Nurse leads Korean church’s vaccine ministry


Key points:

 • Bishop Sharma Lewis of the Virginia Conference encouraged her 1,100 congregations to organize Healthy Church Teams to coordinate pandemic-response efforts.

 • At Emmaus United Methodist Church, registered nurse Shin Hee Yu led a team that translated COVID-related information into Korean and encouraged members to be vaccinated.

 • By April 30, every member of the congregation age 12 and older was fully vaccinated. 


In March 2020, the world began responding to the threat of COVID-19, and churches and businesses temporarily shuttered their doors. Like many of his colleagues, the Rev. Chul-Ki Kim, pastor of Emmaus United Methodist Church in Richmond, Virginia, announced that in-person worship would be canceled starting March 15 and online services would begin.

The in-person service suspension, initially expected to last two weeks, stretched into four months. Bishop Sharma Lewis of the Virginia Conference encouraged her 1,100 congregations to organize Healthy Church Teams to coordinate pandemic-response efforts.

At Emmaus United Methodist Church, a Korean congregation, registered nurse Shin Hee Yu led an eight-member Healthy Church Team, which gradually expanded to 14 people.
Registered nurse Shin Hee Yu led the effort to vaccinate 100% of the members of her congregation at Emmaus United Methodist Church. Photo, courtesy of Shin Hee Yu.
Registered nurse Shin Hee Yu led the effort to vaccinate 100% of the members of her congregation at Emmaus United Methodist Church. Photo, courtesy of Shin Hee Yu.
The team translated COVID-related information and educational materials into Korean. The resources, provided by the annual conference, the state of Virginia and medical institutions, were delivered to the congregation through apps such as KakaoTalk. The team translated a detailed explanation of the coronavirus by Dr. Irene Ken.
  
Finally, following a Sunday drive-in service on June 7, 2020, Emmaus United Methodist Church resumed in-person services on July 12. The Healthy Church Team distributed guidelines in Korean to help the congregation prepare.

Various measures were taken to prevent spread of the disease. Church members completed a personal health checklist in Korean before attending in person. Other requirements included temperature checking, face-mask wearing and social distancing. Those who were not feeling well were urged to attend online services.
A member of the Healthy Church Team at Emmaus United Methodist Church checks the temperature of a member arriving to attend in-person service. Photo by the Rev. Thomas Kim, UM News.
A member of the Healthy Church Team at Emmaus United Methodist Church checks the temperature of a member arriving to attend in-person service. Photo by the Rev. Thomas Kim, UM News.
“Out of the 100 members of the church, there was no confirmed case of COVID-19,” Yu said.

However, in January, due to a spike in cases in the community, Emmaus made the decision to stop in-person services. 

When vaccinations for the public became available earlier this year, the Emmaus team changed its focus from sanitizing to vaccinating.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 175 million people, or 52.7% of Americans, have received at least one vaccination, and that more than 146 million people, or 44.1%, are fully vaccinated. 

“I contacted each of the elderly members of the church through the phone to encourage them to get vaccinated,” Yu said. “For those who were uncomfortable using computers or who did not feel comfortable to speak English, I let them know that I was able to help them to make their appointments for vaccinations through the internet.”

Prior to resuming in-person services on March 21, Yu informed the congregation that more than 70% of the prospective in-person worshippers were fully vaccinated. 

“This is the level at which herd immunity is possible, suggesting that it is relatively safe,” she said. Although the CDC said vaccinated people do not need to wear masks, the church urges all worshippers to continue to do so and to practice social distancing in worship and group meetings.
Members of Emmaus United Methodist Church worship together while following COVID-19 safety protocols in May. Members of the congregation wore face masks and practiced social distancing while a transparent screen stood in front of the altar. Photo by the Rev. Thomas Kim, UM News.
Members of Emmaus United Methodist Church worship together while following COVID-19 safety protocols in May. Members of the congregation wore face masks and practiced social distancing while a transparent screen stood in front of the altar. Photo by the Rev. Thomas Kim, UM News.
By March 31, 100% of members 65 years of age or older at Emmaus United Methodist Church were fully vaccinated. On April 1, all Sunday school teachers, Korean-language schoolteachers and church worship leaders completed their vaccinations.

When vaccinations for youth ages 12-16 became available, Yu and her team helped church young people to receive the vaccination. By April 30, every congregant age 12 and older was fully vaccinated. That's more than 100 people. 

“Having updated the vaccination status of the congregation,” Yu said, “I continued contacting local clinics and found any available vaccines because of a no-show or cancellation.”

Grace Bray, manager of The Little Clinic at Kroger, praised Yu's vaccination ministry.

“She has been a champion to getting her church members vaccinated safely and timely,” Bray said. “Her ministry helped not only the members of Emmaus and their families, but also our clinic.”

Kim is director of Korean and Asian news at United Methodist Communications. Contact him at 615-742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free Daily or Weekly Digests.

Like what you're reading? Support the ministry of UM News! Your support ensures the latest denominational news, dynamic stories and informative articles will continue to connect our global community. Make a tax-deductible donation at ResourceUMC.org/GiveUMCom.

Sign up for our newsletter!

Subscribe Now
Faith Stories
Bishop Bennie D. Warner, remembered for his faithful ministry and humility through rise and reversal, died Oct. 27 at age 89. Photo courtesy of Dignity Memorial / Hahn-Cook/Street & Draper Funeral Directors.

Bishop Warner remembered for humility in exile

After a military coup forced him out of his native Liberia, United Methodist Bishop Bennie Warner began ministry anew in the U.S. He died at age 89 after serving in Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Connectional Table
Ragghi Rain Calentine (left), a member of the Connectional Table and chairperson of the Native American International Caucus of The United Methodist Church, displays a Noohkom scarf during the Connectional Table’s Oct. 24-27 meeting in Dallas. Native American women carry the scarves to remind them that their grandmothers are always walking with them, especially during troubling times. Also pictured are North Katanga Area Bishop Mande Muyombo, chair of the Connectional Table, and Judi Kenaston, the leadership body’s chief connectional officer. Photo by Jim Patterson, UM News.

Connectional Table plans for work ahead

Members of the Connectional Table — most of whom are new to the United Methodist leadership body — met for an orientation that focused on regionalization, rejecting colonial attitudes and plans for “a new future.”
Church Leadership
The Rev. Dr. Javier A. Viera. Photo courtesy of Garrett Seminary.

To revitalize the church, we must invest in deacons

The United Methodist Church cannot continue to treat deacons as a second class within the ordination hierarchy.

United Methodist Communications is an agency of The United Methodist Church

©2024 United Methodist Communications. All Rights Reserved