East Asian Leadership Initiative

The East Asian Leadership Initiative seeks to train and equip East Asian leaders for the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. We focus on engaging leaders across East Asia who serve both in theological education and the local church. Specific attention will be given to the contextual training of leaders within their own nations as well as those who have relocated to urban centers outside of the East Asian context

Important Projects:

  • Developing Master/Doctoral Degrees in Korea, China, Japan, Indonesia, and Malaysia
  • Developing a Biblical Counseling Certificate in Korean and in various languages
  • Providing Biblical Counseling Conferences and Pastoral Preaching Conferences for Asian-American leaders
  • Providing Short-term Mission Trip and Education in East Asia and Southeast Asia
  • Providing various opportunities to join on campus for Asian students
  • Hosting the annual North Korea Seminar

Why is the East Asian Leadership Initiative necessary?

Out of 7.6 billion people living on Earth, approximately 4.5 billion people are Asians. In addition, East Asians comprise around 1.6 billion people, making up about 38% of the population in Continental Asia and 22% of the global population. However, with the exception of South Korea, it is one of the hardest places to spread the Word of God: China with Communist government, Japan with polytheistic and socio-cultural religious backgrounds and other nations with their own unique cultural backgrounds. This is why the Global Theological Initiative (GTI) is vital in spreading the Word of God. It not only brings the gospel to the lost world but also targets and trains leaders of their own background and culture. The East Asian Leadership Initiative seeks to broaden relationships with East Asian countries by developing new partnerships and training leaders through our Southeastern’s education in their context.

“I am very excited about our East Asian Leadership Initiative. It has been my prayer for some time that God would use Southeastern to impact the East Asian community both here in the United States and around the world. We are thankful to have Minwoo on board to help determine and guide us in the best pathways for that impact to become a greater reality.” – Danny Akin

Minwoo Jang

Director for East Asian Leadership Initiative 

 

Minwoo Jang serves as the director of the East Asian Leadership Initiative at Southeastern Theological Seminary. He is passionate about raising and training local leaders in East and Southeast Asia. Additionally, he is interested in providing education for Asian second-generation individuals who are born and raised in the United States. Minwoo develops diverse educational curricula to equip Asian church leaders and consults on various theological curricula and methods that can be applied to local ministry.

Minwoo Jang holds a M.Div. and a Th.M. with a focus on the Old Testament from SEBTS. Currently, he is pursuing an Ed.D. program at the same institution. He felt called by God for ministry, leading to his ordination in 2014. He serves Asian churches in North Carolina. Minwoo enjoys music, coffee, woodcraft, and cooking. Above all, he values socializing with people and is passionate about equipping individuals as leaders in the Kingdom of God.

Seong-Ju Lee

Administrative Assistant

Born and raised in Daegu, South Korea, Seong-Ju obtained his BA in Business Administration from Emporia State University in Kansas. Afterward, he graduated with a Master of Divinity (M.Div) from Southeastern. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education (Ed.D) at the same institution. In addition to his studies, Seong-Ju serves at a local Korean church in their English ministry. He speaks Korean, Japanese, and English. Seong-Ju has a love for spicy foods, crooner-style jazz music, basketball, and playing the guitar.

 

Jiwon Mun

Marketing & Events Specialist

Born and raised in Daejeon, South Korea, Jiwon obtained her BA in English and Christian Education at Korea Baptist Theological University. She is currently pursuing an MA in Family, Marriage, and Individual Counseling at SEBTS. She has been serving a local Korean church in their Children’s ministry. She enjoys experiencing different cultures and exploring new places.