Jae, born and raised in South Korea, came to the U.S. to learn English and promised himself that he would never marry an American while being there. Jesslyn, the fourth generation to be born and raised on the family farm, promised herself that she would never live far from home.
Thankfully, the Lord had a different plan for them.
Jae and Jesslyn met each other while they studied at a Christian college and later got married after graduation. A month after their wedding day, they packed everything they owned and moved to Korea. In the four years they lived there, Jae served as an intelligence officer/translator in the Republic of Korea Army while Jesslyn taught English to children.
It was while serving Seoul Covenant Church (IPC) in Korea that Jae and Jesslyn grew to cherish the church even more. They learned what it meant for the church to be a family of God on mission together. They learned what it meant to grow together as the body of Christ rooted and established in his Word.
​
As Jae’s sense of call to the ministry deepened while serving as a pastoral intern there, he and his family moved back to the U.S. after fulfilling his military service obligation to begin his M.Div. program at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary.
Over the years, the Lord has blessed them with three wonderful children: Chaelyn, Zion, and one on the way.
Jae graduated from seminary in May 2024 and is ordained by the Southeast Alabama Presbytery (PCA).
​
In November 2024, the Park Family moved back to South Korea to establish Grace Presbyterian Church in Pyeongtaek near Camp Humphreys. Aspiring to be an international, bilingual church plant, Grace Presbyterian Church will be accessible to both English and Korean speakers, ministering to Koreans, U.S. military personnel, and internationals.
