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By Christine Kumar
UMConnection Staff

Rev. Nak Hwan Kim danced for God for the first time in his life during his visit to the Baltimore Washington Conference.

'I never dance like this in my country,' said Kim, who is leader of an exchange program between the Baltimore-Washington Conference and Korea?s Nambu South Conference. 'We are too shy,' he said.

Kim and seven other pastors came to the Baltimore Washington Conference to share innovative ideas about discipleship with local churches and attend the 223rd session of annual conference.

Bishop Ki Bok Lee and his wife Mee Hye Lee joined the pastors at annual conference. Bishop and Mrs. Lee and Bishop Schol and Beverly Schol exchanged gifts during the plenary session Thursday.

Upon their arrival in the United States in mid-May, the pastors were immersed in activities with host families, clergy and laity, and visiting local churches. They attended worship, homeless shelters, weddings and Stephen Ministries, and engaged in conversations with church leaders. They also toured Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

'In Korea we preach on the street and go to people?s homes to talk about God,' remarked Lee?s colleague, the Rev. Doo Shik Park. 'Here it seems that people are ministering to each other inside the church.'

Park had baptized 20,000 soldiers who wanted to transform their lives to a Christ-centered life.

Audrey Saunders, member of Queen?s Chapel UMC, hosted a pastor and his wife. 'I had a great time with them,' she said. 'It?s good to spread the word and get to know different people of different cultures. The common denominator is God.'

The relationship between the Nambu South Conference of the Korean Methodist Church and the Baltimore-Washington Conference is the result of a covenant partnership between the two conferences that occurred last July during the World Methodist Conference in Seoul, Korea.

Bishop John R. Schol and Sunk Young Kwak signed the document that stretches and binds both continents to brother and sisterhood, to share each other?s ministries, music and culture.

Rev. Jim Hyung Lee was impressed with the organized structure of the American church. 'Even the education system seems so organized here,' he said.

Park attended an American wedding while he stayed with his host family. 'It was so quiet,' he commented. 'In Korea, the weddings are noisy.'

'This covenant relationship gives a chance to think about how we do church in some other ways,' said the Rev. Rod Miller. 'It can help us develop aspects of our own tradition which we have not emphasized, but would make us a stronger community.'