Each Friday Baptist Women in Ministry introduces an amazing minister, and this week we are excited to introduce Sharon Koh.
Sharon, tell us about your ministry journey.
For a missionary kid, it is difficult for me to figure out when I started serving our Lord. My parents talk about how eager I was to host Bible studies in our home, even though I was still in diapers. My ministry journey probably started when I served as youth president while I was in my teenage years. Soon after that, I became the leader of an evangelistic outreach group while I was in college, and eventually, I worked as a pastoral intern while I was at Fuller Theological Seminary. I have been serving as the senior associate pastor of Community Life and Mission at Evergreen Baptist Church of Los Angeles for the past eleven years. My church, in partnership with other churches in our American Baptist Churches-USA region, American Baptist Churches of Los Angeles, Southwest and Hawaii, ordained me in 2007.
Tell us about your new position and what work you will be doing.
American Baptist International Ministries is a 202-year-old mission-sending organization. On September 1, 2016, I will step into the long line of amazing people who have served as executive director of this historic agency. I am both humbled and excited about what God wants to do in and through me at such a time as this. The honor of being called by the board unanimously and warmly welcomed by the staff, missionaries, and stake-holders of International Ministries is one that makes me desire to be found faithful in this next chapter of our life together.
What challenges have you encountered along the way in ministry?
Honestly, God has written an amazing ministry story for me. While there have been some very dark moments along the way, I have never doubted God’s guiding and loving presence. I find that most of the time, in hindsight, the challenges I thought were insurmountable were simply growing pains from God being at work in me.
What is the best ministry advice you have received?
The best advice that I have received is that my worth and identity is in Christ alone.