Rev. In-Sook Hwang, who has served in leadership roles in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference and on the General Board of Discipleship, was the guest speaker for the Western PA Conference’s annual ethnic clergy retreat early in May. Her focus was on spiritual formation.
“I have been passionate about three areas in my ministry,” Rev. Hwang said. “One is disciple-making through short-term and long term Bible studies. The second one is spiritual formation. I was very blessed to complete the Two-Year Academy for Spiritual Formation and contributed to create the Five-Day Academy for Spiritual Formation in my conference.
The third area she is passionate about is intercultural competency, making her an ideal leader for the ethnic pastors’ annual gathering.
Rev. Hwang’s home church in Korea nurtured her to be rooted in spiritual disciplines and centered in the life of the church. She said she “experienced the wilderness journey in the new life of USA.
"I was uprooted, displaced and disoriented. This wilderness journey created a sacred space in my heart to hear God's call and to surrender myself to God's guidance. After I responded to God's
call and became a clergy, I became reoriented toward a new spiritual journey as an ordained pastor,” she said.
Rev. Hwang has served both as a district superintendent and associate director of connection ministries in the Great Rivers Conference. She currently serves as pastor of Grace UMC in Carbondale, IL.