Staff

Dr. Stephen Um

Senior Minister

Dr. Stephen Um

Senior Minister

Stephen Um (Ph.D., University of St. Andrews) is the senior minister of Citylife Presbyterian Church in Boston, MA. He serves as a Council member with The Gospel Coalition, a trainer for Redeemer City to City, and an adjunct professor in New Testament at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. For the past 28 years, Stephen and his wife, have been involved in several Presbyterian Churches throughout the Northeastern part of the country. He is the author of The Kingdom of God, Why Cities Matter (Crossway, 2013), the commentary on 1 Corinthians from the Preaching the Word series (2015), and Micah for You (Good Book Company, 2018). His sermons and resources are available online at The Center for Gospel Culture.

pastor@citylifeboston.org

Dr. Richard Lints

Theologian in Residence

Dr. Richard Lints

Theologian in Residence

Dr. Lints is the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Hamilton Campus. He originally joined the Gordon-Conwell faculty in 1986 having previously served as Lecturer in Philosophical Theology at Trinity College in Bristol, UK. He served as Professor of Systematic and Philosophical Theology from 1994 until his appointment as Andrew Mutch Distinguished Professor of Theology in 2008. He has also taught at several other colleges and theological schools, including Yale Divinity School, the University of Notre Dame, Westminster Theological Seminary and Reformed Theological Seminary.

Rev. David Cho

Associate Pastor of Ministerial Development

Rev. David Cho

Associate Pastor of Ministerial Development

David Cho is an Associate Pastor at Citylife Presbyterian Church, Boston, MA. After completing his B.A. in Economics and Comparative Religion at Tufts University, David resumed his studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he completed his M.Div. in 2007. His greatest passion is to see the gospel of grace reach both Christians and non-Christians. He currently resides in Boston with his wife Sharon, daughter Madeleine (4) and son Gabriel (2).

david@citylifeboston.org

Rev. Timothy Chang

Campus Pastor - Chestnut Hill

Rev. Timothy Chang

Campus Pastor - Chestnut Hill

Tim grew up in New York City (first five years in Brooklyn and then in Staten Island through high school). He has been in the Greater Boston area since 2004. Although he considers Boston his home, you’ll never see Tim cheer for any of the area sports teams as his allegiances still remain with New York. Tim enjoys good food – quantity over quality – and a hearty laugh. He and his wife Ji live in Newton, MA.

tim@citylifeboston.org

Rev. Justin Ruddy

Assistant Minister and Director of Community Groups - Boston

Rev. Justin Ruddy

Assistant Minister and Director of Community Groups - Boston

Justin is originally from the rusty city of Scranton, PA, but has called Boston home for the last decade. He is an alumnus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (Th.M.) and serves on staff at Citylife Presbyterian Church. His interests include theology, songwriting, fiction, film and baseball.

justin@citylifeboston.org

Rev. Andrew Kerhoulas

Assistant Pastor and Director of Spiritual Formation and Music - Boston

Rev. Andrew Kerhoulas

Assistant Pastor and Director of Spiritual Formation and Music - Boston

After growing up in the mountains of NC, Andrew studied Music and Bible/theology at Asbury University. Andrew then spent three years at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div. ’12). There he met Anne, whom he married in ’13. Andrew is an assistant pastor and the music director for our Boston campus. In addition to seeing God’s grace change all kinds of people, Andrew enjoys trying his hand at songwriting, running, commuting on his bike, and drinking coffee.

andrew@citylifeboston.org

Rev. Daniel Paik

Assistant Pastor, Director of University, Welcoming and Missions - Boston

Rev. Daniel Paik

Assistant Pastor, Director of University, Welcoming and Missions - Boston

Daniel is originally from South Carolina, where he earned a B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy at the Univ. of S. Carolina. After graduating, Daniel worked for a year with CRU in Beirut, Lebanon before moving to Boston in 2011 to study at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he obtained his M.Div a few years later. He developed a heart for ministry in global cities during his college years and has come to appreciate Boston as his home. He and his wife Jenn live in East Boston. Daniel’s interests include theology, sports, and traveling.

daniel@citylifeboston.org

Rev. Benjamin Bae

Assistant Pastor and Music Director - Chestnut Hill

Rev. Benjamin Bae

Assistant Pastor and Music Director - Chestnut Hill

Ben is currently serving at the Chestnut Hill campus as an Assistant Pastor and Music Director. After graduating from the University of Southern California, Ben moved to the east coast to pursue his theological studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he received his M.Div (2014) and Th.M (2016). He is currently residing in Newton, MA with his wife, Jeanie, and daughter, Karis.

ben@citylifeboston.org

Isaac Bruning

Director of Mercy Ministry - Boston

Isaac Bruning

Director of Mercy Ministry - Boston

The son of a military family, Isaac grew up in many parts of the U.S. and beyond. He met his wife, Lynn, in Arkansas at Harding University, where he completed his B.A. and a Master of Science in Marriage and Family Ministry. The Brunings moved to the Boston area in 2015 for Isaac to study at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div. ’18). Isaac’s passion for seeing the image of God in people inspires his enjoyment of making and developing photographs. He and Lynn live in Boston and love—among many other things—good stories, the great outdoors, and their dog, Lazarus.

isaac@citylifeboston.org

Sam Lee

Sound Engineer and Operations Coordinator - Boston

Sam Lee

Sound Engineer and Operations Coordinator - Boston

After graduating from Hanyang University in South Korea with a B.S. in Electronic Engineering, Sam was called to music ministry. In 2004, he moved to Boston to obtain musical training on Jazz Composition and Performance at Berklee College of Music where he studied with the likes of John Lockwood, Steve Rochinski, Matt Garrison, Jetro da Silva, and Greg Hopkins. Sam has performed at many notable venues such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, Blue Note, and Scullers with many different artists. He continues to be very active in New England and NYC music scene as a bassist, sound/recording engineer, and composer. Sam’s vision is to reach out to non-Christian musicians as a bridge between them and Jesus Christ.

samjx@hotmail.com

Kevin Keating

Youth Coordinator - Chestnut Hill

Kevin Keating

Youth Coordinator - Chestnut Hill

Although born in Chicago, Kevin spent most of his life in Iowa, where he received his B.A in English/Education. He came out to Boston to study at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he received his M.Div. Kevin is constantly in the process of making things, whether it’s a board game to play with friends, an epic poem to perform at an open mic, or a play-area for his cat, Batman, to enjoy – engaging in creative work is one of the key ways he experiences awe in his Creator and connection to others.

kevin.keating@citylifeboston.org

Jennifer Paik

Children's Ministry Administrator - Boston

Jennifer Paik

Children's Ministry Administrator - Boston

Jennifer is originally from Southern California, but moved to Boston to earn her B.A. in Biology from Boston University. With a growing love for the city, Jennifer stayed to pursue a Masters in Public Health from Tufts University and has called Boston her home for over 7 years. She currently works as a research analyst for a health care agency. In her spare time, Jennifer likes to eat pizza, watch various documentaries, and explore restaurants in her new neighborhood of East Boston.

jennifer@citylifeboston.org

Hanna Chen

Children's Ministry Coordinator - Chestnut Hill

Hanna Chen

Children's Ministry Coordinator - Chestnut Hill

Hanna and her family moved from California to the Boston area during the summer of 2014 and not long after, began attending Citylife Chestnut Hill. She has been in the field of education since getting her M.S.Ed at UPenn, after which she taught abroad and most recently at the Child Study Center at Wellesley College. She also served as a children’s ministry coordinator while attending church in Berkeley, all the while raising her two children with her husband, Stephen. In her free time, Hanna enjoys cooking, crafts, and exploring the outdoors with her family.

hanna@citylifeboston.org

Andres Gonzalez

Sound Engineer - Chestnut Hill

Andres Gonzalez

Sound Engineer - Chestnut Hill

Growing up in Medellin, Colombia, Andres studied music and devoted most of his time to soundcrafting and recording. In the summer of 2015 Andres moved with his wife and 2 children to Boston to attend Berklee College Of Music where he finished his studies in Music Production and Engineering.

agonzalezcardona@berklee.edu