Does Indian Christianity Still Matter? A letter to the Indian American Church from Pastor Alex Thomas
This is a question that I have asked myself many times over the past few years as I have observed the landscape of the Church in America, and more specifically the Indian Church in America. What does it mean to be a Christian? What does it mean to be American?…
Imagining What’s Possible: Reflecting on AAPI Women’s Leadership in the Vineyard Association
How can we identify the unique gifts of the AAPI community – seeing what and who is overlooked by the church at large, to serve those unseen in ways missed by the broader Vineyard movement, and also gather their gifts in ways that create a stronger Vineyard movement overall? How…
The “Model Minority” Myth in the Chinese American Church
Chinese Americans (and Asian Americans) continue to live in the liminal space of the margins. This is not to say that much hasn’t been gained in both secular and religious life. However, as the “model minority,” they remain on the outside, looking to the majority for guidance and direction in…
Telling Our Stories, Telling God’s Story: the Ministry of Spiritual Direction and Being Asian Canadian
The story of my own formation, as a spiritual director, and a Christian of Asian Canadian heritage is an integral part of the story of the Church and the story of God. The stories of others in my community, their stories of immigration, of belonging and not belonging, of racism,…
100 Percent Authentic Fake: Asian Americans and the Power of Being Authentically Fake
What does it mean to be an Asian American? What does it mean to be an Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI)? What does it mean to be an American? What does it mean to be an authentic American? In one sense, it is the question, “Who is an authentic American?”…
Most of us who have served in various ministry capacities (e.g., as pastors, missionaries, lay church leaders, etc.…) are intimately familiar with the potential dark realities of the ministry environment. Empirical research confirms that ministry is indeed often a difficult endeavor, imposing significant stress upon our spiritual life, our marital…
CAACFebruary 23, 2023
In Blueprints, poet Jeanelle Fu sketches a portrait of Asian America that is a beautiful tapestry stitched with joy, grief, beauty, and faith. Fu imagines new possibilities for Asian American life that is no longer bound to the racialized logics of exclusion, which for her is disrupted by the existence of Jesus the…
Yanan Rahim MeloFebruary 17, 2023
As Asian Americans church leaders, we often struggle with saying no to others’ requests. In addition to pressures and expectations, the Asian culture of sacrifice is palpable. And regardless of whether we say yes or no, we often suffer the emotional and physical consequences of our decisions. Using a mental…
CAACFebruary 16, 2023
When Asian-American church leaders discover that a congregant has experienced sexual or emotional betrayal, it’s hard to know how to respond well. It’s common to freeze, or to try to problem-solve. Worse, the mind can quickly go to protecting the church from shame or scandal. Tragically, these common responses do…
CAACFebruary 9, 2023
I frame this response within the ongoing, persistent mythology of Asians as model minorities and perpetual foreigners... To suggest that we must give up our particular languages, culture, cuisine, norms, and communities in order to achieve “unity,” is to contribute to these myths — it is to continue striving towards…
Amar PetermanFebruary 9, 2023
"And just like the white rice it cooked / The whiteness boiled inside of me / Pressurizing into a pristine product for others pleasure / I bathed in the waters of the pressure cooker thinking it would cleanse me."
Shreya RamachandranFebruary 6, 2023
Asian Americans have the lowest rates of mental health service use despite struggling with mental health disorders, trauma, substance use, and suicide. Instead, we often look to the church for support. Pastors and lay leaders often feel unequipped to respond to these overwhelming needs. What is the role of the…
CAACFebruary 2, 2023
(This is a paper presented by Professor Jordan Ryan for the 2022 IBR/SBL session on Asian American Biblical Interpretation: Evangelical Voices organized by Milton Eng, Max Lee, and Bo Lim.) Filipino Americans are the third largest Asian ethnic group in the United States. However, we are frequently invisible, forgotten, and…
Jordan RyanJanuary 30, 2023
Rather than preaching a “new identity in Christ” to replace or move people away from their lived experiences, we could ground it in the very material conditions of our communities and the shared spiritual formation in these ultimately created spaces. Doing so might allow “new identity in Christ” rhetoric to…
Michael BaysaJanuary 27, 2023
Asian Americans share a collective experience of leaving one country in pursuit (sometimes forced) of a new life in a new land. How has this journey shaped our experience of ourselves, our families, communities, and our faith? This plenary explores the broader canvas of Asian American history, racialization, and identity…
CAACJanuary 26, 2023