Article published May 5, 2008

DIFFERENCE MAKER: Taylor professor knows the language of service

By JOHN CARLSON
jcarlson@muncie.gannett.com

  Chin Chang is a South Korean who teaches Spanish to Americans. Got That?

They get it at Taylor University in Upland, where the 41-year-old professor, who holds a doctorate in romance linguistics from the University of Texas’ Department of Spanish and Portuguese, has taught Spanish, linguistics and methodology for four years.

They get it at Taylor University in Upland, where the 41-year-old professor, who holds a doctorate in romance linguistics from the University of Texas' Department of Spanish and Portuguese, has taught Spanish, linguistics and methodology for four years.

He happily makes the commute from Muncie. "I really love Taylor, and I love Muncie," he said with a smile. "This is a great city."  He also loves the work to which he has dedicated his professional life.  "Basically, I love language," said Chang, whose bachelor's and master's degrees in Spanish linguistics were earned in Seoul and Bogota, Colombia, respectively.

His special affinity for is for Spanish?  "It seems to me very systematic and organized," he explained, adding that he studied the language for 13 years. Organized would seem a suitable word to describe him, too, something that is especially evident in his association with First Presbyterian Church here.

While on the surface Presbyterianism and South Korea might not exactly seem a match made in, well, heaven, they have a strong history. In fact, there are 7,000 Presbyterian congregations in his home country, Chang said, and his grandfather was a Presbyterian pastor in North Korea before political changes there made that no longer possible.

"Now I'm serving the church as an elder, too," he said.

That makes him a lay leader at the church, which has its own Korean pastor, Rev. Myungku Lee, and an active membership of parishioners that draws from Taylor, Ball State University and the surrounding community.

"We have about 70," he noted.

In his position, he has helped act as a conduit of caring and information between the Korean and American members, not only within the church but in establishing a sister-church relationship between his congregation and one in his home country.

"We're going to think about what we can do together for a global mission," said Chang, a friendly and unpretentious man who is taking a group of Taylor students to Ecuador this summer.

On a more local note, he has taken part in planning for the church's popular annual ice cream social, done his share of grounds cleaning and even taught Spanish to church members.

Meanwhile, he also is raising a family with his wife Hyeyoung Koh, including three children, twin boys Han and Won, 11, and their daughter Hailey, 6.

The family lives in an attractive home on the city's northwest side, a place where beautiful tulips border the sidewalk out front and the pairs of small, tumbled sneakers just inside the front door announce that an active bunch lives inside.

There's also an acoustic guitar on a stand, one on which Hyeyoung -- who takes classes at Ivy Tech -- plays classical music, and her husband picks a little jazz.

He also enjoys reading and knocking around a tennis ball, plus a little football, at least as it's practiced by most of the world.

"Sometimes I play soccer with some Korean students at Ball State," he explained.

For him, he added, it all comes down to a satisfying life of service that entails asking three questions of himself.

"What can I do for my church?" Chang said. "What can I do for my school? What can I do for my community?"

“I really love Taylor, and I love Muncie,” he said with a smile. “This is a great city.”

He also loves the work to which he has dedicated his professional life.

“Basically, I love language,” said Chang, whose bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Spanish linguistics were earned in Seoul and Bogota, Colombia, respectively.

His special affinity for Spanish?

“It seems to me very systematic and organized,” he explained, adding that he studied the language for 13 years.

Organized would seem a suitable word to describe him, too, something that is especially evident in his association with First Presbyterian Church here.

While on the surface Presbyterianism and South Korea might not exactly seem a match made in, well, heaven, they have a strong history. In fact, there are 7,000 Presbyterian congregations in his home country, Chang said, and his grandfather was a Presbyterian pastor in North Korea before political changes there made that no longer possible.

“Now I’m serving the church as an elder, too,” he said.

That makes him a lay leader at the church, which has its own Korean pastor, Rev. Myungku Lee, and an active membership of parishioners that draws from Taylor, Ball State University and the surrounding community.

“We have about 70,” he noted.

In his position, he has helped act as a conduit of caring and information between the Korean and American members, not only within the church but in establishing a sister-church relationship between his congregation and one in his home country.

“We’re going to think about what we can do together for a global mission,” said Chang, a friendly and unpretentious man who is taking a group of Taylor students to Ecuador this summer.

On a more local note, he has taken part in planning for the church’s popular annual ice cream social, done his share of grounds cleaning and even taught Spanish to church members.

Meanwhile, he also is raising a family with his wife Hyeyoung Koh, including three children, twin boys Han and Won, 11, and their daughter Hailey, 6.

The family lives in an attractive home on the city’s northwest side, a place where beautiful tulips border the sidewalk out front and the pairs of small, tumbled sneakers just inside the front door announce that an active bunch lives inside.

There’s also an acoustic guitar on a stand, one on which Hyeyoung—who takes classes at Ivy Tech—plays classical music, and her husband picks a little jazz.

He also enjoys reading and knocking around a tennis ball, plus a little football, at least as it’s practiced by most of the world.

“Sometimes I play soccer with some Korean students at Ball State,” he explained.

For him, he added, it all comes down to a satisfying life of service that entails asking three questions of himself.

“What can I do for my church?” Chang said. “What can I do for my school? What can I do for my community?”