James Choung has been selected as InterVarsity’s national Asian American Ministries director. The announcement was made by Paula Fuller, vice president and director of Multiethnic Ministries. He replaces Jennifer Ikoma-Motzko, who has served as interim Asian American Ministries coordinator for the past year. James started his new position on July 13, 2009.
James has served on staff with InterVarsity for the last 14 years and most recently was the divisional director for the San Diego Division in Southern California. James is also a faculty associate teaching on missional leadership development and evangelism at Bethel Seminary in San Diego. He serves on the advisory panel of Leading Outreach, a part of Christianity Today International. He has also written True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In and its companion booklet, Based on a True Story (both InterVarsity Press, 2008).
Jim Lundgren, InterVarsity’s senior vice president and director of Collegiate Ministries, said that James has been well prepared for this position by his previous InterVarsity experience. “As divisional director for San Diego, James focused his gifts of leadership and evangelism in creative ways that blessed staff and expanded our effectiveness on campus,” he said. “I look forward to seeing him use his gifts in partnership with regional staff directors across the country, developing Asian American staff, and widening our ministry with Asian American students and faculty.”
Preceding James as Asian American Ministries director was Paul Tokunaga, who is currently vice president and director of Strategic Ministries. “I’m very excited about James’s appointment,” he said. “James has been closely involved with Asian American Ministries for years—directing AA student conferences, serving on the AA Coordinating Team, and hiring and supervising many AA staff. James will bring vision, strategic thinking, passion for students, and creativity to this role.”
James was born in Chicago, grew up in Seattle, and attended college in Massachusetts. He studied management science and marketing at MIT. He then attended Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he received a Masters of Divinity. Along the way he pastored a church plant in Cambridge, MA, and served a pastoral internship at an English-speaking church in Seoul, South Korea. James earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, writing his dissertation on postmodern leadership development. He blogs at www.jameschoung.net.
