Meet Our Team
We the staff at the University Presbyterian Church, would like to introduce ourselves so that when you come to worship with us, you’ll already know a few friendly faces. It is our pleasure to serve you and we look forward to meeting you.
Rev. Dr. Soon Chung: Lead Pastor
Pastor Soon has been the senior pastor at UPC since its inception. He completed his undergraduate studies in Political Science at UCLA, then went on to study at Princeton Seminary, and received his doctorate from Gordon-Conwell Seminary. Pastor Soon enjoys going out to eat, traveling, watching UCLA games and attending his son’s track and field events.
Contact: info@upcla.org
Rev. Yvonne Ash: Associate Pastor
Pastor Yvonne focuses on pastoral care and the executive aspects of the church. She grew up mainly in Virginia, went to Princeton Seminary and came to UPC for her first job after seminary and has been here ever since. She enjoys unwinding with friends over coffee and living life to the fullest with her husband and two young kids.
Contact: yvonne@upcla.org
Stephen Kim: Worship Leader
Stephen Kim is serving as the Interim Worship Director. He graduated with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering at UCLA in 2017 and has volunteered at UPC since his undergrad years on the worship team, Agape (undergrad) and youth ministries. His hobbies include playing music, snowboarding, and video games.
Contact: stephen@upcla.org
Esther Chung: Christian Education Director
Esther supervises and plans for the Christian education programs for the church. Esther holds a B.A. from King’s College and M.A. in Christian Education from Princeton Seminary. Esther is mother of four grown children and in her free time, she enjoys music, cooking, and reading.
Contact: esther@upcla.org
Jinhee Lee: Interim Administrator
Jinhee Lee graduated UCLA with her Ph.D. in 2019 and has served UPC as a small group leader, a Sunday school teacher, and a deacon since she joined UPC. She is a mother of two beautiful girls who are often very loud and wild. In her free time, she loves to walk the neighborhood and watch Korean TV shows.
Contact: info@upcla.org
Esther Kim: Bookkeeper, Choir Director
Esther Kim keeps the church in good financial order as the bookkeeper and directs the UPC choir. She has done financial accounting for various companies for 3 years and is currently also pursuing her MA in Conducting. She enjoys quietly relaxing during her leisure time.
Contact: finance@upcla.org
Dan Kim: Youth Assistant Director, Seminary Apprentice
Dan Kim serves the youth group and small group ministries. He’s currently a graduate student at Fuller Theological Seminary and on a journey to discern God’s calling in his life. He and his wife Hayoung joined UPC in 2022 and are novice parents to two young children. These days, Dan enjoys video games, gardening, and video games about gardening.
Contact: info@upcla.org
Hayoung Kim: Administrator
Contact: info@upcla.org