EAM Happenings – Summer 2021
August 4, 2021
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| EAM Happenings Sharing news of Chinese Episcopal Ministries Nationwide Summer, 2021   EAM Chinese Convocation Meeting 2021 On March 20, 2021, over 15 Chinese ministries came together to share their stories and gather together to celebrate EAM Chinese ministry. The Rev. Thomas Brackett shared how churches can turn crisis into opportunity by recognizing various gifts of the parish family. Then everyone had an opportunity to share their experiences and identify their gifts to help their churches recover post pandemic. This was an exciting and much needed opportunity for the Chinese ministry to come together to inspire one another through storytelling. Youtube Playlist of Ministry Reports nationwide: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnpAKANUvREUoYfbKZFAAAtE7N8tlK36C A Statement from EAM Chinese Convocation of the Episcopal Church on Anti-Asian Hate For centuries, we, the Chinese, Chinese American, and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in this country have faced discrimination. We have worked hard in contributing to the building of this country. In order to maintain harmony in the community, we have been silent. We have been labeled a “model minority,” which has resulted in other communities of color being pit against us. Even with the third and fourth generations born in this country, we are always seen as perpetual foreigners, and not considered true Americans. We have been scapegoated, particularly in light of discrimination arising out of sexism, xenophobia, and capitalism. A painful example of racism for us was the building of the Chinese ministry in The Episcopal Church in Nevada. The first recorded Chinese Episcopal Missioner, Ah Fu built up churches and ministries to serve the Chinese immigrants in Carson City and Virginia City in Nevada in the 1870’s. However, due to anti-Chinese sentiments, they got burnt down again and again. Now there are increasing anti-Asian hate crimes, and with the recent tragic murders in Atlanta, we have had enough. We grieve the loss of lives, and we pray for the families who lost their loved ones. We are sad, angry, anxious, and we fear for our safety. However, we, the Chinese Convocation in The Episcopal Church, will love our neighbors as Jesus has taught us; we will be vigilant in watching out for each other’s safety, in standing together with our own and other communities to do the best we can to support and care for each other, and in vowing not to discriminate against others but to fight against racism. We have racists who attack us verbally and physically, but we also have other siblings who stand in solidarity with us. We are grateful for your support. We pray that when one is in need, the others will not be bystanders but stand together to resist. As followers of Jesus Christ, we will always keep our faith, live in hope and love, and not in hate or fear. May God bless us all. March, 2021 美國聖公會華裔事工組宣言 數世紀來，我們華裔人士，華裔美國人，亞裔美國人和太平洋島人民社區一直受到歧視。 我們為建設這個國家而努力。 為了保持社區的和諧，我們一直保持沉默。 我們被標記為模範少數群體，引起其他群體對我們的不滿，受到攻擊。 即使第三，第四代出生在這個國家，我們也是永遠的被視為外國人，而不是真正的美國人。 我們一直接受到性別歧視，仇外心理和資本主義的問題所困擾，甚至成為代罪羊羔。 我們聖公會華裔事工在內華達州建設事工時就有一個痛苦的種族歧視經歷。 第一位獲得記載的中國傳教士阿富在1870年代在內華達州的卡森市和維真尼亞市建立了教會和事工，為華裔移民服務。 但是，由於反華情緒，他們的教會屢屢地被燒毀，而事工被摧毀。 現在，反亞裔仇恨犯罪案件不斷加增，加上最近在亞特蘭大發生的謀殺悲劇，我們受夠了。 我們為失去的生命感到悲痛，並會為失去親人的家庭祈禱。 我們感到悲傷，憤怒，焦慮和為自己的安全而產生恐懼。然而，我們，美國聖公會華裔事工組要如耶穌教導我們的那樣，去愛我們的鄰舍。 我們將保持警惕，注意彼此的安全，與我們自己和其他社區站在一起，盡我們最大的努力互相支持和關心，並堅誓不歧視他人，而是與種族主義作鬥爭。 我們受到種族主義者以言語和肉體的攻擊，但我們也有其他弟兄姐妹的支持及與我們團結。 感謝各位的支持。 我們懇切禱告，希望當一個人需要幫助時，其他人不會成為旁觀者，而是肩並肩站在一起對抗。 我們是主耶穌基督的追隨者，我們會堅守我們的信仰，生活在希望和愛中，而不會生活在仇恨或恐懼中。 願上帝祝佑我們。  Diaconate Ordination Lu (Carrie) Zhang, a long time and active member of the Trilingual Episcopal parish, St. George’s Church, Flushing. Lu was ordained as transitional deacon on January 30, 2021, by The Rt. Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano, Bishop of Long Island. Congratulations Deacon Lu! The Reverend Lu Zhang has been called to continue serving at the church.  Diaconate Ordination Katherine Ying Feng, a long time and active member of the Mandarin-speaking congregation at Church of Our Saviour, San Gabriel, Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles was ordained as the transitional deacon on June 12, 2021, by The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor, Bishop of Los Angeles. Congratulations Deacon Katherine. The Reverend Katherine Feng will continue to serve the Mandarin Congregation at Our Saviour temporarily and voluntarily while discerning her next step.  The Li Tim-Oi Center started its 10th Lay Leadership Training course on Racial Justice and Reconciliation for the returning students on July 10. It covers biblical and church teachings on human race, racial issues in the US history, the Chinese/Asian American experience of racism, racial justice in today’s society and church, and how we as Chinese Christians should respond to racism and promote racial equality and reconciliation. Course is delivered in Mandarin. The Li Tim-Oi Center will also offer its 11th course on Liturgy and Book of Common Prayer to anyone who is interested in starting on July 31. It covers every essential aspect of Sunday Eucharistic service such as lectors, intercessors, Eucharistic ministers, acolyte, verger, ushers, greeters, Altar Guild, as well as the liturgical Year: Advent-Lent, Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost, Morning/Noonday Prayers, traditional and contemporary music in worship, and etc.Course is delivered in Mandarin. Congratulations to The Reverend Peter Lam on his retirement. The Rev. Peter Lam retired from his ministry at Church of the Holy Spirit, Diocese of Long Island in July, 2021. “Holy Spirit is my big family that I have joined and served since June 1993. I have really fond and passionate memories of every aspect of church development and all parishioners. Thank you for your support to me all these years and may God’s blessings be always with you.”  Canon Edmund Der celebrated his 60th Anniversary of Ordained Ministry on June 11, 2021 through a Thanksgiving Service.” Link to Celebratory Video Thanksgiving Service of Canon E Der 60th Anniversary of ordination.mp4 Future for True Sunshine During the years that True Sunshine Church has been on the scene in San Francisco there have been many changes in the make-up of its congregation. There was a time when there were beginnings of growth and times of decline in numbers, and changes in the ages of its membership. At the present time, we seem to be in a decline that many of us feel is wrong for our responsibility to the Body of Christ. Not all of this can be changed, because of the events of history happening around us. None of us could have guessed that a disease would happen that changed much about our lives. But this time of Covid around us is just another challenge to our way of life, which we will somehow overcome in God’s good time. The fact that we have survived so far is just possibly only an opportunity in the making. When I was Vicar of this Church we often wondered whether there was a future, but now we know that there was. A generation of adults found opportunities to serve by raising up some unexpected young people, children and youth who were in the neighborhood or willing to travel to the Chinatown of their memory. The result was a growth that no one could have predicted. Now I see opportunity asking to be fulfilled in our new time. Those of us who are here as a worshipping group have opportunity to serve God again. The children and youth around us need a new generation of those willing to serve by helping them to find a place, like the generations of the past. We have the place that is not perfect, but we can make it perfect by our service and examples. It will take some effort, but so does everything worthwhile take effort. God now calls us to serve him and his Kingdom in new ways. We may have to change some of our old ideas to fit new needs – but God will make it worthwhile, if we will only try. Don’t wait for someone else to do something -start doing. Don’t expect everything to be the way we always thought it was in the past. It may be time to try new things and time to reach out in new ways. The Rev. Thomas Chesterman, Associate Rector, True Sunshine Church Clergy Transitions: The Reverend Walter Lau has been called by the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island to be the Missioner of the diocese. He will serve as Priest-in-Charge at Church of the Holy Spirit, Brooklyn beginning July 1, 2021. The Reverend Debbie Low-Skinner has been called by the Episcopal Diocese of California to be Canon to the Ordinary Pro Tempore starting on June 1, 2021. Here is an article published about Canon Debbie in the latest “Nichi Bei Weekly” https://www.nichibei.org/2021/06/s-f-japanese-american-churches-welcome-new-faces-during-the-pandemic/ The Rev. Dr. Rosalie Richards, Priest in Charge of Episcopal Church of Our Savior, New York will retire August 31, 2021. The members of Our Savior thank her for her leadership during the pandemic and wish her the best in her new ventures. The Diocese of New York welcomes The Rev. Kyrie Kim. She serves as the Missioner for Asian Ministries at the Episcopal Diocese of New York, and Cathedral St. John the Divine. Rev. Kim is also Missionary to Metropolitan Japanese Ministries. Beginning Fall, 2021, Asian Service will be held on Sundays at 2:00 pm, Cathedral St John the Divine. For more information, please contact: kkim@dioceseny.org We care for our clergy. Please share with us any major changes in your’s or your church’s ministries, such that we can celebrate or pray for you. Postings are also shared more timely on our facebook page. Visit our new website. Photos and News of your ministry are always welcomed. Please take a moment to visit our Ministry Directory and email us any necessary additions, changes, and updates. Thank you. https://eamccon.wixsite.com/eamccon Directory listing: https://eamccon.wixsite.com/eamccon/resources  |
