NEWS IN
THE GENERAL CONVENTION, The Episcopal Church
Indianapolis: July 7, 2013
Welcome to
the Lunchtime Conversation
July
7, 2013 at 12:45 P.M. –PF Chang China
Bistro, 49 W. Maryland St. #226,
Indianapolis
NEWS
OF THE WEEK
Winston
Ching, 1st EAM Missioner, Remembered
The
Asiamerica Community mourn the loss of The Rev. Dr. Winston Ching, first
missioner (Staff Officer) and pioneer of Episcopal Asiamerica Ministry who died
in Guam while en route from Hong Kong to Honolulu last July 3, 2012. He will be
remembered as one who defined the scope of the ministry to include: Asian
immigrants in the U.S.;
Asian Americans and Episcopal Church relations with churches in Asia. Dr. Ching served for 30 years under four Presiding
Bishops: +John Hines, +John Allin, +Edmund Browning and +Frank Griswold. May he
rest in peace and rise in glory.
Hmong
Language in the Convention
For
the first time in the history of the Episcopal Church, the Hmong language was
used in the General Convention liturgy as a way of lifting up one of the most
marginalized communities in the U.S.
The Hmong (in Laos and Vietnam) were targeted for genocide in 1975 for
having sided with the Americans during the Vietnam War and were relocated to
the U.S.
as refugees. Holy Apostles Church
in Minnesota
is the largest and probably the only Hmong church in the worldwide Anglican
Communion. Asiamerica Ministry sponsored the first Hmong seminarian at Virginia
Theological Seminary. He was ordained deacon in Minnesota last June 28, 2012. We hope the
Rev. Deacon Toua Vang will be the first Hmong Episcopal priest.
Young
Adults Voices
Voices
of the Episcopal Youth and Young Adults were heard in the Convention at the
interview with Episcopal Web Radio, July 6. Longkee, Hmong youth organizer said
the experience was “overwhelming.” Lorena Buni, who represented the youth of
the Iglesia Filipina Independiente
(concordat partner of TEC) said the fellowship and spirituality were “great
learning experience”; while Jamie who is Korean-American said that he can share
with those who call themselves “spiritual but not religious” that the Episcopal
Church is one of the most hospitable churches in the world. Longkee Vang,
Lorena Buni, Kapya Ilay, Brian Chin and Jamie Osborne represented the
Asiamerica Ministries in the Young Adults Festival.
Asian
Leader Honored in Stewardship Event
The
Rev. Dr. Charles C.T. Chen, priest of the Episcopal Diocese of Taiwan was
honored last night at the ceremony sponsored by TENS (The Episcopal Network for
Stewardship) and the Stewardship Office of the Episcopal Church. As rector of
St. James Church in Taichung,
Fr. Chen has led and inspired his congregation to fund the construction of 12
church buildings in the Episcopal Diocese of Central Philippines, raising
$30,000 per church. For his life of generosity, Fr. Chen was “apostle in
transformational stewardship.”
Asiamerica
Ministries Process
Asiamerica
Ministry is often described as a “Pentecost Ministry” due to its diversity and
plurality. The over 150 Episcopal congregations that self-identify themselves
as “Asian American” are grouped into ethnic convocations: Chinese, Japanese,
Korean, Filipino, Southeast Asian (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Hmong, Burmese,
Thai) and South Asian (India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangla Desh). Annually,
we gather in a national Consultation that allows us to meet as pan-Asian
community. This process enables the communities to preserve their ethic and
cultural integrity and uniqueness but also equips them to interact in a wider
community. In 2012, the EAM participated fully in the New Community, a
gathering of peoples of color in the Episcopal Church. To accommodate this, EAM
will meet as a national Consultation every three years, with the other two
years, collaborating with the “New Community” and the mainstream church.
2nd
Asia America
Theological Exchange Forum Planned February 2013
In
2007, the AMOTEC, POAP, and EAMC organized the 1st Asia-America Theological
Exchange Forum held at Church Divinity School
of the Pacific (CDSP) in Berkeley,
California in cooperation with
the Center for Anglican Learning and Leadership (CALL). On February 7-11, 2013
we plan to hold the 2nd
A-ATEF in Manila, Philippines
in consultation with the Episcopal Church of the Philippines (ECP)/St. Andrew’s
Theological Seminary, Iglesia Filipina
Independiente (IFI), Ming Wah Theological Seminary and other seminaries and
churches in Asia. The goal is to invite
theologians and scholars from Asia and America to share contextual
theology, collect and publish then into an “Asia-America Journal of Theology”
and develop continuing dialogue in theology, mission and ministry. ATEF also
hopes to “identify key questions and challenges where future collaborations
might resource the developing understanding of Anglican identity in
Asia-America.”
EAM 40th
Anniversary & Churchwide Consultation 2013
Episcopal
Asiamerica Ministry will celebrate its 40th Anniversary and
Churchwide Consultation on June 20-24, 2013 in San Francisco, California.
Tentative venue is Hyatt Hotel, San Francisco
Airport (Burlingame). Theme of the Consultation is EAM@40:
Remember, Celebrate & Re-Envision.
The event will feature a 1st EAM Invitational Golf Tournament
as a fund-raising for the EAM Council (EAMC), a 501-C organization in
partnership with the Asiamerica Ministry Office of The Episcopal Church
(AMOTEC); and the Partnership Office for Asia
and the Pacific (POAP). Speakers will include clergy and lay leaders who will
emphasize the memory of those who pioneered EAM, celebrate the Mission Today.
The Youth and Young Adults will lead in the topic of “re-envisioning the future
thrust of Asiamerican Ministry.” The Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Katharine
Jefferts Schori will preach at the highlight Eucharist on June 23 at 3:00 P.M.
to be held at Grace Cathedral in San
Francisco. Please save the dates.
For more information:
The Rev. Dr. Winfred B. Vergara,
Missioner for Asiamerica Ministries Office
Mr. Peter Ng, Partnership Officer for
Asia and the Pacific
Email: png@episcopalchurch.org www. Episcopalchurch.org
The Rev. Bayani D. Rico, EAM Council
President
Email: rector_ascension@hotmail.com
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