Missionaries wear many hats, and some quite unexpected. Timothy (Byunggi) Kim is one such person. Kim and his wife, Lydia (Kang Hyun Soon) Kim, left their South Korean homeland more than 25 years ago to serve as missionaries in the Asia-Pacific Region of the Church of the Nazarene. They started in the Philippines and then transferred in 2016 to Pohnpei, in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), to support Kolonia Church of the Nazarene.

Over the course of his career, Timothy has worn the hats of a husband, a father, and a pastor. He currently serves as the district superintendent for Micronesia. When he moved to the FSM in 2016, he started an outreach to the island children.

“Every Sunday afternoon, he led an outdoor evangelistic meeting in the home of the lay pastor, Win Thomas,” Lydia said. “Several children came, and then some more came. My husband decided to set up a children’s meeting separate from the adult evangelistic meeting.”

The children’s meetings were more successful than they expected. More children came, not only to hear Timothy’s words but to simply be with him. 

“In spite of the age gap and a language barrier in ministering to the children, children kept coming and enjoyed being together with him,” Lydia said, 

Interest in Timothy’s children’s outreach ministry blossomed in the Pohnpei Church. People began to volunteer to help. In early 2020, Melody Jabar came from the Philippines to look for a job in Pohnpei. She joined Timothy’s children’s ministry team, and her gifts as a teacher have been a blessing to everyone in the Pohnpei Church.

Although he now has help from the volunteers and Melody, Timothy has continued in children’s ministry. 

“With Melody in our children’s ministry and my husband still as engaged as ever in effective ministry, our Pohnpei church has about 16 children every week who are growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Lydia said.

--Church of the Nazarene Asia-Pacific Region