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Rev. Steve Kim was born in Seoul, S. Korea. He and his family have lived in East Asia for 16 years: 13 years in mainland China and 3 years in Taiwan.
From 2003 to 2016, they were church planting in remote areas among China’s largest minority people group called the Zhuang (中國少數民族壯族). Then from 2016 to 2019, they were based in Taiwan to equip themselves further. He also worked alongside Taiwanese churches to raise awareness and mobilize workers for the Zhuang.
Steve completed a doctorate in pastoral psychology in Taiwan in Mandarin. He obtained a master of divinity at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. He is serving as the president at Dari Connections located in Northern Virginia. He attends Falls Church Anglican, Falls Church, VA.
Testimony and Background
Steve was born in Seoul, Korea, into a Christian family as the youngest of three children. When he was in high school, his family immigrated to Vancouver, Canada. As he applied himself to his studies, the pressures and expectations of his family as well as transitioning into a new country became a difficult struggle. One summer, as he was alone in his room reading the Book of John at the age of 19, he sensed a deep peace and joy that he had never experienced before. At that moment, he experienced Jesus’ unconditional love and grace for him in a very profound and personal way. Steve’s life has changed and has not been the same since.
Having the desire to learn more about the Bible and the Christian faith, he enrolled in Northwest University, a Bible college in Kirkland, Washington, in 1990. At the end of his freshman year, he sensed God’s calling to full-time ministry. He then transferred to Boston University, majoring in psychology (with a minor in statistics) to eventually pursue Christian counseling. Afterward, he received his theological training (Master of Divinity) at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL.
His desire to serve God overseas in Asia grew as he attended Urbana ’96, a missions conference. He later went on two separate short-term mission trips to Thailand and China. It was in China that he received his calling to overseas missions. Later, he and his wife decided to live among one of China’s minority people groups, the Zhuang (壮族), as missionaries. His approach to church-planting missionary work focused primarily on one-on-one discipleship and caring for the emotional and relational well-being of the local individuals and families.
He was ordained under the denomination of the Korean-American Presbyterian Church of the USA (KAPC). In 2020, he completed a doctoral degree (D.Min) in Pastoral Psychology at the Taiwan Graduate School of Pastoral Psychology (台灣教牧心理研究院) in Taipei.
In September 2022, a non-profit organization called DARI Connections was established as a 501(c)(3) entity. Its core mission is to promote healing and restoration through a holistic approach that addresses emotional issues (psychology), imparts the truth of God (theology), and fosters reconciliation in relationships (volition), all to enhance the overall well-being of every individual. The primary clients of the organization are socially marginalized individuals in the local regions, refugees from overseas, and those aspiring to become missionaries or Christian leaders in the future. All these services are provided on a donation basis for every client.
Currently, Steve holds the roles of Chief Executive Officer and Wellbeing Session℠ therapist (as an ordained minister) at DARI Connections. If you are interested in partnering with us in any capacity, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We warmly welcome and greatly appreciate any level of support, as the organization relies solely on donors and partners at all levels.