The work of the church continues on weekdays through “Mary’s Place.” Mary’s Place is open 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, and provides a welcoming and safe environment where women and children can build community, enrich their days, and find resources to improve their lives. Resources are offered on a daily basis for vocational, housing and financial needs. Groups, classes and on-site services address issues of physical, spiritual and emotional health. Other activities aim at fun and community building: arts and crafts, book groups, games and singing. Mary’s Place also provides for some basic physical needs: breakfast and lunch, showers, and laundry facilities are available during the day. There’s a place for naps as well. Women in the program assist with these daily operations, and help with setup and cleaning.

The Church of Mary Magdalene was founded in 1991 by Presbyterian clergywoman, Jean Kim. Having served as an outreach social worker on the streets, Jean was aware of homeless women’s need for a safe and nurturing spiritual home. She gathered a multi-racial group of women for weekly worship services, preaching the Christian gospel of acceptance, forgiveness and hope. Jean herself had come from long years of multiple afflictions – refugee life, the Korean War, falling from wealth into poverty, loss of family members and a child, immigration to the US empty-handed – and often felt hopeless and grief-ridden. But God turned her life experiences into an empathy and motivation to serve the Lord by ministering to the afflicted, sick, hopeless and homeless.

Jean Kim retired from the Church of Mary Magdalene in 1997 leaving behind a vital congregation. She explains how at worship every week they would recite the following affirmation: 

We, who are homeless or suffering from multiple difficulties, believe in God who created and blessed women and men equally in God's own image.   

We affirm God as a loving and forgiving God, not a condemning God. Therefore, we refuse to be treated as inferior and less worthy human beings.  

We loudly affirm that we deserve to dream a vision, hope and future. 

We re-image Jesus Christ as a forgiving and healing mother, father, sister, brother, friend and Savior who, himself, was homeless, abused, and killed on a cross. 

We affirm Jesus' resurrection as a mirror of our own healing from our poverty, homelessness, brokenness, bondage and destructive thoughts and actions. 

We affirm the Holy Spirit as our source of strength and inspiration who raises us after every fall.  The Spirit constantly leads us back home to God. 

Jean Kim continues to work for the Presbyterian Church, USA and is available as a speaker, offering educational programs and assistance with resources and strategies for program development. Jean hopes that more and more churches will open their doors to people who are struggling with homelessness and that churches will work harder to develop housing.

Contact points:

The Church of Mary Magdalene
Rev. Pat Simpson, Pastor
P.O. Box 359
Seattle WA 98111
Phone: (206) 621-8474
Fax: (206) 748-9453
E-mail: staff@churchofmarymagdalene.org
Web: www.churchofmarymagdalene.org

Rev. Jean Kim
Associate, End Homelessness for Women
Presbyterian Hunger Program
6527 200^th Street, SW, Condo 104
Lynnwood, WA  98036
Phone:  425-712-1677
Fax:  425-673-0265
E-mail: jeankim@seanet.com