The relationship between immigrant and second-generation churches has—to put it lightly— been complex. Language and cultural barriers make things lead to misunderstandings and disagreements. Many churches have stories of conflicts over vision, worship times, and lack of parking. 

But it is possible for first and second-generation churches to worship together. At SOLA Network, we want to highlight the stories that show us new ways to approach old problems. We want to encourage churches and leaders to think differently about “the way things are” and find ways to pursue the kingdom of God together. 

We are proud to present an interview that Steve Chang, SOLA Council chairman, conducted with  Pastor Paul Kim and Pastor John Cha of Open Door Presbyterian Church in Herndon. Pastor Paul Kim is the lead pastor of the Korean-speaking Congregation, while Pastor John Cha was the previous lead pastor of the English-speaking Congregation and is now the Congregational Care pastor. 

In their wide-ranging conversation, the group discusses the journey ODPC made in becoming “1 Vision, 2 Households, 1 Family.” They talk about how the leaders of both congregations interact regularly, how the two lead pastors share power, giving the English-speaking congregation the 9:30am worship slot, their mission as a church, how to appreciate what the other congregation is doing, and plans for the future of the church.

Video and transcript:

https://sola.network/article/how-immigrant-and-second-generation-churches-can-coexist/

For more on Open Door Presbyterian Church, check out our previous interview with John Cha, in which he discusses in more detail how their church structure came to be:

https://sola.network/article/interview-interdependent-church/

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