Meet Our Pastor

Pastor Sungmu Lee is an ordained elder in the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. He was appointed pastor to our church in July 2022 after serving as pastor at First & Wesley United Methodist Church in West Haven, Connecticut, from July 2014 to June 2022; at Bay Shore United Methodist Church in Long Island, New York, from July 2005 to June 2014; and at Ridges-Roxbury/Springdale United Methodist Church in Stamford, Connecticut, from July 1998 to June 2005.

Pastor Lee’s pastoral focus is on recovering the original message of Jesus Christ. Even though there have been so many Christian Churches for 2,000 years, human society has not fully reflected the love and inclusiveness of Jesus Christ. Pastor Lee emphasizes that Jesus was crucified because (ironically speaking) he was too inclusive, and that he was resurrected to save all the people in the world, including those who many of us think should be excluded from the circle of salvation. Being Christians means becoming the followers of Jesus Christ. Becoming his followers means thinking and acting like Jesus Christ. Pastor Lee’s motto is “Let us practice what we confess at the church,” which represents the Practical Divinity of John Wesley.

Pastor Lee holds degrees from Drew University (PhD, M.Div.) in New Jersey; Methodist Theological Seminary (MTh) in Seoul, Korea; and Dankook University (BE) in Seoul. He had taught “Introduction to Preaching” at New Brunswick Theological Seminary and “Introduction to Preaching and Worship” at New York Theological Seminary. He had served for the Ecumenical Group for Eucharistic Sharing with the Episcopal Dioceses of New York.

Pastor Lee’s scholastic/research interests lie in the area of liturgical inculturation. He has published several scholarly articles that demonstrate the great potential for each Church to experience God more effectively through its own ways. Among those are Eucharistic Aspects in the Korean Food Tradition {Journal of Asian and Asian American Theology Vol. IX (2009), 101-118}, The Eucharist and the Confucian Chesa {Worship Vol. 82 (July, 2008), 323-338}, and [Bongsan Mask Dance Drama into Protestant Worship] {[Theological Thought Vol. 140] (Spring, 2008), 275-300}. It is his hope that the fruits of his work will open the gates not only for Korean Christians but also for other ethnic Christian groups to connect Christian faith with their own cultures, create unique theologies for their own churches, and practice the faith in their life.

Pastor Sungmu Lee