Rev. Jung Min Kim, Pastor
Pastor Jung Min Kim was born and raised in a Methodist pastor’s family in South Korea. At the age of 13, he encountered God personally and dreamed of ministry, so studied theology at Methodist Theological University and the New Testament at Yonsei University Graduate School of Theology in Korea. In 2002 he came to the United States to study further for his M. Div. at Claremont School of Theology.
Pastor Kim has had various experiences in children’s, youth, college, young adult and adult ministry in Korea and the United States. Until recently, he planted a new church and experienced various fruits by God.
Pastor Jung Min believes that we are a diverse community of believers who will achieve unity in Christ. Rather than saying you are wrong because you are different from me, he wants us to be a church that recognizes, respects, and embraces each other for who we are.
Ruhi Nathan, Office Manager
Born and raised in New Delhi, India, Ruhi graduated from St. Stephen’s College in Delhi, with a Master’s degree in history. Having worked for a year in India, she moved to the United States in 1991 with her husband, Ronald. Sunnyvale United Methodist Church was the first church she attended and has continued to worship here ever since.
Ruhi and Ronald have been married for over 30 years and their children, Nikita and Tanay, along with their dog, Teddy, are the joys of her life. Ruhi is a news junkie, likes to read, travel and collect coins.
Terry Won, Bookkeeper
Terry Won was born in South Korea and immigrated to the United States with his parents as a teenager. He received his B.S. in Business Administration (Concentration in Accounting) from San Jose State University. He has worked as an accountant at a variety of companies and retired in 2010. Prior to his work experience, he served in the United States Army for 3 years.
He has been a long time member of United Methodist Church in San Jose. He is extremely passionate about serving as a volunteer on short-term mission trips. Terry has been married to his wife Michelle for 38 years and has 2 married sons. Outside of church, you can typically find Terry on a beautiful golf course or with his grand-daughter.
Pastor Bayani Alkuino, Youth Pastor
Pastor Bayani Alkuino is a native of the Philippines. Served in the fulltime ministry in the Philippines for more than 12 years. Appointed as District Superintendent in Eastern Visayas District of the Visayas Philippines Annual Conference for 2 years. Graduate of Master of Divinity in Union Theological Seminary, in Dasmarinas, Cavite, Philippines.
Ministry experiences include: Company Bible Study, youth music ministry, youth and adult small group ministry, neighborhood bible study, urban and rural mission, hospital and home visitation, and many others.
Blessed with a loving wife, Grace, and three wonderful kids, Blessy (15), Bryce (12) and Brynn (5).
Pastor Bayani believes that success in the ministry is a blessing and grace from God as it is said in Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Sarah Jeyapalan, Children Education Director
I was born and raised in Chennai, a major coastal city located in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. I along with my two younger sisters, Chris and Isabel, were raised by my parents with strong Christian values. We attended a Christian school and college, where we graduated with engineering degrees in computer science. One of my fondest memories growing up was to attend Sunday school and VBS.
In January 2008, after my marriage to Simon, I moved to Sunnyvale, California. While trying to get accustomed to the new community, I was fortunate to discover FUMC. It provided me with comfort, warmth, love, and strength as I walked through various phases of my life, including the birth of our son Jayce.
I was overjoyed when the pastor at that time encouraged me to volunteer as a teacher in Sunday school to help children grow in their faith with Christ. It helped me continue giving back what I received. In May 2015, I was provided with the opportunity to lead the children’s Christian education program.
It is an honor and privilege for me to step into the role of Children’s Ministry Director at SUMC. I look forward to working with the children as they learn to walk in the path of the Lord.
Grace Lee, Accompanist
After earning a Bachelor of Music at Sookmyung Women’s University, Grace Lee moved to the United States to pursue further education at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, where she earned both her master’s and doctoral degrees in piano performance. Additionally, she obtained a performance diploma from Southern Methodist University.
Prior to joining Sunnyvale UMC, she worked at several churches in Ohio and Texas as a music director or choir accompanist. She also volunteered as a Sunday school teacher and choir member.
Deborah Witt, Site Manager for the Senior Nutrition Program
Prior to joining our team, Debbie worked with West Valley Community Services in Cupertino, first as a volunteer and then was hired to be the Community Health Coordinator. Debbie managed the food pantry, worked with the grocery rescue program, and supervised over 150 volunteers. Her catering background and experience working with seniors is a great addition to our team.
Debbie and her husband Jim live in San Jose with their two dogs, Sherlock and Basil. Debbie enjoys baking, cooking, home improvement projects and spending time with her family.