Our Pastors & Staff

Joe Felix Kim was ordained as a Teaching Elder in the EPC in 2015, and before church planting, had served as the English Ministry pastor of Korean churches in New Jersey, New York and Georgia. 

Hoping to make it as an actor on Broadway, Joe studied Music at Temple University and later finished his degree Toccoa Falls College in GA.  But our Lord had different ideas, sending him in 2005 to get his MDiv at Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, PA. 

Joe came to faith in 1995, and quickly got involved in ministry. He has served at various times in his life as a children’s director (his first love), choir director and youth group director in places like Philadelphia, Atlanta, South Jersey and Queens, New York. 

Joe is married to Emii and has 2 beautiful daughters, Norah (7) and Naomi (1). Emii in particular is an advocate of special needs ministry as Norah is on the autism spectrum. It was Emii who taught Joe that Norah isn’t someone to apologize for getting in the way of ministry. Instead, Norah and his family ARE his ministry; a ministry from which all other ministries can flow. 

Joe has served on various committees in the EPC. In 2017, he joined the Ministerial Committee in the Presbytery of the East. In 2018, he was named the Chair of Candidate’s Care. In 2021, he was placed on the Ministerial Vocation Committee.  

Joe enjoys: reading, guitars, theology, all Philadelphia sports teams and spending time with his family.

I was raised in a small town in West Michigan. I grew up in a small country church and was brought to anything and everything the church offered. As I headed into high school I began to feel a tug towards ministry but didn’t know where to put that energy. I landed at a small camp outside of my town that reached people across Michigan. It was there where my passion for bringing the Hope of the Gospel to people truly grew. 

When it was time for college I headed north to Kuyper College, a small college in Grand Rapids Michigan. It was a formative time as I was given opportunities to use my gifts in different ways, which allowed me to spend a summer out “west” in South Dakota working for an amazing ministry that had me stationed near Mount Rushmore. I did my best to try a hand at most anything that came my way, adventure called but little did I realize how far that would take me. In the Spring of 2014 I applied and was ultimately accepted to Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. While in Seminary I pursued a Masters and also had a host of jobs, which allowed me to work in and around the community of Jackson. The city of Jackson became a second home and for over six years I attended classes, did ministry and was adopted by an amazing city. While in Seminary I did a host of jobs but one of them was as a Student Ministry Director for a small church. It was here my passion for youth grew and my heart began to yearn for teenagers to see the beauty and the strength that came from embracing the Gospel.

 I graduated from RTS in the spring of 2019 and then in the fall of 2019 I met my now wife at an art market. She was selling amazing drawings and prints, while I was delivering pastries from a bakery I worked for at the time. As I tried to search for where God was leading me, then March of 2020 hit and everything changed. I reached out to friends and family in ministry. Through my search to show support for friends across the country God opened a door to introduce me to this church. So in September of 2020 I packed all my things and drove across the country to move here, Kent, WA. It’s been an amazing journey of growth these past few years. I am excited for what God is doing at New Hope and in the community of Kent.

If I’m not at work you can often find me playing board games, going to concerts, hiking or trying something new in the food world. I am curious by nature and God’s creation is never short of things to learn about. I hope to meet you on Sunday. 

Email: reuben@newhopekent.org