Hootae is originally from Korea. He came to know Christ when the Lord came to him during a youth group worship service in high school. Hootae and his family moved to the area in 2006 from Newark, Delaware, where he was an elder at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Newark (PCA). Hootae is a tax accountant working in New York City, and lives in Morrisville with his wife Hitomi, and children Jimmy, Hannah and Daniel. They have been members at Hope since 2008.