What does it look like when faith goes beyond the pulpit?
In this episode of 20 Minute Takes, CSA Executive Director Nikki Toyama-Szeto sits down with Eugene Cho, president of Bread for the World and longtime pastor, to talk about the intersection of faith, justice, and hunger. From his early days in ministry to leading one of the nation’s most influential anti-hunger organizations, Cho shares what fuels his passion—and why churches can’t afford to sit this one out. This is a summary of the episode. You can listen to it here.
It Started with Scripture
Cho didn’t have a big justice awakening at a conference or event. “It was just reading Scripture,” he says. “I saw that there was this constant thread of God’s heart for those who were oppressed or marginalized.” From Isaiah to Micah to the teachings of Jesus, he saw a vision of the Kingdom that deeply values justice—and a Savior who stands with the vulnerable.
He also discovered a justice thread in his own family. His great-grandfather was one of the first followers of Jesus in a village outside Pyongyang, North Korea, introduced to the gospel by Protestant missionaries. “They were among the first ones to be out on the streets protesting… the occupation of Japan in Korea. They were the first ones to build orphanages, to build hospitals… advocating for girls to become educated.”
Pastoring a Church—and a City
Cho has been a pastor for nearly 30 years. But his role, he says, was always bigger than the pulpit. “I deeply cared for the women and men and children of my church, but I wanted my care, my attention… to go beyond the walls of the church.” He believed pastoring meant being attuned to the city—getting to know neighbors, understanding community needs, and helping his congregation live out the gospel beyond Sunday services.
“I don’t want our ecclesiology, our commitments, to be in a bottleneck exclusively by what I care about,” Cho explains. That meant inviting the church to help discern where to invest time, resources, and attention—from immigration and hunger to racial injustice and education.
Yes, Hunger Really Means Hunger
As the leader of Bread for the World, Cho urges Christians to take hunger seriously—not just as a metaphor, but as a real crisis. “I want people to know that human flourishing as a Christian, I believe, is impossible without several things, but specifically two things: a relationship with God… and I think human flourishing is not possible if we don’t have bread.”
In the U.S. alone, more than 14 million children are food insecure. “That’s 14 million children too much,” he says. “In this country where we regularly exhort ourselves as the most powerful nation in the world… surely we should be on the same page.”
While food banks and church pantries are essential, Cho says they only address about 10-12% of the need. The rest depends on policy—things like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which has recently faced historic cuts.
“A budget is not just a budget—it’s a moral document that reflects a community of people as a nation,” he says. “Politics matter because politics inform policies, and policies always impact people.”
How Churches Can Take Action
What can individuals or churches do? Cho offers three doable suggestions:
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Pray – “That which we pray tends to latch onto our heart and onto our mind. It begins to take resonance in our body.”
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Gather others – “My hope and prayer is that that happens in your small groups… but I also pray that it happens through Bread.”
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Advocate together – Bread’s Offering of Letters campaign helps churches contact lawmakers about hunger policy. “We invited people, not because we were encouraging people to become red or blue… but to reach out to their members of Congress.”
Cho knows the work is hard. But he believes it’s holy. “Jesus wants us to experience the wholeness, the fullness of human flourishing,” he says. And sometimes, that means showing up in the halls of power to make sure the voices of the hungry are heard.
