I am pleased to announce that I intend to appoint the Rev. Dr. Se Hee Han as the next Superintendent of the Hawaii District of the California-Pacific Conference, effective July 1, 2015. She follows the Rev. Dr. Tom Choi who will be assuming a local church appointment after 5 years of faithful ministry as the Hawaii District Superintendent.

The Rev. Dr. Han has a long and distinguished pastoral ministry in the California-Pacific Conference having served as an associate pastor at the Norwalk Korean Evangelical United Methodist Church, at West Los Angeles United Methodist Church, as well as at First United Methodist Church of Santa Monica. She has been the senior pastor of North Glendale, El Segundo, and Culver Palms United Methodist Churches. Wherever she has served she has done so with humility and strength. She has been a pioneer in cross-cultural ministry.

Her strong administrative gifts led to her 8 years of service on the Conference Council of Finance and Administration and 10 years of service on the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Order of Elders and as Chair of the West District Committee on Ordained Ministry.

Dr. Han’s connectional church leadership also includes having been elected to serve as the President of the National Korean American Clergywomen’s Association, as an alternate delegate to the General Conference (2000) and as a Jurisdictional delegate (2000). 

Having served numerous cross-racial appointments throughout the California-Pacific Conference with excellence, Dr. Han was elected as the President of the National Association of Korean-American United Methodist Pastors Serving a Cross-Racial and Cross-Cultural Appointment. This general church leadership role enabled her to lead the effort that produced
 the Manual for Korean-American United Methodists Serving a Cross-Racial Appointment, a manual today used as an important and helpful resource throughout the denomination.

Rev. Han earned a Bachelor’s degree from Sejong University (Seoul, Korea), a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena, CA) and a Doctor of Missiology at Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena, CA).

Our sister Se Hee will strengthen our Cabinet and I have no doubt that she will be a faithful extension of the episcopal office as the spiritual and temporal leader of the Hawaii District. I am eternally thankful for our Brother Tom and his years of faithful service, and now thankful for our sister Se Hee as she begins her new ministry. Let us hold them close in our prayers in this time of transition.

Peace,

Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño
Los Angeles Area Resident Bishop
The United Methodist Church