Commission on the General Conference
For Immediate Release
April 19, 2026
Commission elects Worship Director for GC 2028
Nashville, Tenn. – The Commission on the General Conference has elected YoungKwang “YK” Jun of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference as Worship and Music Director for the 2028 General Conference of The United Methodist Church. Jun will lead worship planning and implementation for the global gathering of the denomination’s top policy-making body, which convenes in May 2028.
The selection followed a thorough discernment process led by the Commission’s Worship Committee which included five bishops assigned by The Council of Bishops to participate in the work: Bishop Connie Shelton, Bishop Carlo Rapanut, Bishop Israel Maestrado Painit, Bishop Robin Deese, and Bishop David Bard. Two lay members of the Commission’s Program Committee — Deaconess Cindy Saufferer and Mr. Rommel Montiel — also contributed. A total of 15 candidates applied for the position, which included video submissions of them leading worship; five were interviewed via Zoom expounding on their submitted materials and answering questions regarding their worship leadership and theological understanding.
“YK has incredible references, incredible experience, real strength of gifts, and a great reputation around The United Methodist Church,” said Rev. Joy Barrett, chair of the Commission’s Program Committee. “He has experience with large-event worship planning and leading, working alongside bishops, worship committees, musicians, liturgists, and production teams. He is deeply committed to the global and multicultural identity of The United Methodist Church — and that was evident in our conversations with him, in the materials he submitted, and in the input received from his references.”
In his application, Jun noted that it will “be a profound honor to contribute to the worship life of The United Methodist Church at such a significant gathering of our global faith community. I am passionate about shaping worship that reflects the breadth of our connection, integrating multicultural and multilingual musical expressions in ways that foster participation and embody the worldwide character of our church. I understand worship leadership as inherently communal — a practice rooted in trust, resilience, and collaboration.”
He also shared that he believes “conference worship carries a calling to faithfully embody our theological vision — offering liturgical experiences that hold together unity and diversity, reverence and vitality, tradition, and creativity. Grounded in a Wesleyan understanding of worship, I approach this with particular attentiveness to the sacramental life of the church and our theology of Holy Communion as an open table, a place where diversity is not merely acknowledged but graciously embraced.”
“I love the awareness that the Worship Committee brought to this — to make sure that the person who leads our worship has a global mindset about how to lead worship and how to use music effectively,” Barrett continued. “To center worship not as something we do between the business, but as the core of who we are as United Methodists when we gather. YK spoke of General Conference worship not simply as something we fit into the schedule, but as the experience that forms us as the body of Christ and enables us to do the work that is entrusted to us. It is truly a joy that the Holy Spirit was at work among us, because the choice was very clear.”
A music director and worship creative based in Metuchen, NJ, Jun brings extensive experience across congregational and denominational ministry settings. He currently serves as the Conference Music Director for the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference and has previously held that position for the Upper New York Annual Conference and the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference. His past denominational support includes serving as the worship music coordinator for United Women in Faith’s virtual Mission U event and as a vetting member for the CCLI Top 100 + Beyond Project through Discipleship Ministries.
Jun holds a Master of Arts in Ministry from Drew Theological School and a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Education from Methodist Theological University in Seoul, South Korea. He is a recipient of the Lester Berenbroick Award in Church Music from Drew Theological School and the Fellowship Seminarian Award from The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts.
“While we have confidence in the Worship Committee’s discernment and are excited about YK joining us in our work, we acknowledge that this is an undertaking that is bigger than one person,” shared the Secretary of the General Conference, Rev. Dr. Aleze Fulbright. “With Jun’s position in place, conversations will ensue to ensure there is a team created, both by Jun and in coordination with the Program Committee, to support the role and work both now and as General Conference begins.”
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About General Conference
General Conference is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church, which meets once every four years. The conference can revise church law, as well as adopt resolutions on current moral, social, public policy, and economic issues. It also approves plans and budgets for church-wide programs. Get resources and updates at umcgc.org. Members can follow the Commission on Facebook for updates or email [email protected] with questions.
About The United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a worldwide connection of close to 10 million members in over 100 countries, with a presence in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States. United Methodists are people of God who share a common mission and values. The church and its members are called to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We reach out to a hurting world through a dedicated focus on mission and ministry. Our tagline “Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.” reflects who we are and how we seek to put our faith into action. Learn more at umc.org.
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