Jubilee Presbyterian Church gathers on West Marshall Street in West Norriton, a Montgomery County township tucked between Norristown and the Schuylkill River. It is a Korean-American congregation that has chosen to live as one church with two language communities, one budget, and one shared rhythm of intergenerational faith. The church's motto, "Proclaiming Grace, Celebrating Freedom," comes from Leviticus 25:10 - the same words inscribed on the Liberty Bell a short drive across the region.
A Church Born to Bridge Generations
Jubilee's story begins in the spring of 1998, not in West Norriton but in three minds that saw what the future of Korean-American Christianity was running into.
Pastor Steve Park was finishing a doctorate at Westminster Theological Seminary; Pastor Kenny Hong brought years of California pastorate experience; and Pastor Jun Kyung "Fuji" Kim, who grew up in Philadelphia and had spent summers in camp and college ministry, was finishing his own training. All three shared a concern: as immigrant Korean churches became acclimated Korean-American churches, language barriers and cultural distance were pushing the children of the pews out. English ministries, when they were added at all, were tacked on as appendages to youth groups. Some later split off into English-only ministries of their own.
Jubilee was imagined differently. From its first service in June 1998 - held in an auditorium at Westminster Theological Seminary - the founders chose a two-congregation, one-church model. The Korean-speaking and English-speaking members share a single platform and budget. Each side has a ministry committee, and decisions of importance pass back and forth between them for proposal, ratification, or veto. The collaborative process kept the Jubilee vision close to the heart of the church.
The first weeks were spent at Penn Wynn Presbyterian Church in Wynnewood. Two years later, growth pushed Jubilee into the Conshohocken United Methodist Church. In September 2010, the congregation settled into its present campus in West Norriton.
The name "Jubilee" does double work. The verse of Leviticus 25:10 - "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof" - is inscribed on the Liberty Bell and names the year of Jubilee, the fiftieth year when debts are canceled and the poor are made rich. For the church, the verse names both a calling to the greater Philadelphia area and the gospel's great exchange: "though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich" (2 Cor 8:9).
The Lord's Day Rhythm
Sunday belongs to worship, and worship belongs to the whole church.
Jubilee's Lord's Day begins at 9:30 a.m., when the whole congregation gathers for worship. The same hour, the Inter-Generational Ministry (IGM) chapels begin in age-appropriate groups, so children and students have their own hour of teaching and prayer. Services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel for those who cannot be in the room.
After the service, at 11:30 a.m., the building refills with two kinds of gatherings. The IGM catechism classes return children and youth to their classrooms to learn the Westminster Shorter Catechism and other Reformed materials. Around the same hour, three adult fellowship groups - HESED, JOY, and CSALT - gather in different corners of the campus to share a meal and a heart-approaching look at the morning's sermon.
The whole Sunday fits on the back of a bulletin card:
- 9:30 a.m. - Lord's Day Worship and IGM Chapels
- 11:30 a.m. - Post-Worship Study Groups and IGM Catechism Classes
Four Church Cores
Jubilee organizes its life around four Church Cores: Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, and Missionary Serving. The cores give shape to the church's calendar and hold a Tuesday-night Bible institute, a Saturday Korean school, and a Cambodia-bound prayer list into one body.
Discipleship finds its weekly form in the Disciples' Bible Institute (DBI), an eight-week teaching ministry that meets on consecutive Tuesdays from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the spring and fall. Open to anyone who wants to learn, DBI walks through the Bible and theology in a classroom setting. Missionary serving shows up in the church's missions budget, its support of six mission families, and the way each Community Group pairs with a missionary to pray for and support.
Fellowship splits into the men's and women's ministries, which meet at their own paces, and a quarterly Saturday men's breakfast that begins with devotions and moves into physical activity. The women's fellowship meets monthly with occasional seminars and seasonal outreach projects. Selena Choi chairs the women's fellowship committee.
Inter-Generational Ministry
Jubilee calls its work with children and youth "raising the next generation." The Inter-Generational Ministry is built around five age tiers, each with its own director.
The Nursery, for those four to thirty months old, offers a Sunday chapel service from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. and childcare from 11:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. Soojung Chung directs this youngest tier.
The Pre-School tier, for thirty months through Pre-K, meets for chapel and small group at 9:30, a catechism class at 11:30, and returns on Friday evenings for AWANA and Bible story lessons. Suzy Lee directs this tier.
Children's Ministry divides into CM Younger (K - 2nd grade) and CM Upper (3rd - 5th grade), each with its own director. Gwen Hwang directs CM Upper, and Grace Chang directs CM Younger. On Sundays the children cycle through chapel, small group, and catechism from 9:30 in the morning to 12:50 in the afternoon. On Friday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00, they gather for AWANA, Christian Worldview, and a Book Club.
The Youth Ministry covers sixth through twelfth grade, with Myung Ko leading the senior high tier and Gieyun Kang the junior high tier. On Sundays they meet from 9:30 to 11:20 a.m. for chapel and small group, then return at noon for catechism. On Friday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00, they gather for a Praise and Prayer Night, Bible reading and study, and an activity night.
AWANA, the children's Scripture-memorization program, runs in two semesters each year (Spring and Fall) and forms the backbone of the Friday children's curriculum. Catechism classes form the backbone of the Sunday children's curriculum; Jubilee deliberately teaches the Westminster Shorter Catechism to its youngest members as part of its Reformed heritage.
The church emphasizes raising up future generations with sound doctrine along with correct nurture and care with love from gospel principles.
Community Groups Across Greater Philadelphia
On Sundays the body is together; on weekday evenings, the body spreads across the region. Jubilee runs six Community Groups, each named for the part of Greater Philadelphia where its members live. Each group is paired with a missionary the church prays for and supports.
CG Center gathers people living nearest the campus. Pastor Steve Park leads it, and the group supports Mason Pell, who brings the gospel to international students in Rochester, New York. CG North, led by Kwang Lee and Sindy Oh, supports the GATE Institute, a global alliance that trains theological educators in the Global South. CG South, led by Elders Rich Gienopie and Lynn Paik, supports Rich and Susan Bae, two US-trained medical doctors ministering to Christian professionals in Tokyo. CG West, led by John Woo, supports Drew Cho at New Community Church in Tokyo. CG East, led by Pastor DJ Choi, supports Chuck and Nikki Chung in Christian education in Cambodia. CG JYP, led by Byung Hak Lee, supports Daniel and Hannah Park in church planting in Cambodia's Angkor Chey region.
Community groups meet monthly for Bible study, book discussions, and fellowship over a meal or a cup of tea. The gatherings are open to anyone who wants to grow in faith alongside other covenant members.
Adult Fellowships After Worship
The Sunday-morning fellowship groups - HESED, JOY, and CSALT - gather after worship at 11:30 a.m.
HESED, for adults in their forties and up, meets in Liberty Hall with Bible studies that go deeper into the morning's sermon. Michael Lee directs it.
JOY, for young married couples, meets in G103 of Grace Hall for fellowship and Bible or book study. The name stands for "Jesus First, Others Second, You Last." Pastor DJ Choi directs it.
CSALT, for college students and young working adults, meets in The Loft on the second floor of Grace Hall. The name stands for "College Single Adults Learn/Love Together." Sam Song directs it.
The three fellowships take turns offering newcomers a place to land after a first visit.
A Reformed Confession
Jubilee holds to the Reformed faith summarized in the Westminster Confession of Faith with its Larger and Shorter Catechisms.
Twelve Articles of Faith guide the church. The Bible is the only infallible rule of faith and duty. God is one - a Spirit, infinite, and to be worshipped alone. The Godhead is three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one in substance and equal in power. All things were created by God and are governed by His providence. Mankind was created in God's image and fell into sin through Adam. The Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true man, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived without sin, died on the cross for the sins of His people, was buried, rose again, ascended, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. The Holy Spirit applies the work of Christ to those whom the Father chose before the foundation of the world, freely offered to all who repent and believe. The sacraments Christ instituted are Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Believers are called to church fellowship, prayer, the keeping of the Lord's Day, and the spread of the gospel. At the last day, the dead will be raised and each will receive according to his deeds.
The church belongs to the North America Presbytery East of the Korean American Presbyterian Church (KAPC) and is a member of the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council (NAPARC). It lives out the Presbyterian principles of plurality of leadership, the centrality of Scripture, the Lordship of Christ as Head of His Church, and the sanctifying work of the Spirit in the lives of the saints.
As the founders wrote, "the Reformed church is always reforming (ecclesia reformata semper reformanda)" according to the unchanging Word of God in the changing world.
Mission Partners
Jubilee's mission footprint reaches from Philadelphia to Phnom Penh.
Chuck and Nikki Chung serve in Christian education at Cornerstone School in Cambodia and in evangelism among college students in Phnom Penh. Daniel and Hannah Park plant churches and do evangelism in Cambodia's Angkor Chey region. Mason Pell brings the gospel to international students in Rochester, New York, through International Friendships Ministry. Drew and Chami Cho serve at New Community Church in the Shinagawa region of Tokyo. Rich and Susan Bae, US-trained medical doctors, disciple and mentor Christian professionals in Tokyo. The GATE Institute trains theological educators in the Global South.
Each of these partnerships is matched to a Community Group, so the church's regional geography and its global mission are held together by the same prayer.
Pastors, IGM Directors, and Elders
Jubilee is served by a pastoral staff, an IGM team, a session of elders, and a diaconate.
The pastoral staff includes Pastor S. Steve Park, senior pastor; Pastor David (DJ) Choi, assistant pastor; Sam Song, who oversees praise and leads CSALT; and Michael Lee, who oversees adult education and leads HESED.
The IGM team includes Gwen Hwang, director of Inter-Generational Ministry and Children's Ministry (Upper); Myung Ko, who leads senior high youth; Gieyun Kang, who leads junior high youth; Grace Chang, who leads Children's Ministry (Younger); Suzy Lee, who leads the Pre-School Ministry; and Soojung Chung, who leads the Nursery Ministry.
The session of elders includes Rich Gienopie (Missions and Outreach), Lynn Paik (Ministry of Worship), and John Woo (Ministry of Community-Building). The diaconate includes David Han, Gene Hong, Byung Hak Lee, Steve Shin, Christina Cave, Judy Seyedroudbari, and Rosanna Sohn.
Covenant membership comes through four sessions: Church 101, Confession of Faith, Jubilee Story, and Presbyterian Church Membership. The Korean School also welcomes children and adults on Saturdays across the spring and fall.