Alright, so I can't say for sure that SPU's Inaugural Asian American Ministry Conference is Seattle's first, but I couldn't find anything on Google that proved otherwise.
With that disclaimer aside, what a blessing this conference was!
First of all, it was right here in Seattle, so I didn't have to buy a plane ticket and find a cat sitter to attend.
Second, it was right here in Seattle, so I got to interact with and meet a lot of fellow servants of God's kingdom who are serving locally.
Third, it was right here in Seattle, so the fruit that is coming out of this conference means a world of good for what God is doing in these parts.
A couple of other reflections...
- There was a great panel about Asian American women in ministry led by Seattle's very own Rev. Nancy Sugikawa (Lighthouse Church), featuring Elaine Cho, Ken Fong, Christine Nakano, and Wayne Ogimachi. I learned a ton, but I was also struck by a little nugget that Ogimachi had to share regarding leadership in the church. He stated that the job of the pastor isn't to delegate, but to find and raise up people to lead. So the task of pastoral leadership is not to simply tell other people what to do, but to identify, train, and encourage members who have the gift of managing and leading others.
- This is kind of a biggie...Aside from having a few more "academically oriented" talks than I was expecting, the conference also ended up being a bit more focused on issues of race than I was expecting, and it got me thinking: How big of a deal is racism when it comes to discipleship? Sounds like a question with an obvious answer, I mean, isn't racism always a bad thing? But let's go deeper. The fact is, as the song says, everyone's a little bit racist sometimes. So why then do we need to talk about it? Why then do we as followers of Jesus Christ need to speak up when things like this or this happen?
What say you?
The thing is, when the church brings up "the R word", a lot of people get defensive (and sometimes offensive). Everyone knows racism is a bad thing, and so we can't get anywhere by naming something as racist, even if it is. It's like admitting it automatically puts you into social jail.
But racism still exists. Race still matters. (And let's be clear: you and I are just as much a part of this as anyone)
But does it matter to discipleship? Does it matter to a pastor who/ministry that is trying to call and equip followers to Christ?
Personally, I think it does, but I think that connection needs to be made in a much more compelling way than it currently is. The research and scholarship has been done regarding racism, ethnic studies, and identity, but the connection between discipleship and race issues has not been made in a convincing manner (especially for the general lay public...but I'd say not really even for pastors and other leaders in ministry).
I'm going to argue for this: fewer talks and sermons about why "Deadly Vipers" is something that Zondervan should never have published, and more about why every follower of Christ needs to care about these issues. And perhaps even more importantly: Why ethnic minority groups need to step to the plate on one another's behalf. This was said quite well by Seattle Pacific Seminary professor Brian Bantum on the opening night of the conference. I agree, especially because it makes the message so much more powerful. If an Asian tries to fight for the rights of Asians, it often just sounds like we're being too sensitive. But if all ethnic groups rise up on behalf of one that gets oppressed, then the message takes on power.
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