NEW YORK - St. Peter's Church on West 20th Street in Chelsea has a rich history.

It was founded in 1831. But it has fallen on hard times. On a typical Sunday, only 20 people attend services. 

The task of turning it around falls to Rev. Christine Lee, the church's new leader, who is also the first woman and Korean-American to oversee the Episcopal institution. 

"I don't often think to myself ' Wow, I’m the first woman here, I’m the first Asian-American here.' Mainly, I'm thinking about how can I be a good priest for this congregation," Lee said.

Lee spoke ahead of her official welcome on Saturday, or what's known as a commissioning ceremony.

In the audience is her family, including her father Sangbok Kim, who has long been her inspiration. He's a Presbyterian minister who remembers his daughter having an interest in ministry and helping others from an early age. 

"She has the heart for the people who need her hands to help. All her life like that," he said.

Lee comes to St. Peter's from All Angel's Church on the Upper West Side. She began in October and says there's been a lot to do.

"It's like jumping into the deep end of the pool," Lee said.

From thinking about how to fix the church's aging buildings to rebuilding the congregation, she says she's still drawing up plans to bring St. Peter's back.

"We're saying we want to see St. Peter's revitalized, we want to city renewed with the love of God. How we'll get there? We'll figure it out," Lee said.

Rev. Lee has already brought in new leaders to help her and has started a children's ministry, which has attracted nearly two dozen kids. But she says the focus will be less on drawing larger crowds to Sunday services and more on making the church a bigger part of the neighborhood — a tall order at a time when more people are turning away from religion.

"I think what success would look like is if we were to suddenly shut down in two years that people would feel like something is suddenly missing," Lee said.

Her efforts now will be focused on a church trying to assure its future nearly 200 years after it was founded.