Church Musician/Teacher

Carol Mitchell first served with OMS International from 1968 to 1970 as a music teacher in South Korea at Seoul Foreign School. When she returned to South Korea as a career missionary in 1972, she studied the Korean language and began to teach music at Seoul Theological University (STU) a year later. STU’s church music department began in 1977, and at the time of Carol’s compulsory retirement from STU in November 2005, there were nearly 400 church music students, a faculty of 12 full-time instructors and almost 100 part-time instructors.

In 1979, Carol helped organize a select choral ensemble at STU and was the group’s primary conductor for the next 26 years. The ensemble sings on campuses, in Korean churches, schools and social welfare institutions. The group has represented Jesus Christ, His Church in South Korea and STU in Australia, South Asia, Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland, Thailand, Taiwan and the United States. These ministries have combined Carol’s calling and training in the areas of sacred music and cross-cultural missions. When former students go out to serve Christ in those or other areas, it gives her great joy.

Part of Carol’s preparation for her work took place at Asbury College where she earned her bachelor’s degree and at Butler University where she received a master’s degree in music. For six years before going to South Korea, she was a public school music teacher in Hammond, Indiana. On her furloughs, she continued to take courses in church music, applied music and cross-cultural missions.

In 2006 Carol spent a few months in 2006 alternately in the United States and in South Korea. In the States, she assisted OMS’ editorial department and seeks to recruit missionaries--particularly for various English ministry needs in South Korea. In South Korea, she assisted in the OMS-related Missionary Training Center of the Korea Evangelical Holiness Church (KEHC) and in the music and English ministries of a local KEHC church.

Missionary ID #801268