I began my faith journey at Geochang High School in Gyeongsangnam-do and grew in faith while serving in the Student Christian Movement (SCM) at Chung-Ang University. Afterward, I served in the U.S. 8th Army and worked for about six years at an advertising company called Dongbang Planning. 

In February 1993, I served for three years as a lay professional missionary with Food for the Hungry International (FHI), an organization that shares the gospel along with bread. I worked in emergency relief teams in eastern Africa (Somalia, Tanzania, and Zaire—now the Democratic Republic of Congo), handling customs clearance, procurement, distribution, and communication for medicines and various relief supplies. Working alongside missionaries of many nationalities was a precious opportunity for the Korean church to repay, even in a small way, the debt of love it owes to the global church. 

After completing three years of ministry in eastern Africa, I moved to the UK in 1996 to study business administration and theology (equivalent to an American MDiv). Especially at Wales Evangelical Theological College, I learned the importance of orthodox, conservative, reformed, and evangelical theology, as well as the urgency of practical theology in pastoral ministry and missions. While there, I met and fellowshipped with senior Korean pastors who were also studying, and through those interactions, I became convinced that only the gospel can truly transform an individual’s or a group’s thoughts and ideology. I resolved that future mission work should focus solely on proclaiming the gospel, planting churches, and discipling believers. Additionally, I concluded that being ordained as a pastor recognized by a denomination would be more effective for long-term, smooth gospel proclamation and church-planting ministry. 

In 2001, I moved to the United States and completed a Master of Divinity at Evangelia University, affiliated with the Korean Presbyterian Church in America (Koshin). In 2003, I was ordained by the Western Presbytery under the General Assembly. That same year, in October, I was officially appointed by the General Assembly as an Amazon missionary. I arrived in São Paulo, Brazil, in January 2004 and served at Philadelphia Church under the South America Presbytery, spending one year learning Portuguese and adapting to Brazilian culture. 

At the end of January 2005, I settled in my current ministry location—Tabatinga, at the tri-border area where Brazil, Colombia, and Peru meet. Since then, I have been co-laboring with Missionary Kwang-Soo Kang. Together we organized the Tri-Border Gospel Mission (Missionária Evangélica Tri-Fronteira – MET), established and have been operating the Tri-Border Bible Institute, and continue to carry out theological training and church-planting ministry. 

My family consists of my wife, Missionary Chang-In Kim, and our only son, Heemun. Our son currently lives in Houston working at an architectural firm. 

Though we are insufficient, we desire to live the remainder of our lives solely for the Lord and the gospel, so as not to bring dishonor to the name of the Triune God who has called us to be workers in saving lost souls in the Amazon region and building His kingdom. 

November 2025  

-Missionary Hongku Kim