- Pastor
- Pastor
- 203-374-6528
- shine153@gmail.com
Reverend Young Choi is grateful to God for using him as God’s instrument and calling him to serve in partnership with other disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
A native of South Korea, Rev. Choi grew up in the Korean Methodist tradition. His father is a retired Methodist pastor, and Rev. Choi received God’s call to ministry during his first year of high school. He came to the United States in 2002 and earned his Master of Divinity at Yale Divinity School, where he was trained to see and think theologically. While at Yale, he sang tenor in the Marquand Chapel Choir and was also a member of Bible Belters, a six-man a cappella group.
Rev. Choi is deeply committed to helping people integrate faith and daily life, emphasizing that true spirituality is not confined to the church but lived out in everyday experiences where we encounter God’s presence. He believes this ongoing journey toward holiness—way of perfection—is what John Wesley described as sanctification: a continual growth in grace and love. He emphasizes restoring sincerity toward God and neighbor, envisioning a church where wounded souls find healing and long-time believers continue to find meaning and renewal in their faith.
Within the New York Annual Conference, Rev. Choi has served as Lead Pastor at United Church of Westville (UMC) in New Haven for nine years, and as Associate Pastor at First Flushing UMC in Flushing for seven years. He served for seven years (through June 2025) as Chair of the District Committee on Ordained Ministry in the Connecticut District, and for three years as Co-Chair of the Conference Sessions Committee in the New York Conference. He currently serves on the Board of the United Methodist City Society.
Rev. Choi is fluent in both English and Korean. In his spare time, he enjoys walking, cycling, playing the piano, listening to classical music, and exploring astrophotography. His daily spiritual discipline is prayer and Bible reading.
Rev. Choi lives with his wife, Kyunghee Bae, and they have two children, a daughter and a son. Their daughter, Urim, graduated from the Parsons School of Design and now works full-time as a graphic designer. Their son, Joseph, is pursuing his Ph.D. at MIT.