Since July 1st, 2024, Rev. TaeWon Kang (TaeWon or Pastor TaeWon) has served the Middleburg-Rectortown cooperative parish in the Virginia Conference, the United Methodist Church (UMC). He is a native Korean and also a Korean-American. He was born and raised in Korea and came to the United States in 2007. He is a graduate of the Methodist Theological University in Seoul, Korea (B.A. in Theology, and Th.M in Systematic Theology) and Emory University’s Candler School of Theology (M.Div. in Theology and Ethics). He was ordained as an elder in the Korean Methodist Church (KMC) in 2005. He came to the United States in 2007 to attend Emory University’s Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, Georgia, where he received a Master of Divinity in 2010.
In 2016, pastor TaeWon was appointed to Bethel-Emmauel United Methodist Churches in Lancaster County, Virginia. It was his first appointment at the Virginia Conference. Before that appointment, he had been a hospital chaplain at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia after pastoring for five years at Huntsville Korean UMC in the North Alabama Conference. In 2018, he was recognized as an elder in the Virginia Conference, the UMC. His clergy membership was transferred into the Virginia Conference, the UMC from the KMC. He served Walmsley Blvd UMC and Greenwood UMC in the Three Notch’d District before coming here, Middleburg-Rectortown Cooperative Parish in the Shenandoah River District, the Virginia Conference.
In Korea, and the United States, his passion for ministry is to help people to find God’s image, which is their authentic image imprinted by the hands of God, and to care for people in need through the love of Christ. The image of God has been revealed to all lives in and through Jesus Christ, his entire life, his ministries and teachings, his suffering and death, and his resurrection and ascension. Therefore, Pastor TaeWon’s passion for ministry is briefly summarized as bringing, including, and nurturing people into Jesus Christ and sending them out into the world. His preaching, and pastoral works are Jesus-centered and people-oriented. It’s been very well articulated in the mission statement of the UMC: “Make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
TaeWon likes reading, reflecting, and writing about various topics such as theology, religious belief and faith, history, social justice, spirituality, climate change, global politics, etc. He likes walking and hiking. He loves God’s creation world and reflects on scriptural passages. He prays daily for the Church and people in need and suffering. Experiencing various types of brokenness that people, societies, and even churches face, he prays for healing, inclusiveness, reconciliation, and unity. He also likes watching sports games. European Football leagues and Major League Baseball are his favorite sports games. Whenever he has time, he loves spending time with his spouse, MiRhang. She’s also a clergy member and is now the associate pastor at Good Shepherd UMC in Dale City, VA. MiRhang and TaeWon are lovers of camping and hiking.
Lastly, Rev. TaeWon Kang welcomes all those who would like and seek to love God, serve people in need, and grow together into the image of Jesus Christ. He’d like to help all those who want to know more about Jesus. Therefore, he invites all, “Come and join us here at Middleburg United Methodist Church. Let us worship together, let us serve together, and let us grow together!” He looks forward to meeting and seeing you.
