Post by: Casey Young
This is part 1 of a multi-part series that talks about cultural identity and cultural redemption within the Chinese American Church. This is something that is near and dear to me. I often speak with a dose of sarcasm that may sound like frustration, but I do so with a deep humble love for the Church. I know that there is no perfect church, but the Chinese American Church is where I have found myself in and where God has called me to. I write this as a product of the Chinese American Church and as an honest critic of her. I am by no means an expert, but I hope to offer some insight, opinion, critique, thoughts, and if nothing else, at least some laughs and some humor.
I have often been asked questions of my calling and my plans after seminary. I have usually replied with something along the lines of serving in a church ministry and in a preaching and teaching ministry, with a heavy dose of pastoral care and counseling. However, one part that catches people off guard is that I fully intend to serve in the context of the Chinese American Church. This is the point where it usually raises questions of why and even concern for my intentions.
The Chinese American Church (CAC) is where I was born and raised and for many it is a distant memory of the past, especially after college. The CAC is unique in many ways, but like any culture and ministry it carries a set of deep-rooted challenges and opportunities. For those unfamiliar with the CAC, it is usually a church that is culturally made up of 99.9% Chinese, if not 100% so. It is Chinese American, simply because it is a Chinese Church that happens to be located in the USA.
They are usually very easy to spot. Their names all have a series of the keywords: Chinese, Christian, Church, Community, and usually a denomination name and a distinctive word like Bible, Grace, Evangelical, First, Canaan, etc. and more commonly, the name of the city they are in. More importantly, they are usually referred to by their acronym, which you will immediately know if you are in the Chinese Christian circle long enough. Someone’s cousin’s aunt goes to ICCCC and their neighbor goes to MBC and their co-worker probably goes to CCC and their best friend goes to CBCCCC.
It is usually very culturally Chinese, meaning that every Chinese holiday (Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, etc.) is celebrated, along with every American holiday (Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, etc.), and of course, every Church holiday (Christmas, Easter, etc.). Chances are, there are at least two if not three worship services in different languages (Cantonese, English, Mandarin, Taiwanese, to name a few). The Children’s Ministry (CM) and the English Ministry (EM) are usually just comprised of the kids and the grandkids of the Chinese-speaking congregations. And of course, like any Chinese gathering, Sunday lunches or dinners after worship are a must and every holiday should rightly be celebrated with a potluck and lots of snacks and desserts for after the gathering (fasting is a spiritual discipline we don’t often discuss).
In this series, I hope to talk briefly about some of these challenges and opportunities, which make up the complexity of the CAC. Some of these things include the linguistic differences, geopolitical issues, immigration patterns, socioeconomic disparities, generational distinctives, cultural challenges, and so much more. I always nervously joke about Paul and the New Testament letters to the churches, when I talk about the CAC. Paul gives remedies and is challenged by the Early Church to deal with two major groups; the Jewish people and the Gentiles. But when we talk about the CAC, we have to deal with usually three major groups (Cantonese, Mandarin, and English). In some sense, Paul had it easy!
Casey Young is currently a graduate student pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at the Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. Casey desires to help people understand how they can redeem and reconcile cultural identities and challenge their faith, through the gospel of Jesus Christ. He grew up in the Chinese American church and currently serves as a pastoral intern at First Chinese Baptist Church, San Gabriel Valley. With the passion of bringing theology and cultural relevance to the table, he has the wants to see the Asian American church grow and shift to better reach this generation and those to come.