the spiritual climate on campus
the team was Pauline Kim Han, Har-
vard GSE ’04, who reaches out to
college students in Philadelphia, in-
cluding ones attending the Universi-
ty of Pennsylvania.
A fervent heart for missionary
endeavors arose from Rebekah Kim’s
love for college students. As a student
at Seoul National University, Kim
embraced Christ after curiosity com-
pelled her to attend a Bible study on
Genesis. “It was so clear. God an-
swered my questions,” said Kim, who
was raised in Confucian tradition.
Since that commitment as a junior
in February 1971, God has “blessed
and used me,” Kim said.
Later, after adjusting some life and
career paths, Kim earned a second
bachelor’s degree in art history from
UC Santa Cruz, plus a master of di-
vinity from Golden Gate Baptist
Theological Seminary.
While preparing to relocate to
France, Kim met her future husband
while visiting family in Los Angeles.
“I surrendered my life to God com-
pletely to be a pastor’s wife,” she said.
In March 1981, the couple start-
ed Berkland Baptist Church in a
neighborhood on the border of Berke-
ley and Oakland. “Ever since then, I
have had a special heart for college
students,” said Kim.
A decade later, a former Berkeley
student sent a desperate plea for spir-
itual support after transferring to
Harvard University, where she lacked
vibrant Christian community, includ-
ing a collegiate church.
By January 1991, the Berkeley
congregation had exploded to 500
worshippers. Thus, with two children
in tow, the Kims planted Berkland
Baptist Church-Boston, a house of
worship they later renamed Antioch.
In 1998, Rebekah Kim became a
chaplain at Harvard, seven years after
establishing an Asian Baptist Student
Koinonia chapter. In a nod to Har-
vard’s heritage, Kim likes to say she
is following benefactor John Harvard’s
vision to train ministers.
In 2011, the Kims handed off
direct leadership of Antioch to David
and Angela Suh Um, Harvard ’92,
MPP ’94, founder of the Boston Ac-
ademic Consulting Group.
Antioch’s team also includes Dan
Cho, the church’s longtime college
Director and a fellow Southern Bap-
tist chaplain at Harvard. As well, Cho,
Harvard ’96, Yale STM ’05, is Asia
Director for The Veritas Forum.
Ever mindful of her lifelong call-
ing to serve as Christ’s ambassador,
Kim also is pursuing a doctorate from
nearby Gordon-Conwell Theological
Seminary.
“God gave me clear direction, a
heart for college students for the rest
of my life,” she said. | cu
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ha r v a r d ne w s - in - b r ie f
Medical Researchers
Note Value of
Spiritual Factor
48
A team of Harvard University
researchers recently highlighted
studies pointing to the value of
spiritual approaches to medical
care and the broad beneficial
relationship between religious
participation and health.
In the JAMA Viewpoint
article, a team affiliated with
Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of
Public Health and Medical School
recapped evidence suggesting
patient health and life quality
could improve with greater
attention to spiritual health from
physicians. As part of social
histories, doctors could ask about
spiritual support systems and use
such details in future care. Patients
often take strength and solace from
spirituality, the authors wrote in
the July article.
“Godless Harvard”
Harvard University’s student
newspaper recently highlighted
the history of mandatory church
attendance on campus.
In October, The Harvard
Crimson explained how Rev.
Francis Peabody pushed to end
compulsory participation in
morning prayers. The Harvard
alumnus of 1869 and 1872 noted
the practice reminded him of
preaching stints inside the now-
defunct Charlestown State Prison.
Protests to the attendance
polices started as early as 1866.
Students complained such
practices dated back to state-
enforced regulations when church
absences were considered as solid
proof of ungodliness, akin to
“dancing or card-playing.”
On the day the requirement
lifted in 1886, some students said
Harvard re-earned its nickname of
“Godless Harvard,” a moniker that
surfaced a century prior.