Freedom and Unfreedom in the Ministry of Korean Women Pastors in White-Dominant Congregations

In my ongoing qualitative research, I focus on the experiences of 10 Korean women ministers who lead predominantly white congregations in the United Church of Canada and the United Methodist Church. These ministers offer a rich perspective on the intersection of race, gender, and ministry, particularly as they navigate both their roles as spiritual leaders and their unique positionalities as Asian immigrant women. My research participants describe their immigration to North America and transition into leadership roles in white-dominant congregations as a search for liberation—a freedom from the constraints they faced in Korean churches, which typically hold very limited views on women's roles in ministry. Their search for freedom resonates with the work of Sang Hyun Lee in From a Liminal Place: An Asian American Theology, where he writes, “many Asian American women feel freed and liberated from the patriarchal family system back home when they come to the United States... Women writers have described the vacuum or a world without fixed norms and rules that they face as they leave behind the male-dominated way of life (Lee 2010, 22).”

While these women ministers often perceive their move to North America as a step toward greater freedom, they quickly encounter the realities of being leaders in white-majority churches, where they are often the only racialized person in their ministry setting. This context brings both opportunities and challenges, particularly as they face the structural and cultural dominance of white norms in Christian leadership. In their new roles, these women experience more autonomy and opportunity to preach and lead. However, their perceived freedom is complicated by the dynamics of being "strangers"—marked by linguistic, cultural, and racial differences.

Despite their leadership roles, these ministers encounter new forms of unfreedom. They are often seen as outsiders, “othered” by congregants who view them through the lens of cultural assimilation. Their accents are deemed difficult to understand, and their status as immigrants, particularly before achieving permanent residency or citizenship, places additional constraints on their sense of freedom and belonging. Unlike their experience in Korea, where their citizenship rights are taken for granted, their immigration status in North America introduces new layers of vulnerability. These ministers often experience an unsettling dissonance between the freedom they sought and the constraints they face in a foreign environment.

My research centers on how these women ministers negotiate and overcome these challenges, and how they build their sense of belonging and pastoral authority within their unique contexts. While I initially hypothesized that these ministers might adopt a traditional leadership model in order to gain authority, in other words, by mimicking the white male model of leadership, I have learned in my research instead that these women are using their cultural differences and diverse perspectives as a source of strength. In other words, they use their cultural difference as the very source of their preaching authority. They resist colonial norms and offer a theological vision rooted in justice, liberation, and the lived experiences of marginalized communities. By embracing their identities as "strangers" and individuals bearing the legacies of colonialism, they reinterpret the gospel in ways that challenge traditional power structures and invite their congregations to engage with a decolonial imagination.

In my paper presentation, I will explore the following key themes:

1. The Freedom Found in White-Dominant Congregations: I will examine how these women find freedom in their ministry settings by stepping into leadership roles that were previously inaccessible in Korean church contexts. Their entry into North American ministry represents a personal and professional liberation from the patriarchal limitations of their home culture.
2. The Unfreedom They Experience: Despite their newfound leadership opportunities, these women face racial, cultural, and legal challenges that limit their freedom. I will discuss how they navigate the complexities of being "strangers" in a white-majority context, and the additional burdens imposed by their immigration status and language barriers.
3. Resistance, Justice, and Liberation in Preaching: I will demonstrate how these women ministers use their sermons as a platform for resistance and justice. They employ their identities and experiences to advocate for marginalized communities, offering a vision of the gospel that challenges colonial and patriarchal structures. Their preaching becomes a vehicle for reclaiming pastoral authority and asserting their freedom in the face of unfreedom.

In conclusion, I will argue for a new preaching model that embraces the voices of marginalized preachers, particularly those who are racialized, immigrant, and gendered. By centering the experiences of these women ministers, I propose a homiletical framework that allows for a deeper engagement with the complexities of freedom and unfreedom in ministry. This model, rooted in resistance, justice, and liberation, has the potential to transform the ministries of those who grapple with their identity and authority within white-dominant congregations, and to foster a more inclusive and decolonized approach to preaching. 

This research not only contributes to the field of homiletics and theology but also offers important insights into how immigrant and marginalized communities shape religious leadership and pastoral practice. By exploring the nuanced experiences of these women ministers, my work provides a deeper understanding of how freedom and unfreedom operate in ministry contexts and calls for a reimagining of leadership that is inclusive, just, and liberative.