Comments on: English Ministry Pastor Shortage

By: PK

PK — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:41:46 +0000

I think that it is always important to have a clear sense of God’s calling to go into ministry (or do anything else). The need alone does not constitute a call, otherwise we would all be missionaries. But I believe that God may sometimes call a person to enter full-time vocational ministry for a period of time, and then call that person to do something else.

By: Lue-Yee Tsang

Lue-Yee Tsang — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:25:10 +0000

Do you think it’s (im)proper to go into the ordained ministry for a season of life because there aren’t enough people serving in that role and you feel the need rather than because you feel some qualitatively different call? Because I know I’m more a prof type, and I’d be able to do substantial work in academia, but sometimes I do wonder.

By: Matthew Sin

Matthew Sin — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:28:46 +0000

Hi! I am a senior pastor of a Chinese bilingual church in Vancouver. I am quite interested in this topic as our church is also looking for a suitable English pastor for some time. I also agree that both the pastors and leaders of English and Chinese speaking groups shall work together in order to help the English pastor grow in the ministry. If anyone knows any English pastor would like to serve in Vancouver, pl. let me know his information. I may be contacted through sinmatthew@hotmail.com.

By: Jay Mendoza

Jay Mendoza — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:33:31 +0000

Hi, Angelo Palo! Are you the former Engineering Professor in UST?

By: Damon Duran

Damon Duran — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 05:44:09 +0000

Hello, I am a Hispanic Pastor that is married to A Korean. We lived in Korea for 4 years pastoring an EM church. I am looking for a church to pastor in the California area preferably at an Asian church. There might be a shortage of EM pastors but I would like to help alleviate that. Please contact me should you know of a church looking! samorchurch@yahoo.com

By: Administrator

Administrator — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:14:39 +0000

Thanks for your encouragement.

By: Daniel L. Wong

Daniel L. Wong — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:17:29 +0000

I was motivated to serve in a Chinese church so I could minister to other ABCs. This was also part of finding my roots and serving in immigrant Chinese churches. Even as a professor of Christian Ministries at Tyndale University College in Toronto, I continue to speak and ministry primarily in Chinese churches. However, I have appreciated the opportunity to minister to other settings like English congregations in Korean churches, African-Canadian churches, and other churches.

I listened to your dissertation presentation. You have great insight and experience in the bilingual/bicultural Chinese church. May God bless your ongoing ministry.

I continue to think about some of the differences between Canadian and U.S. forms and future of English ministry in Chinese churches.

By: PK

PK — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 18:05:27 +0000

It’s great to hear from an experienced ministry leader such as yourself. Thanks for sharing your resources with us. What motivated you as a 3rd gen ABC to serve in a Chinese church?

I agree that mentoring is essential, especially for younger EM pastors. Many times they will not have peers in their ministry setting, so they should seek regular fellowship with other pastors serving in similar situations. That can go a long ways toward helping with loneliness and isolation.

By: Daniel L. Wong

Daniel L. Wong — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 10:09:03 +0000

For Angelo and others, the Chinese Christian Mission lists opportunities for service. People can post information about themselves: www.ccmusa.org.

By: Daniel L. Wong

Daniel L. Wong — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 10:03:12 +0000

As a 3rd gen ABC who served in EM for 18 years before becoming a Christian University ministry prof (also seminary teaching), I do bemoan the paucity of EM pastors. I am committed to mentoring and coaching EM pastors in my school (Tyndale University College & Seminary, Toronto) and in the local context.

ABCs have options for ministry. They not only can serve in a bicultural Chinese church but in other types of churches (Chinese, Asian, non-Chinese), parachurch organizations, mission work, and marketplace. We do pray for more ABCs and others to serve in the Chinese church. We have prayed and worked toward that end and have seen many from our midst take up the challenge.

That challenge of serving in the Chinese church is not easy – often there are language, cultural, and generational barriers. Many times it is personality.

In my years of serving in the bicultural Chinese church as EM pastor I can say that there was only 1 person in the church that was similar to me in age and background – a Canadian-born Chinese. In many ways you are like a “missionary” in the church, working among people with much differences but of course, many similarities.

I have written previously of the need for the non-ABCs like OBCs and non-Chinese to serve in EM ministry (see my website under General Downloads and “Toward a Theological Foundation for English Ministry in the Canadian Chinese Church”). It is exciting to see not only Caucasians but also East Indians and African-Americans and African-Canadians serving in the Chinese and Asian churches. There is one EM pastor in our area who is originally from Africa.