Bishop Jeremiah J. Park
Jeremiah J. Park was born on July 4, 1952, in Jae Chun, Korea. He graduated from Seoul Methodist Theological School, as an honor student, with a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1973 and cum laude from the Theological School of Drew University with the M.Div. degree in 1979.
He received his D. Min. degree from the same school in 1990.
Jeremiah was ordained deacon by Bishop C. Dale White in 1979 (Northern New Jersey Annual Conference) and elder by Bishop Joseph H. Yeakel in 1981 (Western New York Annual Conference). For nine years he served as pastor in Rochester, New York and Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. From 1988 to 1994 he served the Multi-Ethnic Center for Ministry of the Northeastern Jurisdiction, as Associate Director. From 1994 to 1996 he served as Associate Council Director and then as Council Director for two years in the Northern New Jersey Annual Conference. During his tenure on staff of the conference, he was instrumental in raising funds for building a Memorial Chapel in memory of Henry G. Appenzeller, the first Methodist missionary from America to Korea, at Aldersgate Center in Swartswood, New Jersey. In 1998 he became the District Superintendent of the Hudson District of the Northern New Jersey Annual Conference, which was changed to the Palisades District in 2000. He was District Superintendent when he was elected bishop.
Jeremiah was first elected a delegate to the Jurisdictional Conference in 1996. He was elected a delegate to the General Conference in 2000 and 2004. He served on the Vision Table, Program and Arrangements Committee, Board of Directors of the Multi-Ethnic Center for Ministry, and the Korean-American Mission of the Northeastern Jurisdiction (NEJ). He served as Chairperson of the Conference Commission on Religion and Race and the Multi-Ethnic Ministries Coordinating Committee.
Upon his election to the episcopacy by the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference in 2004, Jeremiah was assigned as Resident Bishop of the New York Area. In 2012 Jeremiah was assigned as Resident Bishop of the Harrisburg Area. He also serves as Presiding Bishop of the Mongolian Mission and the NEJ Korean-American Mission and as President of the General Commission on Archives and History.
He enjoys singing, tennis, hiking, travel and spending time with his children and their families.
Bishop Park began his leadership of the Susquehanna Conference, Harrisburg Area, September 1, 2012.