Kyung Lee at Irvine South

Saddleback Church is always taking steps to fill God’s house. Sometimes, growing requires moving pastors between campuses to make room for the next season of expansion. That’s why this month, Pastor Rick announced the addition of two new pastors at our locations in Irvine South and San Clemente.

Taking the helm at Saddleback Irvine South is Kyung Lee, who transitioned from his role as Pastor of Campus Launches to this new position in serving the greater Irvine community.

The shift came about after Kevin Nguyen, who previously shepherded the Irvine South campus, completed his Doctorate in Leadership. This major achievement led to his new role as Pastor over Team 301 ministries at our Lake Forest campus.

“I love this guy,” Pastor Rick said of Kyung at the March 17 service. “He’s been at Saddleback for a long time, as a coach over all of our campuses. When we asked Pastor Kevin to come over to 301 globally, I asked Kyung if he would lead Saddleback Irvine South. It’s running between 1,000 and 2,000 people each week. I had my fingers crossed, asking God to make it happen. Now Kyung is going to be leading Saddleback Irvine South, so we’ll be praying for him.”

From the stage, Pastor Kyung said he was humbled and honored to serve the people of Greater Irvine, a gateway city where all roads run through the community. With an official start date of April 1, Pastor Kyung is gleaning from his 30 years of ministry experience to equip him for this role. Over the years, he has served as a college pastor, teaching pastor, executive pastor, church planter, coach, and new launch pastor.

His background not only helped him live out Saddleback values, but also established key relationships with campus pastors and regional staff. In the process, Pastor Kyung was able to partner with central staff and serve alongside a team of loyal volunteers.

After dedicated prayer, Kyung and his family felt led to reach the 300,000 people that call Greater Irvine their home. In seeking clarity, they asked four key questions: Where is God moving? Where does Saddleback need them most? Where is their heart? Where does their family stand in this season of sacrifice and transition?

“It’s been a great opportunity to seek God and take stock on where we’re at,” says Kyung. “It’s humbling as well, because at first my prayer was for God to tell us what to do. And God said, ‘I want you to take responsibility for your decisions and I trust you to make them.’ That’s been incredibly freeing and humbling.”

Every step has been in God’s perfect timing, says Kyung. He knew God wasn’t finished with him at Saddleback. That’s when Kyung and his family were “all in” for the next season of life.

“My hope and prayer for Irvine South is health, balance and growth,” he says, “and that we’ll have a heart of compassion and service for the Irvine community.”

The common thread of all 19 Saddleback campuses is an atmosphere of warmth, friendliness, and love for one another. What sets Irvine South apart is a demographic of 44% Asian, 11% Hispanic, and 39% Caucasian, making the campus a true all-nation congregation.

“Our campus is where a diversity of races is celebrated and our folks reflect the demographic of our community,” says Pastor Kyung. “Irvine South has always been and will always be a missional church, launching new campuses, extensions, and people to live on mission . . . all because love multiplies.”

To learn more about Saddleback Irvine South, visit saddleback.com/irvinesouth.