BY JANE BLOODWORTH ROWE
VIRGINIA BEACH — It’s a long way from the bustling city of Seoul, South Korea, to the quiet rural community that surrounds Charity United Methodist Church.
Still, the Rev. Stephen Lee said that he’s formed a positive connection with the church since his arrival there as pastor earlier this summer.
He assumed his duties on Friday, July 1, and he replaced the Rev. David Ryu, who served as pastor of Charity United Methodist Church from 2016 until late June.
Lee, who grew up in Korea as a “PK” – or the son of a Methodist minister – followed in his father’s footsteps and was ordained as a minister in 1989. In 1992, he came to the United States to earn a master of divinity degree at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Lee also studied at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, then accepted a position as pastor of a church in Arkansas. He became pastor of a church in Arlington in 2005, and he’s since served as pastor of churches in Suffolk and Colonial Beach, a town in Westmoreland County.
“Colonial Beach was a great opportunity for me,” Lee said, adding that it was there that he became accustomed to rural culture.
Lee became acquainted with Virginia Beach while he was a student at Regent University, where he earned a doctor of ministry degree.
“There are two sides to my life,” Lee said, “and they are my studies and the ministry.”
Lee’s lived in both rural and urban communities, he said. He’s accustomed to diversity and welcomes inclusivity, he said.
Lee said that he’s impressed with the tight-knit community and with the family atmosphere at Charity.
“This is a wonderful church,” he said. “It’s vibrant, active, and a multi-generational church.”
One of Lee’s goals is to build the church’s attendance, which declined during the pandemic. He hopes to see it return to pre-pandemic levels, and he also hopes to continue the church’s open, welcoming presence in rural Virginia Beach.
“My primary purpose is that of hospitality,” he said. “We show love to everybody, and we are welcoming.”
Lee’s challenges include a walking impairment that resulted from a bout with polio when he was 11 months old. He uses crutches to walk long distances, and, on one recent day, was using crutches inside the church because the building’s elevator was out of order.
“It is my thorn,” Lee said, “but God’s grace is sufficient to help me.”
Lee’s wife, Young Hwa Lee, is a fulltime homemaker, and their daughter, Janet Lee, lives at home while their son, Shawn Lee, lives in Mexico City.
Lee’s reception has been positive, said Church Administrator Rachel Keenan.
“We are really excited to have him here,” Keenan said. “He’s so kind and so patient.”
“We’re an established church,” Keenan added, “and it can be hard moving into something that established, but he’s moved right into it.”
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