GOD
IS CLEARLY AT WORK
among Asian American
Christians. Asians are attending the Urbana Missions Conference
(IVCF event every three years, 1996, 2000, 2003) in numbers that are
6-7 times the national demographics (over 20% of Urbana participants
are Asian). English speaking ministries
within Asian churches
as well as new independent English only ministries (Asian American and
multi-ethnic) are increasing
nationwide.
HOWEVER,
THERE IS A NEED
for additional vocational Christian workers for these new ministries.
There is also a need for encouragement and equipping of existing Asian
American leadership. A national conference would help address this
need as well as help build new bridges and strengthen existing ones
between Asian American leaders and ministries.
THIS
IS THE VISION
behind the first ever national Asian
American Leadership Conference (AALC) in LA on March 29-31, 2004.
Louis Lee (MESA, Ministries
for English Speaking Asians), Pastor Paul Lee (Ocean View Church,
KEMPA), and Tom Steers (Navigators Asian American Ministries Coordinator)
have been building on this shared vision for the past several years. Together,
the three are serving on the Core Planning Team (CPT) for this AALC project.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON MESA
(MINISTRY FOR ENGISH-SPEAKING ASIANS)
Louis Lee
MESA
is a parachurch ministry started in 1988. Rev. Louis Lee is the
founder of MESA. After graduating from the University of Michigan
(1975) and Dallas Theological Seminary (1979), he pastored in northern
California for seventeen years. Louis served with Promise Keepers
as their national Asian Coordinator from 1996 to 1998. Louis lives
in northern California with his wife, Eileen, their two sons, Matthew
(22) and Michael (15), and their yellow Labrador Retriever, Oliver.
What We Believe
1. We believe in One God who exists in Three Persons; Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit.
2. We believe in the Bible, God's Holy Word, inspired, infallible,
and without error in its original manuscripts.
3. We believe Jesus Christ is God's Son, fully human and divine.
4. We believe there is salvation through personal faith alone
in Jesus Christ who died for the sin of the world and rose from
the dead.
5. We believe Jesus Christ will return to earth first to take
Christians into heaven with Himself and later to rule on earth
as King.
JUNKO,
a well-grounded APA Christian artist, states that "sharing
with others where their true identity lies, where they can find
belonging and the truth of God's unconditional love and grace…that
is what it is all about for Junko (pronounced June-ko) Nishiguchi
Cheng. For More Info >>>
KOTI
HU, an up upcoming APA Christian music artist from Seattle
regarding how his ministry started, states "I recall that
pursuing this career began with just an overwhelming revelation
of how passing our lives here on earth are, and feeling that I
simply must, at least, actively look for opportunities to present
themselves to me. For More Info >>>>>
LOUIS
LEE IS SERVING
as the Conference Coordinator while Ron Sugimoto (former board member
of JEMS, current board member of MESA)
serves as the Assistant Conference Coordinator. General session speakers
include pastors Jack Hayford, Ken
Fong, and David Gibbons as well as Joanne
Jung who teaches at Biola University. Peter Lum is leading a special Asian
American worship team while special music will be provided by Junko
(Cheng).
REGISTRATION
IS $109
(students and spouses, only $49) which includes two meals on Tuesday,
March 30 (lunch and dinner) and continental breakfast on Tuesday and Wednesday,
March 30-31. Registration forms can be printed from the website (www.AALC2004.org),
filled out, and mailed in with payment. Or you can request a brochure
be sent to you.
Please
contact Louis Lee at AsianPK@aol.com
and include your mailing address. (Limited scholarship funding is available,
primarily to help seminary students and pastors of smaller churches.)
Check the website for info on the Miyako
Hotel (LA Japantown, about a 10 minute drive from Young
Nak) which is offering special discounted room rates for those attending
the AALC. Free shuttles will run between the Miyako
Hotel and Young
Nak.
PLEASE
PLAN
to participate in this first ever national AALC event on March 29-31,
2004!
ASIAN AMERICAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
FACTS
The
Asian American Leadership Conference will be held on March 29-31,
2004 at the Young Nak English Ministries located at 1721 N. Broadway.
The general session speakers include Pastors Jack Hayford, Ken Fong,
and David Gibbons.
Louis
Lee of MESA, Pastor Paul Lee of Ocean View Church and founder of
KEMPA (Korean English Ministries Pastors Association) and Tom Steers,
Navigators' Asian American Ministries Coordinator) have planned
this event with Louis Lee as the AALC Coordinator.
The event features seminars lead by Asian American leaders from
around the nation under 8 different "tracks" - church
planting, campus ministries, missions, pastoral ministry, women
in ministry, worship, youth ministry, and a general track that will
include a variety of leadership issues. (see below).
1.
CAMPUS MINISTRIES
In this forum we dialogue with key leaders ministering to Asian
American students in the campus ministry context. We will discuss
how to develop better partnerships between campus ministry organizations
and local churches. We will also affirm one another as different
campus ministries and ask God to open our eyes to the “hidden”
ethnic groups within the Asian American community. Join us as we
develop a vision for financial stability and the potential of a
long term career in campus ministry.
Track coordinators:
Sandy Lee Schaupp— Ethnic Minority Development Specialist,
IVCF, LA, CA
Tommy Dyo— Specialized Campus Minister, AACF (CSULB and CSF)
2.
CHURCH PLANTING
Church planting is a hot topic in Asian American ministry today.
The need is widely acknowledged, new churches are having significant
impact, and many entering ministry have church planting prominent
on their radar. How do healthy new churches get started? What
kind of leadership is needed? What can we learn from successful
church plants and from those that haven’t gone well? We’ll
consider these and other nuts-and-bolts issues related to starting
healthy churches.
Track coordinator:
Wayne Ogimachi— Senior Pastor, Lighthouse Christian Church,
Seattle, WA
3.
GENDER AND MINSTRY
This track will grapple with the dynamics of gender and Christian
leadership, examining how our personhood as women and men impacts
our perspectives and practices of spiritual ministry. We will
discuss how to affirm men and women to pursue their God-given
calling in the church and in the world. Engage with us in theological
reflection on the significance of our gender roles in Asian American/multi-ethnic
congregations.
Track coordinators:
Nancy Sugikawa Former Assoc. Pastor, New Song Church, Irvine,
CA
Jonathan Wu Senior Associate Pastor, Outreach Division, Evergreen
Baptist Church, LA, CA
4.
GENERAL LEADERSHIP ISSUES
Leaders from the Asian American community nationwide will be invited
to share on a variety of leadership issues.
Track coordinators: AALC Core Planning Team
5.
MISSIONS
The missions track will emphasize the mentoring aspect of sending
Asian Americans throughout the world. We will wrestle with the relational
struggles between the church and parachurch. Our objectives are
to: 1) Build connections for regional networks in major cities;
2) Encourage mentoring as crucial to leadership development for
global AA influencers; 3) Equip ministry leaders to impact with
globalocal vision.
Track coordinators:
Chong Kim— Barnabas
Wilbur Moy— Global Spectrum
Jamie Kim—OMF International
6.
PASTORAL MINISTRY
A team of experienced pastors from all over the nation will share
words of encouragement, insight, and challenge as they address various
topics of interest to pastors. A panel of pastors will interact
on the topic of how English ministry can survive and thrive in a
bi-cultural Asian church.
Track coordinators: AALC Core Planning Team
7.
WORSHIP
What does worship in an Asian American church look like? Is there
such a thing as Asian American worship? How do we address the
need for a better worship experience that will infuse our people
with passion and energy to serve God and the people that God loves?
This track will discuss the essentials of powerful worship experiences
as well as issues that may prevent it from happening. There will
also be practical break-out sessions on topics such as designing
a worship service and rehearsing with a worship team.
Track
coordinators:
Melvin Fujikawa— Associate Pastor, Community Life/Small
Group Ministry, Evergreen Baptist Church, LA, CA
Peter Lum— Worship leader, Christian Layman Church, Oakland,
CA/conference worship leader
8. YOUTH MINISTRY
The Church struggles to stop the “XYZ-exile” and yet
it continues. Experienced youthworkers will help us reflect, discuss,
and strategize to make a lifechanging impact on an emerging generation.
Track coordinator: Charles Kim— Senior Pastor, LifeJourney
Church, LA
2004
AALC CONFERENCE PARTNERS
AAC,
Asian American Center of the ABSW Seminary, Berkeley, CA
AACCS, Asian American Christian Counseling Services, Alhambra, CA
AACC, Asian American Church Consulting, Chicago, IL
AACF, Asian American Christian Fellowship, Los Angeles, CA
AFC, Ambassadors for Christ, Paradise, PA
BACBC, Bay Area Chinese Bible Church, San Leandro, CA
BBC, Berkland Baptist Church
BCEC, Boston Chinese Evangelical Church
CAME, Center for Asian Missions & Evangelism, Alexandria, VA
CCUC, Chinese Christian Union Church, Chicago, IL
CEMC, Chinese Evangel Mission Church - Manhattan, NYC, NY
CGBC, Chinese Grace Bible Church, Sacramento, CA
CPS, Christian Psychotherapy Services, San Francisco, CA
CLC, Christian Layman Church, Oakland, CA
DCBC, Danville Chinese Bible Church, Danville, CA
ERRC, Educational Resources & Referrals - China, Berkeley, CA
Epicentre (Church), Pasadena, CA
ECCU, Evangelical Christian Credit Union, Brea, CA
ECC, Evangelical Covenant Church
EBC-SGV, Evergreen Baptist Church, San Gabriel Valley, CA
The Exodus (worship ministry), Los Angeles, CA
FWCC, Faith Walk Community Church, Pleasanton, CA
FBCC, Fort Bend Community Church, Missouri City, TX
FTS, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA
GCTS, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, DMin Asian American track
ISI, International Students, Inc.
IVCF, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship's Asian American Ministries
IWA, Glendale, CA
JAMA, Jesus Awakening Movement for America, Monterey, CA
KCCC,
Korea Campus Crusade for Christ, Los Angeles, CA
KEMPA (Korean English Ministry Pastors Association)
LC, Loyola College in Maryland, Columbia, MD
LCF, Lakeview Christian Fellowship, Niles, IL (starts Jan 2004)
LCC, Lighthouse Christian Church, Bellevue, WA
LOGOS Evangelical Seminary Asian American Ministry, El Monte, CA
M4.6, Malachi 4.6 Network, San Jose, CA
MACC, Marin Asian Community Church, San Rafael, CA (formerly MCCC)
MESA, Ministries for English Speaking Asians, San Lorenzo, CA
MGIM, Mary Germain International Ministries, Mission Viejo, CA
Navigators Asian American Ministries
NCBC, New Community Baptist Church, Mountain View, CA
NHCC, New Hope Community Church, New Hyde Park, NY
NLCF, New Life Christian Fellowship, Castro Valley, CA
OVC, Ocean View Church, Torrance, CA
OMF, Overseas Missions Fellowship Intl, Littleton, CO
PaLM, Pastoral and Laity Ministries, New York, NY
PCC, Pathway Community Church (Castro Valley, CA)
Pioneers - USA
Project BGAN (Bringing the Gospel to All Nations)
PK, Promise Keepers, Denver, CO
QCAC, Queens Christian Alliance Church, Flushing, NY
RC, Redwood Chapel, Castro Valley, CA
Talbot Seminary, (& Institute of Spiritual Formation), La Mirada,
CA
TVCBC, Tri-Valley Chinese Bible Church, Pleasanton, CA
Western Seminary, Chinese Ministries Program, Los Gatos, CA
WBT, Wycliffe Bible Translator - USA
YNEM, Young Nak English Ministry, Los Angeles, CA
A
prolific and best-selling author, Pastor Hayford has penned more than
three dozen books, 600 hymns and choruses, including the internationally
known and widely recorded "Majesty," and hundreds of teaching
cassettes distributed worldwide. He is perhaps best known, however, as
founding pastor of The Church on the Way (TCOTW), the First Foursquare
Church of Van Nuys, California. His service to TCOTW, which began as a
temporary assignment to pastor 18 people in 1969, continued fruitfully
for more than three decades as the congregation grew to more than 10,000
active members.
Pastor
Gibbons is a social entrepeneur and the lead/founding pastor of NewSong.
NewSong started in Dave's Irvine apartment in 1994. Dave has a passion
to come alongside the poorest of the poor throughout the world. Dave currently
serves on the boards of World Vision, The SHAW (an Los Angeles Community
Development Corporation) and El Puente (A CDC in Santa Ana).
Evergreen
Baptist Church's (San Gabriel) Pastor Ken is a much sought-after inspirational
speaker and Asian-American ministries consultant. He serves on the Board
of Trustees for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, the advisory board
for the Asian American ministries department of Logos Theological Seminary
(El Monte, CA) and the Asian American Drug Abuse Program (AADAP).
He
has been a speaker for Promise Keepers, Westmont College's and Azusa Pacific
University's chapels and was the featured Bible teacher at Urbana 2000.
He was one of the plenary preachers for Moody Bible Institute's Founders
Week 2001 and their 2001 National Pastors Conference. In his leisure time,
Pastor Ken enjoys playing golf and taking after dinner walks with his
wife "Snoopy" and their daughter Janessa.
Book
Review of Pastor Ken Fong's "Pursuing the Pearl"
What
do the following all have in common? Fish, the Meiji Restoration,
postmodernism, emergent multi-Asian culture, and a passion
for effective Christian evangelism and discipleship. Answer:
they're all part of the view Ken provides us of the needs
and opportunities facing Asian American churches in the 21st
century.
My effort in the last few
months to develop a network of resources and partners to awaken
and empower the Korean American churches in the area of economic
development and governmental funding has been an exciting adventure
and a great learning experience. I cannot lie and say that it has
not had its tremendous challenges.
1. What 'hunger and thrist' for Asian American Christian leaders...for
400+ to attend the AALC. What were they 'hunger and thristy' for?
I''ll let others answer that one, but it's real, for whatever reasons.
2. What a 'jubilee' of relational/connectional encouragement. We
love to connect and so we did at AALC...from all over the U.S.
3. What a task we have before us...to see the LORD advance HIS Kingdom
and gospel... as the U.S. Asian American population is projected
to grow from 13 to 33 million in the next 46 years. What a need
to see strong, full-of-grace, and equipped leaders raising up leaders
for the ministry to multiple.
4. What joy at AALC to see the Southeast Asian American caucus that
met be SO ZAPPED with encouragement and faith that they would like
to have their own Southeast Asian American National conference in
the next couple of years.
5. What pleasure to see Asian American leaders ministering to Asian
American leaders, which has been hard to find in the past.
