Videos of ISAAC Equipping Symposium at Fuller now available!

Greetings friends!

We’ve posted most of the videos of ISAAC So Cal-Fuller’s Equipping Symposium on our vimeo account. More will be posted! Have a look: http://vimeo.com/isaacvid/videos

Also, photos can be found at ISAAC’s facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ISAAC/18289178852

– Tim Tseng and Young Lee Hertig

ISAAC Asian American Continuing Education Seminar

“GOD IS ROOMY: GENERATIONS, GENDER, AND THE FUTURE OF ASIAN AMERICAN MINISTRY”

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know the love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” — Ephesians 3:17

SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 2010, 9:00AM-5:00PM

FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

Payton Hall, Room 303

Pasadena, CA

CO-SPONSORED BY THE INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF ASIAN AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY of SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (ISAAC-SoCal) AND FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

As a follow up to the inaugural Asian American Equipping Symposium (AAES) held last November 2-3 at Fuller Theological Seminary, SoCal ISAAC is pleased to announce a one-day continuing education seminar for Asian American pastors, para-church leaders, and lay leaders.  Once again, Fuller President Richard J. Mouw will be with us to continue the dialogue we began last year and will address “The Future of Theological Formation.”  We will expand upon and unpack the content presented at the AAES, specifically the topographic analysis done by respondent Dr. Charlene Jin Lee  (Assistant Professor of Christian Education and Director of Student Formation, San Francisco Theological Seminary/Southern California) of one of the themes discussed by keynote speaker Dr. Jonathan Tran (Assistant Professor of Theological Ethics, Baylor University)–the “Roomy-ness of God”–to address gender, generations, and the future of Asian American ministry.  We look forward to seeing you all at this one-day event to experience God’s “vastness.”

THE PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

9:00am            Registration

9:30am            Introduction (Young Lee Hertig & Mary Hubbard Given)

10:00am          Future of Theological Formation (Richard J. Mouw)

10:30am          Q & A

10:45am          Roomy-ness of God and Gender in the Church (Charlene Jin Lee)

11:45am          Q & A

Noon               Lunch

1:00pm            Intergenerational Fish Bowl (Peter Lai, Kevin Doi)

2:00pm            Breakout sessions (generation, gender, and future)

3:30pm            Breakout session plenary and Reflection (Young Lee Hertig)

BREAKOUT SESSION QUESTIONS

The Roomy-ness of God and Gender in the Church:

• Who is at your table?
• Are we willing to image God and to speak and teach of God as beyond male?
• Are we willing to image the ministry of God and theological agency entrusted to all made in God’s image?
• Are we prepared to critically examine the male-bodiedness of our pastoral staff, of our sessions or governing boards, our elders, our leaders?
• Are we prepared to widen the circle of our Theology and open the invisible gates in our churches to invite unintended, complex voices that might disturb and make messy whatever neat categories we’ve knowingly or unknowingly established?

The Roomy-ness of God and Intergenerational Relationships in the Church:

• What pastoral traits does the pioneer generation want to impart to the succeeding generations?  (Peter Lai)
• What are the most important issues that you want the pioneer generation to understand about your pastoral ministry? (Kevin Doi)

The Roomy-ness of God and Constructing Asian North American Theologies: The Power of Context, the Power of Story, “Historical Locatedness”

• What are the priorities for God’s mission in today’s world?
• Who are at the table of theological discourse?
• Who are missing at the table?
• What are the unifying stories?
• Is there Asian American Christianity apart from European Christianity?

ADMINISTRATORS

* Young Lee Hertig: Director of SoCal ISAAC (Institute for the Study of Asian American Christianity) and AAWOL (Asian American Women On Leadership)

* Mary Hubbard Given: Associate Vice President of Alumni/ae and Church Relations, Fuller Theological Seminary

PRESENTERS

* Richard J. Mouw: President of Fuller Theological Seminary

* Charlene Jin Lee: Assistant Professor of Christian Education and Director of Spiritual Formation, San Francisco Theological Seminary/Southern California

* Peter Lai, Pastor of Alhambra True Light Presbyterian Church, Alhambra, California

* Kevin Doi, Pastor of Epic Church (American Baptist), Fullerton, California

REGISTRATION

Regular registration fee: $50.00

Student registration fee: $20.00

(Note to M.Div. students:  This seminar can qualify for field education units.  Please contact your seminary’s field education office to apply.)

Register online:  http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e2swg0rb4ffd593b

Report on the Asian American Symposium at Fuller Seminary: Young Lee Hertig

November 16, 2009
Apologies to Young Lee Hertig for the delay in posting this report… Tim Tseng

The Inaugural AAES Epiphany
By Young Lee Hertig, Director of ISAAC-SoCal/AAWOL (Asian American Women On Leadership)

The dream of gathering one of the most scattered group, Asian American Christian leaders, came true when the inaugural Asian American Equipping Symposium kicked off on November 2-3 at Fuller Theological Seminary.  Initial idea came from ISAAC’S Executive Director, Timothy Tseng, who began lectureship circuits in Northern California with various Universities.  In implementing the vision, as fellow African American pastors would say, “When you don’t have teeth to chew, gum it” relying on daily divine whispers and riding along the whimsical wind of the Spirit.

The first whisper in implementing the dream came through a meeting with Howard Loewen, Dean of School of Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary.  When the Dean announced his fall Sabbatical, the new partnership emerged with Fuller’s Office of Alumni/ae and Church Relations turned  dream possible.  Tirelessly everyone in Mary Hubbard Given’s office devoted their time to the details of the two-day event—lecture, panel, breakout session, banquet, and luncheon.

The Program Highlights

The keynote speaker, Dr. Jonathan Tran, an Assistant Professor of Christian Ethics,  framed the lectures of the past and future of Asian American churches with “both and” paradigm, not “either or.”  It was the right frame to contain multiple facets of bridging the inaugural AAES aimed.  Bridging both theologies with the Asian American churches, the past with the future, and diverse intra Asian American ethnic groups, Tran walked us through the interpretive path that was so rich in its contents and candor in delivery.  Participants were captivated by vivid biblical narratives resonant with Asian American journeys.  The panel responses on Monday included three school faculty and Asian American pastors: Jehu J. Hanciles, Mark Lau Branson, Miyoung Yoon Hammer, Ken Fong, and Michael Lee.   We are so grateful for panelists taking their busy time off to deliver their insights.

Monday evening was the Asian American Leadership Banquet  and 160 people filled the room, Payton 101 at Fuller Theological Seminary.  At the 11^th hour, the Women of Four (Mary Hubbard Given, Bert Jacklitch, Bonnie Stevens, and Young Lee Hertig) decided to change the banquet venue from the Rose Tournament House to Payton 101 to accommodate everyone who wanted to come to the banquet.  We apologize for those who didn’t have time to check the last minute email sent out when we changed the venue for the banquet.  At the banquet, President Rich Mouw almost turned his keynote address, Theological Imagination With Asian American Churches” in interpretive dance after Ashley Thaxton’s liturgical dance to the song, “In This Very Room,” sung by Debra Williams.  We almost believed that he might since Mrs. Phyllis Mouw was present

On Tuesday Tran covered why Asian American Churches are the Future.  The panelists were Charlene Jin Lee, Timothy Tseng, Charles Lee, Melanie Mar Chow, and Benjamin Shin.   Gender issues in Asian American Churches, addressed by Charlene Jin Lee, in particular captivated everyone.  Tran continued dialogue by email exchanges with Jin Lee even after his return to Texas.

The breakout sessions with Jonathan Wu and Melanie Mar Chow’s leadership, were divided into four To let you know, we will have four topics for discussion and strategic thinking:
1.  The future of AA pastoral leadership
2.  The future of AA women in ministry
3.  The future of the intergenerational AA church
4.  The future of theological formation in AA churches

Jonathan and Melanie expressed their appreciation of the deep level of engagement and learning happening in all of the groups as Jonathan Tran and the panelists paved the way for some serious interactions in our breakout groups.  We are grateful to you all for navigating the direction toward constructive conversations and substantive outcomes.  We deeply appreciate participants recommendations with the clarity to keep traction and momentum going forward.

Last but not the least, the inaugural AAES was possible through sponsorships of local churches, para-church organizations and friends.  ISAAC appreciates all of your financial support that made our collective dreaming possible.