On Wednesday, October 31, Richard Kim concluded his role as the Intercultural Credibility Coordinator/Consultant at The Seattle School to invest fully in his new role as Racial Equity Consultant at Cultures Connecting. It’s hard for me to imagine (or even remember!) life here at The Seattle School without Richard Kim.
Eleven years ago Richard arrived as a student at Mars Hill Graduate School. Throughout those 11 years Richard—first as a student, then as an alum, and finally as alumni/staff—has labored alongside many of us here and many who have gone before to develop the value of Intercultural Credibility at The Seattle School.
Intercultural Credibility requires relationship and is an active commitment to becoming trustworthy through:
- The developing capacity to recognize the particular biased cultural contexts contributing to the formation of one’s sense of identity;
- Creating generous practices which engage others with courage, loving curiosity, and mutuality;
- Engaging robust theological discourse in light of Christian tradition(s) and relentlessly changing culture(s);
- Being faithfully present in the Way of Christ to expand communities and systems with an imagination for the biblical practice of Shalom.
Intercultural Credibility is an ongoing journey we are on as an institution and will be one of Richard’s enduring legacies here at The Seattle School. From curriculum to student life and underrepresented student programming, Humanity Through Community, institutional training and policy, the lives of students, and the communities our alumni serve, Richard’s impact is felt throughout our community. He has been our pastor, our mentor, and our friend all the time insisting “if we’re not making mistakes, we’re not doing the work.”
Read Richard’s letter to our community.
As a colleague in this space, I will miss Richard’s incredible intellect, his deep kindness and laughter, and our long conversations dreaming for the people—students, alumni, faculty and staff—who make this institution. As Dean of Student & Alumni I am thrilled, in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Spirit, to send Richard into the world as a husband, as a father, and as an alum of The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology to the people, the communities his life will touch.
Please join me in thanking, celebrating, and (s)ending Richard into his life post The Seattle School. In honor of Richard, we are compiling words, memories, poems, and other sentiments from all members of our Seattle School community. If you would like to offer your own words for Richard as he transitions to his new role with Cultures Connecting as Racial Equity Consultant, please email your reflections to studentsandalumni@theseattleschool.edu.
Thank you, Richard.
Paul D. Steinke
Vice President of Student & Alumni Development
Our staff family recently gathered to celebrate Richard and his family, and to surround them in warmth, love, and prayer as they embark on their next steps. Here are a few photos from that special day.
