First President of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division Passes to His Rest

Pyung Duk “P. D.” Chun, first president of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and a longtime leader of the church in Asia, passed to his rest on October 3. He was 90.

Born on October 10, 1936, in Hongseong, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea, Chun devoted more than four decades of his life to the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He began denominational service in 1960 as a teacher at Gwangsi Sahmyook Middle School and later served as a pastor and departmental director. He was ordained to the gospel ministry on January 1, 1966.

Chun pursued graduate theological education at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary in the Philippines, earning a master’s degree in religion. After returning to Korea, he served as Education and Health director of the Korean Union Conference and later in leadership at the Korean Publishing House, commonly known as Sijosa. He became president of the West Central Korean Conference in 1982 and president of the Korean Union Conference in December 1983. 

His leadership later extended across Asia. After becoming secretary of the Far Eastern Division in 1988, Chun was elected its president in November 1992. He subsequently led the Adventist Church through major organizational transitions, serving successively as president of the Far Eastern Division, the Asia-Pacific Division, and the Northern Asia-Pacific Division. 

Chun led the Adventist Church through a historic period of organizational transition in Asia. The Far Eastern Division became the Asia-Pacific Division, which was later divided into the Northern and Southern Asia-Pacific divisions. Chun continued as the last president of the Far Eastern Division, the first and only president of the Asia-Pacific Division, and the first president of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division.

His years as a division leader coincided with the growth of the 1000 Missionary Movement, which mobilized young Adventists for cross-cultural missionary service. He also helped nurture the Pioneer Mission Movement (PMM) and served as the first chair of its management committee. In 2003 the first five Korean pastoral families were sent to Japan, beginning a missionary movement that would continue to expand across the division.

Chun retired from full-time denominational service on July 1, 2003. His service, however, continued beyond retirement. He later contributed to the international ministry of Adventist World magazine, serving as its international publishing manager.

Chun is survived by his wife, Yoon Hee Kim; his son, Kyung Bae Chun; his daughters, Eun Sil Chun and Eun Kyung Chun; and their extended families. 

The Northern Asia-Pacific Division joins his family, the church in Korea, and the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist family in remembering with gratitude a leader whose life was devoted to advancing the gospel.

His legacy lives on through the church he helped lead, the mission movements he helped nurture, and the generations of missionaries who continue carrying the gospel throughout Asia.

The funeral service included viewing times on October 4 and a special service on October 5. He is interred at the Adventist cemetery in Pocheon, South Korea.

The original version of this story was posted on the Inter-American Division news site.