Esther (Sook Hyung) Kim, a Southern Baptist missionary to Philippines, died July 16 after suffering a heart attack. She was 64.
Kim was attending a team meeting when she began to feel ill and went to a local hospital for care. Hospital staff revived her after she collapsed on site, but she did not regain consciousness.
Born in Seoul, Kim and her husband, Joseph (Dae), had moved to the United States, where they became U.S. citizens and served in local church ministry. They were commissioned by the International Mission Board as mid-term missionaries to the Philippines in 2022. They were sent by Korean Baptist Church of Greenville, N.C. They have served as church planters, working in discipleship, and as liaisons with the Korean Baptist Convention.
“The Kims, coming out later in life, are an inspiration to all,” said missionary Jess Jennings, who has served with his wife, Wendy, as the Kims’ supervisor. “Esther could have easily retired and then spent time with grandkids, but they chose to come and work in a hard place. Wendy and I visited them several times in their home and were able to experience Esther’s hospitality and see firsthand their ministry. They were a team, always going together.
“Esther’s joy was contagious!” Jennings added. “Esther loved to play her ukulele and teach the children songs. The kids loved it too!”
Jennings sat with the Kims at the hospital during the medical crisis and her death. He shared how he saw faith in the middle of great sorrow.
“Joseph held her hand, sang two hymns, prayed and then he told her, ‘You were the greatest missionary ever,’” Jennings shared.
The Kims have been known for their deep passion for missions, moved by the history of missionaries who took the Gospel to South Korea, resulting in their own family having a heritage of Christian faith. They shared that through short-term mission trips, they felt God call them to take the Gospel to the nations, and that He would use their gifts for His work.
In addition to their own cross-cultural experience of moving from South Korea to the U.S., the Kims served on short-term mission trips to East Asia, Southeast Asia and South America. In the U.S., they regularly looked for opportunities to interact with other internationals – Filipinos, Vietnamese, Chinese, South Asians and others – drawn by their common experiences. They befriended many internationals, welcomed them into their home, loved them and shared the Gospel with them.
“Our hearts are heavy with the news of Esther’s passing,” IMB President Paul Chitwood said. “She was a bright light to her family, our team, and as she shined the light of Christ to the lost world in Asia. Just as the Gospel brings hope wherever it is shared, it brings hope in the midst of loss and grief. I know that Esther’s husband, Joseph, and their children are more confident in that hope today than ever before.”
Esther earned a bachelor’s degree in art education from Bak Suk University in South Korea in 1989. She and her husband also gained evangelism training through the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and regularly shared the Gospel with others. In addition to her work as a missionary, Esther had worked as an art teacher and preschool director, and she served as a prayer team leader and Bible study director.
She is survived by her husband, Joseph Kim; two sons, John Kim and his wife, Brandi Kim, and Joshua Kim; and two grandchildren, Olivia Kim and Sofia Kim.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
