Rev. Steve grew up in equal parts Los Angeles, San Diego and Hawaii.  Perhaps this is why for the most part, he is pretty laid back.  However, he is quietly intense and passionate in his pursuit of Jesus Christ.  There is no higher calling than to be a disciple of Jesus.  His purpose in life is to love Christ and call others to the love of Christ and to a life of discipleship.

Steve is husband to Suzana and father to Naila and Garrett, the three people who keep him grounded and most teach him the love of God.

He received his M. Div. from Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, a B.A. from Oberlin College (OH), and a high school diploma from Punahou School (HI).  He was ordained as a full elder in the United Methodist Church in June, 2011.  He has been pastoring at Kardia UMC since July, 2008, and has also served in churches in Hawaii and Los Angeles.

He enjoys hanging out with his family, playing bass guitar, and doing CrossFit.

You can reach Pastor Steve at stephen.kim@kardiachurch.org

or follow him on Twitter: Follow @stephenbkim

Commissioned Probationary Deacon
Pastor of Specialized Ministry

This is Pastor Carol’s 7th year as Pastor and now Associate Pastor of this congregation. Her background includes an Early Childhood Education degree, a BS in Business Management, and a Master of Divinity degree in 2002 from Fuller Seminary. She has served as the Preschool Director for 17 years and as the Church Business Administrator for over 25 years. She also served as the church Christian Education Director which included children, youth, and adults.

Older Adult Ministries and pastoral care are two of Pastor Carol’s great passions. She served the California-Pacific Conference through her work in the Leadership Development Office for over 15 years. In addition, she is on the Conference Commission on Equitable Compensation Committee and also on the Los Angeles District Personnel and Nominations Committee. She co-leads women’s retreats sponsored by the St. James UMC in Pasadena (where she did her pastoral internship) as well as lead Labyrinth walks.

She has a son, Erik; a daughter, Lisa; a son-in-law, Derek; and three grandsons – John, Quintin, and Paxton.

You can reach Pastor Carol at carolsmayer@aol.com.

Suzana was born in S. Korea but grew up in Paraguay and Los Angeles.  Her father was a church planter which allowed him to take the family to various destinations to pursue his mission for the Lord.  Her passion for Christ and children grew from seeing firsthand the intense commitment and servitude her parents exhibited for God.  She loves seeing children grow in faith and living out the Word.

Suzana received her M.A. in Intercultural Studies in the School of World Mission at Fuller Theological Seminary.  She received her B.S. at UC Irvine in Criminology/Social Justice and a minor in Psychology and Social Behavior.  She has served in various ministries as a Children’s Pastor for over 10 years.

Aside from her love for Jesus, her greatest joy is her family (Steve, her husband and her two children, Naila and Garrett).  She likes spending time with friends, eating spicy foods, watching good movies and curling up with a good book.

You can reach Pastor Suzana at suzana.kim@kardiachurch.org.

Jane was born in Los Alamitos, California but has lived in Korea, Ohio, San Francisco, Oakland, and now Los Angeles. She grew up surrounded by music and worship as a young child and carried those melodies with her throughout the ups and downs of her personal faith journey. She is continuously inspired by God’s deep and unfailing love to sing her own heart’s songs and worship at His feet, and desires an ever increasing freedom and joy that comes from living for the Lord. Jane received her B.A. in History at Oberlin College and has a background in faith-based community organizing and non-profit administration in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Asian American Studies at UCLA and hopes to teach Asian American history at the college level.  When she’s not hitting the books, writing papers, or worshiping at Kardia, Jane enjoys playing soccer, watching Conan re-runs, and performing her own music in coffee shops, at open mics, on rooftops, and in venues that encourage community-building and social change.