Korean National Conference 2026
The Korean National Conference recently gathered for a time of worship, fellowship and discernment, celebrating the vibrant contribution of our Korean members.
July 28, 2026
By Rev Dr Kevin Kim, Minister, Trinity UCA Brighton and Chairperson, Korean National Conference
The 2026 Korean National Conference took place from 20–22 July in Belgrave, Victoria, and brought together nearly 50 participants who shared three days of worship, storytelling, and fellowship.
The conference’s theme, “This is my story, this is my song”, invited delegates to reflect on the journeys that shape our identity as migrants, pastors, and members of the wider Uniting Church. Stories carry remarkable strength, especially for those who live and serve in a land that is not their place of origin.
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Many of our members have spent years navigating language, culture, and belonging in Australia. Their stories and the songs that arise from them are testimonies of resilience, lament, gratitude and praise. Six speakers from diverse backgrounds in Korean-speaking ministry, English-speaking ministry, second-generation leadership, and CALD leadership shared openly from their lives. Listening to their stories and singing their songs together created a deep sense of connection.
Many participants described this gathering as the best we have ever had. As Conference Chairperson, I felt profoundly happy and proud to serve at a time when our community was able to share such meaningful experiences.
On the final day, I preached on the theme of “New Songs” and shared a part of my own story. I reflected on how a song becomes new not because it was recently written but because it awakens something new within us. Even an old song like Boney M’s “Rivers of Babylon,” rooted in Psalm 137, can become a new song when its meaning is freshly discovered or when it resonates with our present struggles and hopes. I also recalled a simple English song I learned in 1984 from young American Christian soldiers who volunteered at my rural primary school in South Korea. Their commitment shaped my worldview and eventually guided me toward ministry in Australia. Songs have the power to summon memories, people, places, and moments of grace. They remind us that God continues to work through the stories etched into our lives.
Throughout the retreat, I hoped our members would hear one another’s stories, whether spoken, unspoken, remembered, or long forgotten, and recognise them as God’s quiet work in each life. What we shared were not merely human experiences. They were testimonies of God’s faithfulness.
As we return to our ministries, some to unfamiliar settings, some to intergenerational challenges, and some to the delicate work of bridging cultures, we carry with us the assurance that no place is too foreign or too difficult to sing the Lord’s song. In Christ, every story can become a new song. Our diverse journeys form a single harmony before God, who has called us into this land and continues to shape us as a community of hope. These are our stories, and these are our songs. I am grateful to have served as chairperson during this gathering, and I look forward to seeing how God will continue to work through the stories and songs of our community in the years ahead.
Rev Dr Kevin Kim
Chairperson, Korean National Conference
Minister, Trinity UCA Brighton
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