library.

In a world where discrimination and hate are increasingly normalized, racial incidents are all too common experiences for pastors of color. That's why educating churches and local communities can be a calling for pastors of color. This kind of pain doesn't fade quickly; it lingers and haunts for a long time. What matters most is not isolating yourself but sharing your story and receiving care from the community. If someone out there is suffering as my family did, I pray you'll remember: You're not alone. It's okay to ask for help. Take your time moving forward. “For God's gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29 NIV ).

Korean - 차별과 혐오 속에서도 목회는 계속된다

Rev. Sun-Ah Kang is the pastor of Morrison United Methodist Church in the Northern Illinois Conference.