(Seattle, Wash. – DNS – Aug. 8, 2010) – A new chapter unfolded for the ministry of North American/Pacific Asian Disciples (NAPAD) last week when new bylaws were unanimously approved at its 16th Biennial Convocation. Nearly 200 people gathered for the Aug. 4-7 meeting in Seattle, Wash. to review and vote on the change, which represents the latest step for NAPAD in becoming a self-determining ministry in the church.
NAPAD had been a program within Disciples Home Missions for 17 years. However, in 2009 the General Board approved a change for NAPAD that brings it more in alignment with the church’s other two racial/ethnic ministries: the Central Pastoral Office for Hispanic Ministries and the National Convocation.
That change means that Geunhee Yu, Executive pastor for NAPAD, is now accountable to the NAPAD board, not DHM, and the ministry has a covenantal relationship to the General Board. With the addition of new bylaws and a 14-member elected board, leaders believe the ministry will now be able to more effectively carry out its work. NAPAD previously had worked with an advisory council.
"The NAPAD governing document not only sets out how NAPAD will operate as a ministry, it is also an elegant statement of covenant within the whole church – a lovely document – which is not always the word I would use for bylaws," commented General Minister and President Sharon Watkins who was among those attending the NAPAD gathering.
NAPAD was started in 1992 with only eight churches. Today, Asian churches are among the fastest growing segment within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). NAPAD now counts over 140 churches, in which 15 languages are spoken, including Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese and Samoan. Twenty-five new churches have been started since 2008.
"We have accomplished a lot within the Church for almost two decades and we are very proud of the new chapter that is unfolding," said Yu. ""Our vision and goal is to have 250 healthy congregations by the year 2020. That means we have to open one new church a month over the next decade, something we been doing so far."
In his State of NAPAD address, Yu described NAPAD as having ‘come of age’, and called on attendees to assist in establishing an endowment and increasing their giving to Disciples Mission Fund.
But this year’s gathering of NAPAD was not exclusively about business. Under the theme: "Be Hope for the World," (Romans 15:13, Hebrews 3:6), the convocation included worship, activities for children, youth and young adults, and the traditional Cultural Night where food is offered from several Asian countries along with a talent show. Also, during the Convocation youth event, 14 youths confessed their faith and were baptized.
On Wednesday night, General Minister and President Sharon Watkins opened the convocation event, saying, we often call ourselves the Stone-Campbell movement after "dreamers who saw an undivided church – who saw people as if they were members of the same family."
We don’t always remember the long list of people of color, both the unnamed and well-known, who have witnessed to that hope that speaks of wholeness for Disciples, she said. Preston Taylor, an African-American, saw the need for black and white together in one church. Hawk Jeu, the first international student at Drake University in the late 1800s, worked for unity among Chinese immigrants in Portland, Oregon. Kojiro Unoura, a Disciples forebear of Japanese descent, was among those who remained faithful to God during World War II despite the Japanese internment.
"What humbles me is the witness of Disciples of color through all those years (and now) who saw the gap yet lived the hope," said Watkins. "How fortunate we are for these witnesses, less well known in the standard canon of our history, but true heroes of hope….May it also be with us. Let us be the hope."
Timothy Tseng, president and executive director of the Institute for the Study of Asian-American Christianity, in Castro Valley, Calif., was one of two plenary speakers. Tseng stressed that both first and second generation Asians should acknowledge the gifts they can contribute to American society and to religion. "We often want to be incidental Asians, said Tseng. "Our youth see the future as non-ethnic, but what happens is that they go into adulthood without knowing who they are." Tseng said many Asians too readily accept the ‘scripts’ of American society that, among other things, stresses a belief in consumerism and technology. There are few positive role models in the media for Asians, he added, saying, "We need to take a part in re-writing the scripts by engaging in a powerful re-reading of the Bible ….and produce scripts that reflect our history as people of God."
Young Lee Hertig, Southern California regional director of ISAAC, which oversees the growth of Asian American Women on Leadership, also spoke about the promise of Asian and Asian-American youth leadership and the importance of social scripts. She analyzed the generational and gender scripts that divide Asians and suggested that Asians in this country develop multiple scripts. "What is it that the American-born generation wants from its parents," she asked. What does the immigrant-born generation want from its children? We need to find a way to communicate that is modeled on Jesus Christ."
In his closing address on Saturday morning, Aug. 7 Executive Pastor Yu called on NAPAD members to be people within the Disciples of Christ who are full of hope, "not because of who we are, but because of who God is." Let us be the hope for the world, which is in desperate need of such good news."
The next NAPAD Convocation will be held in the summer of 2012.
**
For photos of NAPAD visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/christianchurchdoc/sets/72157624704610896/
***
Members of the newly named NAPAD Board of Directors include:
Lian Jiang, immediate past moderator – Pastor, First Chinese Christian Church (DOC) – Plano, Texas.
Timothy Lee – moderator – Associate Professor of the History of Christianity at Brite Divinity School – Ft. Worth, TX
John Chun – (moderator-elect) – Lakewood, CA., Co-Pastor of Sallims Christian Church of Newport Beach, Calif.
Cinthia Kim – Secretary/Treasurer – Elmhurst, IL – former moderator, health care professional
Paulo Lealaitafea – Director at Large; Kent, Wash.- Senior Minister, Samoan Congregational Christian Church.
April Lewton – staff at Chicago Theological Seminary; Chicago, IL. Representative from NAPAD to General Board.
Sandhya Jha – Pastor, First Christian Church – Oakland, Calif.; Missional and Reconciliation Minister for CC(DOC) in N/Calif./Nevada
JoAnne Kagiwada – Oakland, Calif. Founding member of NAPAD along with her late husband, David.
Janet Casey-Allen -Chaplain, Indiana Women’s Prison. – Indianapolis, Ind.. – Founding member of NAPAD. On DHM’s board.
Gideon Yu — Entrepreneur – San Jose, Calif.
Geunhee Yu – NAPAD Executive Pastor – Indianapolis, Ind.
Sharon Watkins – General Minister and President – Indianapolis, Ind. – ex-officio without vote
Representative from General Ministries – not yet named
Representative from Regional Ministries – not yet named
By: Wanda Bryant Wills, [email protected]
Offering received Sept. 26 & Oct. 3