KPCNJ (now, PCNJ) was founded on August 13, 1972 in Palisades Park, NJ by Reverend Samuel Chang-kil Kim. With a congregation comprised primarily of Korean immigrants, PCNJ established roots in the spiritual and community fabric of Palisades Park, Bergen County, and New Jersey.
With time, PCNJ’s population of youth and young adult members flourished, resulting in a greater need for and establishment of formal spiritual guidance and education. The formation of a Sunday School program and Junior and Senior High Youth Groups helped meet this need through age-appropriate worship services, Bible studies, retreats, outreach/missions trips, and weekly fellowship activities.
A steadily and rapidly increasing number of second generation Korean-Americans and their peers prompted PCNJ to then establish an adult English Ministry. On September 1, 1994, Rev. Danny Han was called to serve as PCNJ’s English Ministry and Youth Pastor. Rev. Han envisioned and established JOY Christian Fellowship as PCNJ’s new English Ministry. Five years later, on October 31, 1999, with the full blessing and support of Rev. Kim, JOY was established as an independent, second-generation Korean-American / Asian-American church.
On August 5, 2001 Rev. Stephen Kim was called as new EM Pastor. Rev. Stephen Kim continued to serve the EM for nine years until January 2010.
On April 2010, Rev. Paul Jang was called as EM Pastor after having served in Youth Group for six years and Christian Education for two. A year later, on June 2011, with the opening of PCNJ’s newly constructed Oakland campus facilities, PCNJ EM left its historical home at the Palisades Park campus and moved to join and support the larger PCNJ congregation at the Oakland site.
Beginning January 2013, Rev. Jang and members of PCNJ EM began to meet weekly for the specific purpose of envisioning, planning, and praying through the launch of a new second worship service at its former Palisades Park campus. Rev. Jang felt strongly that God was calling the EM into a new season of spiritual rejuvenation, desire, and deepning. This time of self-reflection and prayer resulted in the commissioning of a new name for the EM:
Restore Fellowship.
Restore Fellowship is excited to announce that its new second worship service is slated for Sunday, June 23 at 5:00 PM at its Palisades Park location.