For more than 20 years, Rev. Kim Padfield Urbanik has been creating and directing original plays and choreography to tell the story of Jesus. She has been leading, loving, and learning from the children and youth in New Jersey since 1988.
Rev. Kim founded the Christian Drama School of New Jersey in 2000 after serving as the Associate Pastor of The Community Church of Mountain Lakes for nine years. Her Masters in Divinity is from Princeton Theological Seminary, and her expertise is helping people discover faith in God through Christian drama and service. She never imagined that God would send her half way around the world to lead, love, and learn from the people of Uganda. Now Rev. Kim believes that God had always planned for her steps to end up in a place called Namayumba.
Rev. Kim Padfield Urbanik was 16 when she first experienced Christ in her heart while performing the role of Noah at the Ligonier Camp and Conference Center in Pennsylvania. Trained in classical ballet and a member of the Ballet Guild of the Lehigh Valley, Rev. Kim enjoyed performing in famous ballets and musicals. She graduated from Liberty High School in 1981 and from Penn State University in 1985 with a degree in Criminal Justice and two minors in Art and Technical Writing.
Rev. Kim began writing and directing plays for her home church in Bethlehem, Pa., while she was working as an Adult Probation and Parole Officer in nearby Allentown, Pa. Then, in 1989, while seeking her Master’s in Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, she identified herself as “an artist with a mission to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.” She also sang in the Gospel Choir and performed in the play “For Colored Girls When the Rainbow is Enuf” by Ntozake Shange. For the first time in her life, Rev. Kim’s heart deeply connected with her African American sisters and God’s purpose for her life.
Supported by Christ Church in Bethlehem, Rev. Kim was ordained by the United Church of Christ in 1991. She worked for the Central Presbyterian Church in Montclair, N.J., and the First Congregational Church of Irvington, N.J., before becoming the Associate Pastor of The Community Church of Mountain Lakes, N.J., where she served for nine years.
In 1997, Rev. Kim and her youth group at The Community Church raised funds to build an outdoor stage at Ligonier Camp and Conference Center, where she first experienced Christ. Since 1998, Rev. Kim has returned to “The Lord’s Stage” as part of the summer Counselor Training Staff. She teaches college counselors how to experience the Bible and Christ through drama and dance. These counselors pass this knowledge along to hundreds of children and youth who attend the camp every summer.
In 2000, after getting married and giving birth to two sons, Luke and Mark, Rev. Kim founded the Christian Drama School of New Jersey. The school quickly grew from 50 to 150 students from 29 different churches in Morris County. During this time, Rev. Kim also led Vacation Bible School each year at the Denville Community Church. Rev. Kim has been leading Vacation Bible School performances and Good Friday Cross Carry worship in various churches for over 20 years.
In 2008, Rev. Kim and the Board of Directors endorsed Cindy Garrison as the first missionary of the Christian Drama School and provided Cindy with 430 tie-dyed cross T-shirts to clothe orphans in Nansana. In 2009, Rev. Kim wrote and directed the play “According to Africa” which raised funds to build a secondary school in Namayumba and repaired the Nansana Primary School. Rev. Kim and others went to the Namayumba school to celebrate its Official Opening on July 7, 2010.
The school was named "Extreme High School." In 2011, Rev. Kim returned to Uganda to visit schools and assist the second CDS missionary, Sarah Harrs, who was conducting a research project for Elon University. They visited schools and women's groups from east to west along the southern regions of Uganda. The experience inspired Sarah Harrs to take action. On January 13, 2012, Sarah Harrs founded her own non-profit foundation called "Heart for People." Christian Drama School students and families raised $3,000 to get the foundation started. Since then, Christian Drama School students and families have raised thousands upon thousands to sponsor more than 60 students and help nearly 1,000 children attending five schools in Nansana, Namayumba, Kiboga, Namavundu, and Kasese.
Rev. Kim has accepted no salary for her work since she founded the Christian Drama School. She feels called by God to reach as many people as possible with the joy of experiencing Jesus through Christian drama and dance. Rev. Kim will return to Uganda again this summer.
Rev. Kim founded the Christian Drama School of New Jersey in 2000 after serving as the Associate Pastor of The Community Church of Mountain Lakes for nine years. Her Masters in Divinity is from Princeton Theological Seminary, and her expertise is helping people discover faith in God through Christian drama and service. She never imagined that God would send her half way around the world to lead, love, and learn from the people of Uganda. Now Rev. Kim believes that God had always planned for her steps to end up in a place called Namayumba.
Rev. Kim Padfield Urbanik was 16 when she first experienced Christ in her heart while performing the role of Noah at the Ligonier Camp and Conference Center in Pennsylvania. Trained in classical ballet and a member of the Ballet Guild of the Lehigh Valley, Rev. Kim enjoyed performing in famous ballets and musicals. She graduated from Liberty High School in 1981 and from Penn State University in 1985 with a degree in Criminal Justice and two minors in Art and Technical Writing.
Rev. Kim began writing and directing plays for her home church in Bethlehem, Pa., while she was working as an Adult Probation and Parole Officer in nearby Allentown, Pa. Then, in 1989, while seeking her Master’s in Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, she identified herself as “an artist with a mission to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.” She also sang in the Gospel Choir and performed in the play “For Colored Girls When the Rainbow is Enuf” by Ntozake Shange. For the first time in her life, Rev. Kim’s heart deeply connected with her African American sisters and God’s purpose for her life.
Supported by Christ Church in Bethlehem, Rev. Kim was ordained by the United Church of Christ in 1991. She worked for the Central Presbyterian Church in Montclair, N.J., and the First Congregational Church of Irvington, N.J., before becoming the Associate Pastor of The Community Church of Mountain Lakes, N.J., where she served for nine years.
In 1997, Rev. Kim and her youth group at The Community Church raised funds to build an outdoor stage at Ligonier Camp and Conference Center, where she first experienced Christ. Since 1998, Rev. Kim has returned to “The Lord’s Stage” as part of the summer Counselor Training Staff. She teaches college counselors how to experience the Bible and Christ through drama and dance. These counselors pass this knowledge along to hundreds of children and youth who attend the camp every summer.
In 2000, after getting married and giving birth to two sons, Luke and Mark, Rev. Kim founded the Christian Drama School of New Jersey. The school quickly grew from 50 to 150 students from 29 different churches in Morris County. During this time, Rev. Kim also led Vacation Bible School each year at the Denville Community Church. Rev. Kim has been leading Vacation Bible School performances and Good Friday Cross Carry worship in various churches for over 20 years.
In 2008, Rev. Kim and the Board of Directors endorsed Cindy Garrison as the first missionary of the Christian Drama School and provided Cindy with 430 tie-dyed cross T-shirts to clothe orphans in Nansana. In 2009, Rev. Kim wrote and directed the play “According to Africa” which raised funds to build a secondary school in Namayumba and repaired the Nansana Primary School. Rev. Kim and others went to the Namayumba school to celebrate its Official Opening on July 7, 2010.
The school was named "Extreme High School." In 2011, Rev. Kim returned to Uganda to visit schools and assist the second CDS missionary, Sarah Harrs, who was conducting a research project for Elon University. They visited schools and women's groups from east to west along the southern regions of Uganda. The experience inspired Sarah Harrs to take action. On January 13, 2012, Sarah Harrs founded her own non-profit foundation called "Heart for People." Christian Drama School students and families raised $3,000 to get the foundation started. Since then, Christian Drama School students and families have raised thousands upon thousands to sponsor more than 60 students and help nearly 1,000 children attending five schools in Nansana, Namayumba, Kiboga, Namavundu, and Kasese.
Rev. Kim has accepted no salary for her work since she founded the Christian Drama School. She feels called by God to reach as many people as possible with the joy of experiencing Jesus through Christian drama and dance. Rev. Kim will return to Uganda again this summer.
Graduate School: 1989-1991
Princeton Theological Seminary
Degree: Master’s in Divinity
Undergraduate School: 1981-1985
Penn State University
Major: Administration of Justice
Minors: Art and Technical Writing
Princeton Theological Seminary
Degree: Master’s in Divinity
Undergraduate School: 1981-1985
Penn State University
Major: Administration of Justice
Minors: Art and Technical Writing