Our Team

Johann Kim (Lead Pastor) and Grace Kim

Pastor Johann (January 4, 1954 - April 20, 2019) moved to Cincinnati with his wife, Grace, in 1988 to join the Physics faculty of the University of Cincinnati. In 1990, both Pastor Johann and Grace encountered Jesus. Ever since, they have had a great love for His Word and sharing the Good News with people who are far from Christ. In 1999, they began to minister in Over-the- Rhine, walking the streets and sharing the Gospel.  Since then, they have ministered in OTR as tent-making, inner-city missionaries. They moved to OTR in 2008 upon completing renovations for the house they bought in 2005 (now known as Vine House). They have two adult sons, Eugene (married to Jean, daughters Evangeline and Emmanuelle) and Michael. Pastor Johann went to be with the Lord on April 20, 2019.

To view Memorial Service: Click Here

To view Memorial Video: Click Here

Isaac Vazquez & Esther Vazquez
Pastor

Isaac graduated in 2014 with a B.A. in Intercultural Studies and World Missions and obtained his Masters of Divinity at Cincinnati Christian University in 2019. He met his wife, Esther, while serving together in OTR and they feel privileged to be able to join in with what God is doing in OTR.

Grace Cho
Children’s Ministry

Grace Cho grew up in Seattle, Washington and left her home to study nursing at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. After graduating in 2019, she worked in clinical research at a children’s hospital for ~2 years before she felt the calling to give God a year of her time, energy and resources. Grace enjoys the simple things in life (leisure walks, home-cooked food, rainy days) and is an aspiring coffee connoisseur. She is super excited to see how the Lord is living & speaking to His people in Over-the-Rhine!

Christine Yun
Operations and Missions

Christine graduated from Boston University with a BA in psychology and served on staff with InterVarsity for one year. Through a Samuel-like moment, God then led her to OTR and after serving two years as an intern, she fell in love with OTR and stayed. She counts OTR as the greatest blessing in her life after Jesus. Christine desires to see a genuine hunger and thirst for Christ and restoration in the youth and families of OTR as well as in Greece and beyond. Seeing God at work in Aabe Hayaat has been a great joy and she can’t wait to see how God will mobilize more local churches for the Great Commission!

Christine loves to snack, is an amateur baker and runner, and loves the Midwest.

Erica Mitchell
Women’s Ministry

Erica grew up in Covington, KY but through God's divine appointment, He brought her and her beautiful children to Cincinnati in 2015, and happened to live in the building right across OTR Living Water Church. She came and knocked on the door, and remembers meeting Sister Grace who invited her to the block party, and soon began attending Women's Bible Study with her children. She believes that the Word of God has the power to transform lives and currently serves as our Women's Bible Study leader. She also has a heart for evangelism and outreach. You can almost always find her with a cup of coffee!

Chris Pender
Teen Director

Chris graduated from Emory in 2014. Through serving in ministry and in local justice organizations, he has found a joy in witnessing God's constant presence in difficult circumstances and Christ's overwhelming sufficiency. After going to OTR in 2016 for summer missions and becoming an intern in 2018, Chris came on staff in 2019 and serves within the teen ministry.

Chris looks forward to seeing how God will continue to make himself known as the hope of the nations within the many demographics of OTR.

Cliff & Jinhua Engels
Family Ministry

Cliff and Jinhua met at Campbellsville University in 2009 - a year and a half later they were married. Over the next 10 years, God took them to China and then back to America, settling them in Northern Kentucky. God gave them 2 precious children, Daniel and Kayla. They both love to serve God and seek His Presence - life is best lived under the shadow of the Almighty. Additionally, they enjoy traveling to new places, meeting new people and trying new foods!