Rev. Eugene Cho

Picture from Eugene Cho's website.

Here's an Asian American you should know about: Rev. Eugene Cho. Here are some things about him.

Eugene Cho is a Korean-American who is a prominent figure within the evangelical world. Born in Seoul from parents who were from North Korea, Cho immigrated to San Francisco, growing up there. He received a MDiv at Princeton Theological Seminary. He founded Quest Church, a multiethnic and multigenerational church in Seattle and was a senior pastor there from 2001 to 2018; his first year as a pastor was difficult, yet formative, as he did not receive a pastor's salary and worked as a janitor at a Barnes & Noble shop to support himself. Through years of discernment, Cho decided to step down as senior pastor, discerning that he was too spread in doing other ministries to faithfully and effectively pastor the church.

Speaking of his other ministries, Cho founded and is executive director of One Day's Wage, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending global poverty. His travels to developing countries and seeing the actual poverty, yet the enduring spirit of people lead him and his family to begin simplifying their lives by selling excessive possessions and only keeping the essentials and saving money for three years to donate their 2009 income of $68,000. Not wanting to stop there, he founded One Day's Wage as a way to encourage others to do the same through simple giving (that is, a one day's wage) and to partner with various communities to provide support in ending poverty.

Cho will be president-elect of Bread for the World, a non-profit advocacy organization founded by a small group of Protestants and Catholics who wanted to affect U.S. and other nations' policies that will end world hunger. Cho is set to become president in July 2020, succeeding founder and president David Beckmann.

Cho has written two books: Overrated: Are We More in Love with the Idea of Changing the World Than Actually Changing the World? (2014) and Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk: A Christian's Guide to Engaging Politics (2020).

Cho continues to pursue his passion of encouraging a wide range of audience - church, pastors, non-profits, leaders, missionaries, and justice workers - to preach the Gospel, mentor in leadership, pursue justice, and work to bring the Kingdom here on earth.

His personal bio:

https://eugenecho.com/my-story/