Mother Lee-Pae was born and raised in a faithful Anglican family in Korea. Her great-grandfather was among the first generation of Korean priests of the Anglican church of Korea, and he died in North Korea during the Korean War for the sake of his faith in Christ. This significantly influenced Mother Lee-Pae’s identity as a Christian. She obtained Th.M. from Ewha Woman’s University in Korea and worked for faith formation of children, youth, and lay people as a diocesan staff in Seoul. She participated as a young adult delegate in many kinds of Anglican and ecumenical conferences, widening her views on theology and various religious practices. Her experiences of staying in various faith communities like Quaker Study Center and Anglican convents in England, Taizé community in France, and L’abri in Netherland and meeting with North Korean refugees in China and indigenous Africans in Kenya, have been important parts of her spiritual journey.
Volunteering at slum in Korea, Mother Lee-Pae met Anglican priests who dedicated their lives for the poor and they inspired her to devote her life to God. She worked for the Sharing House in Seoul which served migrant workers in the area. She visited a mosque every week to reach out to Muslim migrant workers who were neglected by other Christian agencies because of their religion. She also worked for the Graduate school of Theology at Ewha Woman’s University as an administrator. Before coming to the United States, she worked at Church Mission Society of the UK at their office in Seoul.
In May of 2021, Mother Lee-Pae completed an STM degree from the Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary. She was ordained to the priesthood on September 4, 2021. Mother Lee-Pae is married to the Canon Reverend Joseph Pae, an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Long Island, and she is the mother of two children, Ethan (13) and Evelyn (10).
Categories: Clergy, Staff
