Incoming Leaders
Celebrating New Ministry Leadership
The Free Methodist Church in Southern California celebrates God’s work in raising up new leaders to guide our congregations and ministries. This page honors those who have completed significant milestones in their ministry journey and will be recognized during Annual Conference 2025. These faithful servants represent the ongoing story of God’s leadership provision from generation to generation.
Mia Shin
As a high school freshman I was tricked into going to a Friday night bible study. While trying to figure out a way to get a ride back home, someone asked to share the gospel with me. The overwhelming sense of God’s love was something I had never experienced before, and I was hooked. I never saw that stranger again (she was also visiting that night) but I’m grateful that she took advantage of the opportunity to share about Jesus with me. It wasn’t until I went to college that I fell in love with Jesus in the Scriptures and decided to get baptized.
How did the Spirit guide you to your current ministry and what has God called you to do through your ministry?
My husband and I, both in different countries, heard the call to ministry through the gospels of Luke and John. It was very early in our marriage and we were excited that God confirmed the call to both of us so clearly. I was to be a fisher of men and my husband was to take care of and feed the sheep. Many years later, I see how my experiences as a woman and a Korean have both equipped me to minister to the marginalized. I have a deep empathy for those who are “othered” and crave opportunities to express God’s love to them.
How did you come to first be involved with the Free Methodist Church and why have you chosen to continue your ministry in the Free Methodist Church?
In 2020, God led me to a cohort of Asian American Women Pastors. I knew I found my space of belonging as I fellowshipped with these very skilled and gifted women who were never given opportunities to serve in their church contexts. God began to open doors to two women-affirming denominations, one of which was FMC. I had never heard of FMC before but through the intentional care and guidance of several women pastors, I was able to find discover that it shares a lot of the same values I had formed throughout my faith journey. The connections and care came through Lydia Choi, Van Manivanh, Sally Lee, and Soo Ji Alvarez, all Asian-American women who truly desire to see the full expression of God through my life. The five core values of FMC truly resonate with me and I hope to carry those values in tangible ways in my community.