Born and raised in Seoul, Korea, Pastor Justin Chesung Ryu moved to Atlanta, GA, in 1999. During his time there, he obtained a Master of Divinity (MDiv) from Emory University while concurrently serving as Youth and College Pastor at Christ Korean United Methodist Church (UMC).

In 2003, he relocated to Berkeley, CA. Here, he earned a Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament from the Graduate Theological Union and simultaneously served as an English Ministry Pastor at Oakland Korean UMC.

Starting in 2007, Pastor Ryu dedicated his service to three local churches within the North Gold Circuit – Downieville, North San Juan, and Sierra City UMC, serving as the solo pastor.

In 2010, he moved to San Jose to join the New Creation Ministry. A significant spiritual transformation in June 2015 became a milestone in his faith journey. This experience deepened his understanding of the Cross's importance to our salvation. Since then, he has committed his life to evangelism and mission work.

In July 2023, Pastor Ryu began serving at two churches, Calvary UMC and New Creation UMC. In November 2023, the two churches merged to form Calvary UMC.

Pastor Ryu's family includes his wife Hannah and their three children, Faith, Josephine, and Justin Jr."