"A dream come true” is how Ellen Park describes her new job as associate pastor for youth at the Sonora Church.

Along with this dream comes the reality that her work will be challenging, but Park is ready to dive into her responsibilities guided by the Holy Spirit. “Ever since the love of God has become real to me, I have wanted to live for God with all that I am,” she says.

Park traces her passionate relationship with her Savior to her experiences at Monterey Bay Academy (class of ’98) and Camp Wawona, Central California Conference’s youth camp. “Those were the two most paramount experiences in my life where Jesus Christ became real to me,” she says.

During her four years at the academy, her leadership gifts began to blossom. Offices held include Girls’ Club pastor, youth ministry team member and religious vice president. At Camp Wawona, she was program director for two years. A year in student missions, serving as an assistant for the conference junior youth department, further expanded her leadership experience.

Sonora is not Park’s first experience as a pastor. Last year, while a student at Walla Walla College, she served as a ministerial intern at the College Church in College Place, Wash. The previous year, she was part of a student pastoral team at Southern Adventist University. She earned a degree in theology with a minor in biblical languages.

The daughter of Kwang-Woo and Melissa Park of Nipomo, Park was raised in an Adventist family in Central California and has one brother, Kenneth, who lives in Los Angeles.

Settling into life in Central California was very appealing to the enthusiastic Park, who says, “The Sonora community is beautiful. The people here are just super warm and friendly. I believe God has big dreams for Sonora, and I am so excited to be a part of them.”

In addition to a beautiful community setting, Park says the members of the Sonora Church are some of its best assets. “The church family has big open hearts to the leading of the Holy Spirit,” she says. “Pastor Jim and Betty McMurry walk with God. The church leadership is enthusiastic and ready to go wherever God leads. There is nothing else in the world I would rather do than serve God and His body in a local church.”