Elizabeth Lee
GYC Board Member

Elizabeth Chun Hye Lee, born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in Queens, NY, is currently serving as the Executive for Young Adult Mission Service of the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church denomination.  

As an Asian-American immigrant growing up within the socio-economic, cultural, and religious diversity of NYC, Liz cherishes diversity, and has had a long interest in understanding agency, margins, and the intersections between justice, policy and theology. While in high school she co-founded the Unity Retreat which annually gathers several hundred Christian students for interdenominational and interracial reconciliation.  

In 2001, she joined GYC's first delegation to Nepal to work with Bhutanese refugees. It was there that her academic studies in human rights, refugee issues, and marginalized communities became grounded through the relationships and partnerships built with the Bhutanese refugee youth. GYC strengthened her commitment to human rights, advocacy and solidarity building. For 2 years, Liz lived in Hong Kong, working with the Asian Human Rights Commission on issues that included torture, the right to food, religious intolerance, impunity and Bhutanese refugee's rights. She also worked at the Chinese University of Hong Kong researching minority people's rights in China and TA-ing courses in international human rights. As a Coro Public Affairs Fellow in New York, she worked with Pfizer's Organizational strategy group, NYC Dept. of Parks, NYC Dept. of Small Business Services, and labor advocacy group ROC-NY to advance civic responsibility and engagement. She also worked at the World Council of Churches United Nations Liaison Office (NYC), on critical issues that included indigenous peoples’ rights, migration, climate change and gender justice. During her time at the WCC-UNLO, she served as the Chair of Advocacy for Ecumenical Women at the UN, a coalition of faith-based NGOs advancing gender justice through the UN Commission on the Status of Women.  

Liz recently completed her term as the president of the Board of Global Youth Connect, and is serving on GYC’s program and board development committees. She is completing her Master’s in Christian Studies (Theology) from Regent College, Canada, and graduated from Williams College (BA – History (Marginalized Societies) and Political Science (Honors in International Comparative Politics and Political Identity).