Kim Brings Wealth of Experience in Sharing God’s Word to Villa Park Congregation
VILLA PARK, Illinois — Christ Covenant Church of Villa Park, a multi-ethnic and multi-generational congregation that is part of the Evangelical Covenant Church, is pleased to welcome Won Kim, Ph.D., as its new senior pastor on Sunday, March 12.
Kim brings a wealth of experience in ministry, education and administration to his new role. He comes to Christ Covenant Church after working most recently as Director of Discipleship at New Community Covenant church in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood since 2014.
Kim’s education includes a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a master’s degree in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. in organizational leadership from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. He presently is enrolled in a master of divinity program at North Park Theological Seminary, which is the graduate theological school of the Evangelical Covenant Church.
Kim’s spiritual journey and conversion began with growing up in a Christian home and formally coming to faith in Jesus during his junior year of college. After graduate school, Kim worked at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in various administrative and instructional roles, including as an adjunct professor. He also worked for many years as an instructional designer for TCS Education System, an integrated nonprofit system of colleges working to improve student success and community impact.
Shortly after earning his doctoral degree in organizational leadership, Kim began work as Director of Discipleship at New Community Covenant Church, a multiethnic church affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church that is located in Chicago’s Bronzeville community.
Kim also has served as a leadership consultant for the Chicago-based Central Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church since 2020.
Christ Covenant’s Pastoral Search Committee, which consists of six church members, reviewed numerous applications before presenting Kim’s candidacy to the full congregation, whose membership voted on February 5 to call Kim to serve as Senior Pastor. He accepted the call, and he starts in his role as Senior Pastor on Sunday, March 12. His formal installation ceremony will take place during the church’s Sunday service on Sunday, March 26.
Kim replaces the Rev. Dr. Kenneth Johnson, who retired in July 2022 after a long career as a pastor in Evangelical Covenant congregations, including serving for more than seven years as Christ Covenant’s senior pastor. Since October 2022, Rev. Adria Willett-Leonardo has been serving as Christ Covenant’s interim pastor.
Kim and his wife, Krystle, live in Chicago with their two children, aged 6 and 4.