Hanna Jang serves as the pastor of Ojai United Methodist Church, where she brings a gentle but clear pastoral presence, a love for thoughtful worship, and a deep care for people's stories. She is a candidate for the ordination as an elder and licensed local pastor in the UMC and has ministered in congregational settings, chaplaincy, and cross-cultural communities. 

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She first sensed a call to ministry in Korea, where she began serving in a giant church and discovered joy in preaching, pastoral care, and walking alongside people in their everyday lives of faith. That call did not disappear when she immigrated to the United States for a broader ministry and study in 2021; instead, it deepened and took on new shape. As she navigated life between cultures and languages--she became especially attentive to the experience of those who feel “in between"--Immigrants, people of color, people who are not sure they fully belong in church, or who carry stories of hurt and exclusion. In that in‑between space, she felt God’s invitation to create communities where questions are welcomed, vulnerability is honored, and every person is received as God’s beloved.

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Hanna continued to follow this call through theological study and pastoral training, earning a Master of Divinity (M.Div) from Claremont School of Theology in May, 2025 and completed Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) in community settings. Those experiences have shaped a pastoral style that is more about listening than fixing and more about presence than pressure, trusting that God is already at work in each person’s story.

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As pastor of Ojai UMC, she longs for the church to reflect God’s love in very concrete ways—through honest and hopeful worship, through communities of hospitality and justice, and through everyday lives that bear witness to grace in the Ojai Valley and beyond. Outside of formal ministry, she enjoys time in nature, good food and conversation, and embodied spiritual practices like movement, rest, and contemplative prayer that help her stay grounded in God’s presence.

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Outside of formal ministry, Hanna is a big foodie and coffee lover who enjoys exploring new flavors, coffee shops, and local spots. Some of her favorite moments are simply having fun with her spouse, Kevin Kang, who also serves Tujunga UMC and Crescenta Valley UMC—whether they are sharing a good meal, laughing together, or exploring new places. She is nourished by time in nature in Ojai, good conversation, and the beautiful hearts of the congregation and wider community.