As a refugee during the Korean War, Bishop Hae-Jong Kim found a spiritual haven in the United Methodist Church.

He eventually left South Korea and made his way to Cranberry, but never left the church.

Kim will retire Sept. 1, leaving his post as leader of some 900 churches in Western Pennsylvania and return to New Jersey, where he began his ministry. He was the founder of nearly 20 Korean American churches.

"One of his premier accomplishments has been the ability to increase the number of Korean Americans in the congregation," said the Rev. Larry Homitsky, a colleague and council steward.

"Now Korean American churches in the northeast are some of the fastest-growing churches we have."

Kim was 17 when he was introduced to the United Methodist faith by an American chaplain, John Muller. A refugee from Seoul, South Korea, Kim was working for American soldiers as a houseboy when Muller asked for his help as an interpreter.

"That's when I began my faith journey," Kim said.

Kim, who had a working knowledge of English, would stay up all night, laboriously translating Muller's sermons into Korean. In time, he began not just to interpret the words, but also to internalize them. Already a Christian, Kim decided after nearly six months that he wanted to follow in Muller's footsteps and become a minister.

After he finished high school, Kim started attending seminary in South Korea, and Muller invited him to the United States to continue his studies. Kim made the move, attending seminary first in Ohio and then in New Jersey. There he met his future wife and settled in for 30 years, raising a family and establishing churches to serve the growing Korean population in New Jersey and New York.

Kim rose through church ranks, from pastor to district superintendent until finally he became the first Korean to be named as bishop. At each level, his leadership expanded over a wider area.

Upon his retirement, he was one of 68 bishops, overseeing the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference. The United Methodist Church in the United States is split into 50 such conferences, each covering a wide geographic area.

In Western Pennsylvania, not only did Kim oversee the many pastors and their congregations, he also established two Korean churches, one in Pittsburgh and one in Johnstown.

Over his years of service, Kim has watched spiritual attitudes evolve away from the church. When he began to serve in New Jersey, Kim said, more people were naturally drawn to churches.

The challenge facing church leaders everywhere, Kim said, is "to keep your church growing and vital and spiritually alive."

He will miss Western Pennsylvania, which is a strong, growing conference, he said. And he will miss the routine of a bishop, visiting churches -- sometimes two -- every Sunday, and worshipping with the congregations.

Still, he looks forward to retirement, spending time with hobbies such as painting, photography and poetry. And in New Jersey he will be close to his two sons, who are both United Methodist ministers.

Even in retirement, Kim will continue serving the church. He will teach part time as a bishop- in-residence at Drew Theological School in New Jersey, where he earned his Ph.D. in ministry. And he expects his early experience working with Korean-American churches to be helpful to others.

"I'm sure I'll be called upon to do a lot of consulting, especially in Korean churches," Kim said. "I think I still have a lot to offer."