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- [Don Carson] Tim and I had begun a friendship in 2002 and I took the fast
train into New York City just to have a casual lunch with Tim.
And we were asking ourselves about the desirability of constructing some sort of
organization or organ that would serve as a rallying point for confessional
Christians in the Reformed Heritage.
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- [Speaker] The Gospel Coalition is a group of mostly pastors who are deeply
committed to the gospel as presented in the Bible.
- [Tim Keller] If the Gospel Coalition is successful, I think you're going to see a
greater relationship between national American evangelical Christians
and the international.
Secondly, the newer generation of younger evangelical leaders that needs to be
mentored and needs to be empowered is going to be a multi-ethnic group of folks.
And so, the Gospel Coalition is not just looking to preserve the past,
but it's really looking to take the gospel into the future.
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- [Julius Kim] I first heard about TGC probably actually when it started.
Several of my friends were getting involved with this organization.
And frankly, when I first heard about it, I was really excited for it because I
think it represented, for me, a lot of things that I really care about.
Gospel centrality, the importance of Reformed Theology,
it's missional heart.
But I think for me, most importantly of all that, a desire for like-minded
Christians to work together for a common purpose, a common kingdom purpose.
In God's providence, the Lord brought together these
amazing leaders, pastors, and scholars to work together for the sake
of the gospel.
And I've been so encouraged to see how it's grown.
And now, to be a part of it, when I joined the council about five
years ago, just to be a part of this amazing organization and what it's trying
to do, I've just been honored and thrilled to be a part of this organization.
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- [Ted Hamilton] Julius, I think, is uniquely gifted for this new role.
Anybody that knows Julius knows he's enthusiastic, he's outgoing,
he's optimistic, and he's a visionary.
- [Michael Horton] You need a leader, someone a team wants
to follow, that's Julius.
But you also need somebody who follows in the trail of Don Carson and Tim Keller
as a pastor-scholar, and that's exactly what Julius Kim is.
He trains pastors to preach Christ.
He not only preaches Christ himself, and I've been with him all around the
world watching him do that so beautifully.
- [Joel Kim] As a teacher of preacher, Julius has been for the last 20 years.
And as he continues to labor in preparing men and women for Christ's service,
I believe that this is an incredible convergence of timing,
his gifts as a teacher, his gifts as a preacher,
and his love for the Church.
- [Robin Lee] I think it matters that he's a Korean American.
He's a second-generation Korean American.
And to have somebody like Julius who understands what it means to live in two
different worlds and to speak two different languages,
but I think that is who he is and it is going to create
an incredible opportunity immediately.
So, it makes the organization, it makes the information,
it makes conferences much more accessible and for people to feel like,
"This is for me."
- [Ji Hee Kim] It's very exciting.
And I'm very excited for him because I do think that all the ways in which God has
been preparing him, shaping him, training him, teaching him along the way,
has brought him to be able to be used and in such a way, hopefully,
that will further God's kingdom and the gospel.
- [Emma Kim] It's everything that he knows and loves coming together.
- [Phoebe Kim] When I first heard about it, at first, I was like,
"You're going to be the president of a website?"
But then he explained to us more.
And when he finished talking and we were all sitting down as a family,
my first thought was, "Go for it."
- [Emma Kim] I just know that a lot of people have been impacted by, like,
the different things that have been going on, like, the speakers, the workshops,
the books, everything that comes out of the TGC people have been really
blessed by it.
- [Phoebe Kim] I'm really excited to see where the Lord takes him in this endeavor.
And I think, yeah, I think we're going to have a really fun time.
- [Julius Kim] And at this point in my life, as I've reflected upon this now as a
Christian thinking about my identity, not just as a Korean American but as a
Korean-American Christian, I thought about the priority of my
Christian identity and how important that is.
Because of the work of Christ, this is not our home.
Christ has granted us entrance into his heavenly home.
But in the meantime, as sojourners, as pilgrims, as those on this journey,
Christ gives us his spirit, his grace, his wisdom, his word,
to help others who are on the way to not lose sight, to not lose hope,
to not be discouraged when they encounter the suffering, the persecution,
the trials, the tribulations of a pilgrim existence of not feeling at home.
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What advice would you give me as I take this mantle?
What do I need to know?
- [Don Carson] I think that there are certain values that a new president of the
Coalition needs to maintain.
You need to remember that this is The Gospel Coalition.
That's meant to be more than a label.
We're driven by a deep, faithful, biblically-structured understanding
of what the gospel is.
When Paul says that he wants to remind the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 15 of the
matters of first importance, what he mentions first is the gospel.
So, this is The Gospel Coalition.
That's the first thing.
The second, you are dealing with a council, with a board of some
surprisingly gifted people.
Work with them.
Learn from them.
You don't know enough, neither do I, nor does any other single person there.
The strength is in the group together.
- [Julius Kim] That's wonderful.
I think it's great.
Basically, what you're saying, remember the gospel.
That's the foundation.
But also remember we're a coalition.
It's not a gospel individual, it's not a gospel institution,
but it's the gospel coalition of like-minded, gifted men who want to work
together and that together somehow we can do something well.
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