About Our Church

History

On November 5, 1995, a group of 31 people, including Gwonsa Pok S. Park and Deacon Kum S. Park assembled together and invited the Rev. David Bae to initiate the first worship service to form a fellowship congregation in Ft. Walton Beach.

On November 26, 1995, a formal congregation meeting was met to adopt the bi-laws and formed a steering committee. On December 3, permission to use the First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Walton Beach was given by the Presbytery of Florida.

On August 21, 1996, the Presbytery of Florida of the Presbyterian Church USA received our church as its NCD church (New Church Development), and recognized Rev. David Bae as the pastor.

On May 13, 1997, the Presbytery of Florida approved the chartering of the Korean NCD to organize the Korean First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Walton Beach.

On June 8, a service was held where the Presbytery of Florida to formally organize the First Korean Presbyterian Church of Ft. Walton Beach and to install Rev. David Bae as the Pastor.

On December 29, 1998, a new church building was purchased. The purchase was made with a grant from the Presbytery of Florida and a loan from the Presbyterian Church General Assembly.

On February, 1999, Rev. David Bae resigned, and on June 27, Rev. Kwang H. Chung was appointed as the Pastor. On April 9, 2000, a special service was held for dedication of the church building and installation of Rev. Kwang H. Chung.

On January 6, 2002, a resolution was adopted by the congregation to construct a new sanctuary.

Rev. Joseph Chung

After graduating Sung Kyul University, Ahn Yang, Korea in 1982, Rev. Chung attended Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Seoul and graduated in 1985. In 1991 he came to the United States and attended Columbia Theological Seminary.

He served the Korean Presbyterian Church of Valdosta, GA from 1991 to 1994, and the Korean Presbyterian Church of Radcliff, KY from 1994 to 1999. In June 1999, Rev. Chung was installed as pastor of the Korean First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Walton Beach.

Rev. Chung has served as Chairman of the Kentuckian Korean Churches Association and as Moderator of the Korean Presbyterian Council, Synod of Living Waters (PCUSA). Since 2001 he has been serving as the Chairman of K.P.C., Synod of South Atlantic & Synod of Living Waters. Locally Rev. Chung is serving as the Chairman of Gulf Coast Korean Ministers Association of Florida.

Rev Chung retired on 31 August 2020. For three months the church was led by a temporary pastor from the Florida Presbytery. 

Rev. Kim was selected and installed as pastor of the Korean First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Walton Beach in January 2021.