ISAAC Update – Nov. 13, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving friends!

For this month’s electronic newsletter, here are few updates:

The Bay Area Chinese Initiative

1. BAP Conference (Nov. 8, 2008):

Thanks to everyone who attended the first of our three Bay Area Chinese congregational research project conference last Saturday. The half-day conference was held at the Presbyterian Church in Chinatown (San Francisco), the very first Chinese congregation in North America! we are grateful for Rev. David Pan, the Chinese pastor, and Rev. David Mote is the English Ministry Interim pastor, and Jeanne Quock for their hospitality! I was personally delighted to visit this historic church. Its recently renovated worship hall is beautiful!

Dr. Chuck shared an update of the Growth of Chinese churches in the Bay Area since 1996 and I shared about ISAAC’s Equipping and Resource Center for lay and pastoral leaders. We hope to offer seminars, workshops, and classes on subjects as diverse as the history of Asian American Christianity, spiritual formation of leaders in Asian American ministries, teaching Sunday School, and college admissions and vocational counseling. We are also planning an Asian American immersion camp this summer to give youth an opportunity to learn about this history and contemporary situation of Asian Americans in the Bay Area.

2. Upcoming BAP Conferences (Nov. 15 and 22)

There is still time to attend the half-day conferences this Saturday and next Saturday. In addition to sharing about the recent growth of the nearly 200 Chinese churches in the Bay Area, we will also celebrate the publication of the Bay Area Chinese Churches research project report. Information about the report can be found on the ISAAC Blog. We are grateful for Rev. Steve Quen of the Bay Area Bible Church and Dr. Sam Tsang of Overseas Theological Seminary for their support of ISAAC’s work! Here are the locations for the upcoming conferences:
-> Nov. 15: South Bay (Overseas Theological Seminary in San Jose, 9:15 AM – 12:30 PM)
-> Nov. 22: East Bay (Bay Area Chinese Bible Church – Alameda Campus, 9:15 AM – 12:30 PM)
[Go to Bay Area Chinese Churches Project blog for more information. | Register online here]

Other Projects

In partnership with the Pacific Asian American and Canadian Christian Education (PAACCE), we will publish an Asian American Christianity Reader by the end of November. The reader is a collection of historical, sociological, theological, and personal essays that offer insightful into Asian American Christianity. It will be a useful teaching aid for educators and church leaders. Thanks to everyone who has volunteered to review the reader. Preview copies will be emailed to reviewers before Thanksgiving.

The Society of Asian North American Christian Studies (SANACS) will be publishing its inaugural journal this December. We are now making a final call for 2008 membership. Members will receive the 2008 annual journal for free. Click here to learn more about SANACS.

Dr. Russell Moy, ISAAC board member in charge of seminary relations, is serving on the Association of Theological Schools’ planning committee for the upcoming Enhancing Diversity in Theological Education conference at the end of March. He will also complete a report of the Asian and Asian North American Faculty consultation held last December.

We are also planning to develop an lectureship series on Religion in Asian America in which leading scholars of Asian American religions will be invited to speak at partnering universities, colleges, and seminaries around the country. Stayed tuned for more details!

Funding Situation

We are truly grateful for our supporters over the past two years! Regarding of amount of support, they have enabled us to develop resources and programs. And the best is yet to come! So please complete your commitment or pledge for 2008 if you have not yet done so. To make a donation, go to http://isaacweb.org/a/support.htm

Some supporters have already made pledges or commitments for 2009 – thank you! You help us plan ahead and give us assurance that we’ll have enough to continue our work. If anyone else would like to make a pledge or commitment for next year, please email or call me and I’ll fill you in on the details.

As you know, we are a “start up” organization and work on a shoe string budget. We can only afford part-time staff (including myself) and volunteers. But with your help, I believe ISAAC can enter 2009 with confidence that our programs will have the greatest impact on educators, scholars, and church leaders. So please consider making a gift this year and pledge or commitment for 2009!

Cordially,

Timothy Tseng [email me]
President & Executive Director
Institute for the Study of Asian American Christianity (isaacweb.org)
Adjunct Professor, University of San Francisco