March 13, 2007

NEW YORK – The Rev. Jimmy Seong G. Lim has been elected as the next Executive Director of the Council of Churches of City of New York. He assumes his new responsibilities April 1 following the retirement of the Rev. Dr. John E. Hiemstra who has significantly strengthened the Council during his nearly 13-year leadership, since 1994.

Jimmy Lim was elected by the Council's Board of Directors at its regular meeting on January 18 following the "enthusiastic" recommendation of the Council's officers whom the Board had designated as a transition team.

No stranger to the Council, he will bring to his new position not only his youthful energy and enthusiasm, but extraordinary skills and experience which have been honed as a member of the Council's staff for the past 8 years. His vision for the future of ecumenical leadership in this City is a source of excitement for the Council's leaders.

Rev. Lim joined the Council's staff as Executive Assistant in 1999 and became its Program Director in 2001. In that capacity he not only managed the daily operations of the Council's varied programs, but trained staff for career and professional development. He developed and strengthened many ecclesial relationships of the Council and, in the Care to the Caregivers Interfaith Project, recruited over 1,000 Protestant pastors and lay leaders who were trained in trauma counseling and pastoral care.

He conceived, launched and continues to edit Leadership New York, the Council's semi-annual magazine which is mailed to over 20,000 pastors in the metropolitan area. Rev. Lim was instrumental in restructuring the Council's awards banquet into an annual gala attended by over 400 – and bringing the Council over $50,000 in annual revenue after expenses. He also led the transformation of the Pastors Conference, which had generally attracted about 100 attendees, into an event capable of commanding an attendance of 1,000.

He has represented the Council well in a variety of settings, including government, community and interfaith relationships. The Council's new Korean American and Spanish American Committees are the fruits of his vision and labor.

In 2004-2005, as chairperson of the Billy Graham Crusade Language Committee, he mobilized and coordinated 21 different language communities – including Spanish, Chinese and Korean – which were responsible for bringing 40% of the total 242,000 people who attended the Billy Graham Greater New York Crusade in 2005.

Last year, he was named Associate Executive Director and assumed more of the administrative responsibilities for the Council's important work.

Jimmy Lim is a graduate of Nyack College where he was awarded his B.A. in Philosophy, cum laude, in 1998. He continued his studies at Alliance Theological Seminary and earned his Master of Divinity degree from New Brunswick Theological Seminary in 2002. He is a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree at New York Theological Seminary.

He serves on the Board of Trustees of New Brunswick Theological Seminary and as an adjunct faculty member at New York Theological Seminary teaching master's degree candidates. He is ordained in the Reformed Church in America and previously served both the Arumdaun Presbyterian Church in Bethpage, Long Island, and the Reformed Church in Closter, New Jersey.

Council of Churches of the City of New York