NY/NJ Asian American Christian Community News
News and reports about the New York/New Jersey Asian American Christian Community found here. For the latest, see below....
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2018 New York/New Jersey Asian American Christian Community News
Culture in Life, Ministry, and the Work Place by Sheryl Takagi Silzer
Co-Sponsored by WOW!, PaLM, and ISAAC
2015 New York/New Jersey Asian American Christian Community News
John Eng of Chinese Evangel Mission Church - Manhattan Retires
d Chan August 30, 2015
The Sunday afternoon of August 30, 2015, appeared to most New York Chinatown Christians to be just another Sunday. However, for one church and one pastor, this day would be unlike any other Sunday. For on this day the Reverend John Eng, English Ministry Pastor of the Chinese Evangel Mission Church, Manhattan (CEMC-M) retired from the pastorate after serving the church 22 years.
The special celebration was held at the church’s newly built worship facility located at 31 Monroe Street, a short distance from their current location. The facility is so new that the renovations of the building had only been completed weeks earlier. With the paint barely dry, the church worked hard to honor the shepherd who had cared for them for more than two decades.
As the hour drew near to the start of the service, the facility spilled over with people. These included the church’s English and Chinese congregations, as well as numerous “outsiders” who had come to join the festivities and offer John their well-wishes.
The service included a time of worship, prayers, Scripture reading, hilarious skits, testimonies, a slide presentation and the presentation of a special gift from the church to their beloved pastor – a check to cover the cost of a well-deserved cruise!
After the service, pictures of the various groups present were taken which was followed by a special lunch enjoyed by all.
The Sunday afternoon of August 30, 2015, appeared to most New York Chinatown Christians to be just another Sunday. However, for one church and one pastor, this day would be unlike any other Sunday. For on this day the Reverend John Eng, English Ministry Pastor of the Chinese Evangel Mission Church, Manhattan (CEMC-M) retired from the pastorate after serving the church 22 years.
The special celebration was held at the church’s newly built worship facility located at 31 Monroe Street, a short distance from their current location. The facility is so new that the renovations of the building had only been completed weeks earlier. With the paint barely dry, the church worked hard to honor the shepherd who had cared for them for more than two decades.
As the hour drew near to the start of the service, the facility spilled over with people. These included the church’s English and Chinese congregations, as well as numerous “outsiders” who had come to join the festivities and offer John their well-wishes.
The service included a time of worship, prayers, Scripture reading, hilarious skits, testimonies, a slide presentation and the presentation of a special gift from the church to their beloved pastor – a check to cover the cost of a well-deserved cruise!
After the service, pictures of the various groups present were taken which was followed by a special lunch enjoyed by all.
A Triple Blessing!
By Howard Chan May 24, 2015
In late April to early May, 2015 something unusual happened in our region. Within a short period of time three gentlemen, from three different churches were ordained. Prior to this unusual occurrence, the norm for our area was one ordination every several years, or one ordination two years in a row, or within one year. However, in the early part of 2015, God blessed our region by anointing three workers within a three week period!
The three gentlemen ordained by their churches or denominations were:
Apr 18: Peter Lung of the Long Island Alliance Church
May 02: David Rong of the Brooklyn Chinese Alliance Church
May 03: Joshua Ong of Trust in God Baptist Church
We praise God for his goodness and offer to each our congratulations! May our Lord bless each of you with power, wisdom, and grace and may our Lord use each of you to grow his church and expand his kingdom.
PETER LUNG PHOTOS BY: TOP THREE-TONY YUEN, BOTTOM FIRST TWO-STEVEN CHEW, CAKE-WAYNE INGSHING
DAVID RONG PHOTOS BY: KIT LEUNG
JOSHUA ONG PHOTOS TO COME
In late April to early May, 2015 something unusual happened in our region. Within a short period of time three gentlemen, from three different churches were ordained. Prior to this unusual occurrence, the norm for our area was one ordination every several years, or one ordination two years in a row, or within one year. However, in the early part of 2015, God blessed our region by anointing three workers within a three week period!
The three gentlemen ordained by their churches or denominations were:
Apr 18: Peter Lung of the Long Island Alliance Church
May 02: David Rong of the Brooklyn Chinese Alliance Church
May 03: Joshua Ong of Trust in God Baptist Church
We praise God for his goodness and offer to each our congratulations! May our Lord bless each of you with power, wisdom, and grace and may our Lord use each of you to grow his church and expand his kingdom.
PETER LUNG PHOTOS BY: TOP THREE-TONY YUEN, BOTTOM FIRST TWO-STEVEN CHEW, CAKE-WAYNE INGSHING
DAVID RONG PHOTOS BY: KIT LEUNG
JOSHUA ONG PHOTOS TO COME
PETER LUNG: APR 18
DAVID RONG: MAY 02
A Tireless Servant
y Howard Chan May 6, 2015
I first met Kit in 1991 when she applied to go on our Short-Term Missions (STM) trip to Little Black Spot Mountain (LBSM). It was our first trip, and I did not go but Fay, my wife, went while I stayed home with our three little girls.
Upon returning, Fay reported that everything went well; everyone worked together, and the trip was a great success. Included among her remarks was an observation she made about Kit. She was not only a stickler for cleanliness in bathrooms, but she was also a servant who of her own accord volunteered to clean the bathroom daily to ensure that it’s state of cleanliness met her standard.
For more than a decade after that, our worlds never intersected, and our paths never crossed. Then in 2004, PaLM actively sought to recruit her to participate in its 2005 three-week tutorial program at LBSM. At first, she was hesitant knowing that she would not only need to expend much time and energy tutoring her Navajo students but she would also need to deal with unclean bathrooms. In the end, she agreed to go when she could no longer resist God’s call.
On our trip, I found Kit to be an excellent teacher, a hard worker, and a great team player. As a teacher, she could have kept to herself during free time preparing for her classroom work, or she could have done something she enjoyed, or she could have simply rested. Instead, more often than not, I found her volunteering with our Labor Team, who was there to repair and renovate the church facilities at LBSM.
I first met Kit in 1991 when she applied to go on our Short-Term Missions (STM) trip to Little Black Spot Mountain (LBSM). It was our first trip, and I did not go but Fay, my wife, went while I stayed home with our three little girls.
Upon returning, Fay reported that everything went well; everyone worked together, and the trip was a great success. Included among her remarks was an observation she made about Kit. She was not only a stickler for cleanliness in bathrooms, but she was also a servant who of her own accord volunteered to clean the bathroom daily to ensure that it’s state of cleanliness met her standard.
For more than a decade after that, our worlds never intersected, and our paths never crossed. Then in 2004, PaLM actively sought to recruit her to participate in its 2005 three-week tutorial program at LBSM. At first, she was hesitant knowing that she would not only need to expend much time and energy tutoring her Navajo students but she would also need to deal with unclean bathrooms. In the end, she agreed to go when she could no longer resist God’s call.
On our trip, I found Kit to be an excellent teacher, a hard worker, and a great team player. As a teacher, she could have kept to herself during free time preparing for her classroom work, or she could have done something she enjoyed, or she could have simply rested. Instead, more often than not, I found her volunteering with our Labor Team, who was there to repair and renovate the church facilities at LBSM.
After our trip, she had a surprise waiting for me. She volunteered to join our STM committee and help plan our future trips. Current and former members know that I require from those seeking to join the committee a three-year commitment. The commitment is for the benefit of PaLM and the volunteer. During the first year, the rookie committee member mostly observes and handles more mundane responsibilities. In year two, they begin taking on greater responsibilities and by year three, they serve as full-fledged members. After three years, a committee member may step down, or choose to serve again on an annual basis.
At the end of three years, Kit continued to renew her commitment year, after year, after year. I don’t find such renewals surprising since historically many others have done the same. However, in Kit’s case, I found her renewal in August, 2010 genuinely surprising.
Early in 2010 Kit informed us that she was diagnosis with liver cancer. People in such situations generally withdraw from non-essential obligations and responsibilities so that they can concentrate on battling their disease. I fully expected Kit to follow that path. But when I asked her the question “Will you recommit for another year or step down?” Kit responded, “If you will have me, I will be back.”
From Kit’s perspective, her cancer was no excuse for leaving the committee. If she were to leave, it would be only because we did not want her back. For the next five years, Kit annually renewed her commitment to serve our committee despite her illness, chemotherapy, doctor’s appointments, physical difficulties and everything else that confronts those who battle cancer. During those five years, she rarely missed a meeting. And she continued to serve until our Lord called her home.
In the ten years that I have known and worked with Kit, she showed me she was a person of character. She was thoughtful, caring, gracious, kind, considerate, helpful, dependable, and responsible. Our short-term missions committee will miss her. We will all miss her smile, her laugh, her wisdom and the many rides we took through Brooklyn to get her home after our meetings. But, we also look forward to the day when we will once more meet face-to-face and never again have to part ways for all eternity.
"lABOR TEAM" PHOTO TAKEN ALICE LING, CLASS IN SESSION PHOTO TAKEN BY HOWARD CHAN, REMAINING PHOTOS TAKEN WITH KIT'S CAMERA, PHOTOGRAPHERS UNKNOWN
At the end of three years, Kit continued to renew her commitment year, after year, after year. I don’t find such renewals surprising since historically many others have done the same. However, in Kit’s case, I found her renewal in August, 2010 genuinely surprising.
Early in 2010 Kit informed us that she was diagnosis with liver cancer. People in such situations generally withdraw from non-essential obligations and responsibilities so that they can concentrate on battling their disease. I fully expected Kit to follow that path. But when I asked her the question “Will you recommit for another year or step down?” Kit responded, “If you will have me, I will be back.”
From Kit’s perspective, her cancer was no excuse for leaving the committee. If she were to leave, it would be only because we did not want her back. For the next five years, Kit annually renewed her commitment to serve our committee despite her illness, chemotherapy, doctor’s appointments, physical difficulties and everything else that confronts those who battle cancer. During those five years, she rarely missed a meeting. And she continued to serve until our Lord called her home.
In the ten years that I have known and worked with Kit, she showed me she was a person of character. She was thoughtful, caring, gracious, kind, considerate, helpful, dependable, and responsible. Our short-term missions committee will miss her. We will all miss her smile, her laugh, her wisdom and the many rides we took through Brooklyn to get her home after our meetings. But, we also look forward to the day when we will once more meet face-to-face and never again have to part ways for all eternity.
"lABOR TEAM" PHOTO TAKEN ALICE LING, CLASS IN SESSION PHOTO TAKEN BY HOWARD CHAN, REMAINING PHOTOS TAKEN WITH KIT'S CAMERA, PHOTOGRAPHERS UNKNOWN
Worthy of Imitation
by Howard Chan April 1, 2015
Every pastor that steps into the role of shepherd of a congregation faces a tsunami of duties and responsibilities. Among the shepherd’s myriad obligations is his call to seek, nurture, and mentor the next generation of workers; a duty, too often, overlooked or neglected.
Many pastors during their tenure can produce one, two, or even three new workers for our Lord. However, two shepherds from our New York/New Jersey Region have each more than tripled that number!
The two men who stand head and shoulders above the rest in cultivating the next generation of full-time Christian workers are the Rev. Lee Hearn and the Rev. Wendell Wyatt. Lee has retired and is former pastor of Chinese Evangel Mission Church, Manhattan, while Wendell is the former pastor of Christian Testimony Church, Queens. Each, while serving their churches, managed to produce ten or more workers for our Lord.
How did the two manage to reap such a bounty? How did each become so successful? What was the secret of their success? As I pondered those questions, I discovered the two shared several traits that enabled them to do what they did.
One trait the two shared is their commitment to mentorship. While many pastors find themselves too busy to set time aside for mentoring, both Lee and Wendell made it a pillar of their ministries and a regular part of their daily routines. Throughout their service, each would seek out and identify potential Christian workers and invite that person to “walk with him.” During those times together each would teach their mentees about God while modeling and explaining the various facets of ministry. In addition, each would encourage and empower their mentees to exercise their spiritual gifts inside and outside of the church. In doing so, each man gave his mentee the opportunity to hear God’s call and to discover for themselves the gifts, abilities, and talents God gave each to serve him and advance his kingdom.
A second trait the two shared is their long-term commitment to their churches. Each man served his church for an extraordinary length of time. Statistics tells us that the average pastor transitions to another church once every three years.[1] Neither Lee nor Wendell served their churches for a short period; for each, such a brief term of service was simply incomprehensible. Lee Hearn retired from Chinese Evangel Mission Church, Manhattan in June, 2001 after serving the church 39 years. Similarly, Wendell stepped down from Christian Testimony Church at the end of 2014 after serving more than 25 years. Serving one church for an extraordinary length of time alone will not automatically produce new workers. On the other hand, unless one serves for a protracted length of time, producing a sizable harvest of workers is improbable.
A third trait the two shared is their humility. In 2009 while preparing to present Lee Hearn with a recognition gift for his service to God, I surveyed Lee’s former congregation concerning his character traits. The survey listed 68 character traits, both positive and negative and asked the community to pick any trait listed that exemplified Lee to them. Not surprisingly, the survey results listed humility as Lee’s top character trait with 97% of those taking the survey choosing it as exemplifying Lee.
Regrettably, I never underwent a similar survey of Wendell’s character traits. But, if I had, I have no doubt that the survey would show that humility is one of Wendell’s outstanding traits, if not his top trait.
Humility may not seem like an important trait for producing large numbers of workers for God, but the fact of the matter is it is a key component. How can that be you might wonder? Let me answer that question with a question. Which would you rather follow: a brash and overbearing mentor who thinks he knows it all; or, a humble one, who openly shares his imperfections, weaknesses, and short-comings? Need I say more? When a humble man allows us to see that we don’t have to be perfect or a superman to serve God, we soon realize that we too can serve, despite our flaws. We only need to be obedient if called.
Both Lee and Wendell are ordinary men. Thanks to their commitment to mentoring, faithfulness to their churches and humble character, each were able to produce an exceptional number of servants for our Lord to deploy and bless generations to come. We praise God for these two men and rejoice in their remarkable achievement.
The following is a listing of the fruit each produced and the place each had served, or are serving as of today.
Every pastor that steps into the role of shepherd of a congregation faces a tsunami of duties and responsibilities. Among the shepherd’s myriad obligations is his call to seek, nurture, and mentor the next generation of workers; a duty, too often, overlooked or neglected.
Many pastors during their tenure can produce one, two, or even three new workers for our Lord. However, two shepherds from our New York/New Jersey Region have each more than tripled that number!
The two men who stand head and shoulders above the rest in cultivating the next generation of full-time Christian workers are the Rev. Lee Hearn and the Rev. Wendell Wyatt. Lee has retired and is former pastor of Chinese Evangel Mission Church, Manhattan, while Wendell is the former pastor of Christian Testimony Church, Queens. Each, while serving their churches, managed to produce ten or more workers for our Lord.
How did the two manage to reap such a bounty? How did each become so successful? What was the secret of their success? As I pondered those questions, I discovered the two shared several traits that enabled them to do what they did.
One trait the two shared is their commitment to mentorship. While many pastors find themselves too busy to set time aside for mentoring, both Lee and Wendell made it a pillar of their ministries and a regular part of their daily routines. Throughout their service, each would seek out and identify potential Christian workers and invite that person to “walk with him.” During those times together each would teach their mentees about God while modeling and explaining the various facets of ministry. In addition, each would encourage and empower their mentees to exercise their spiritual gifts inside and outside of the church. In doing so, each man gave his mentee the opportunity to hear God’s call and to discover for themselves the gifts, abilities, and talents God gave each to serve him and advance his kingdom.
A second trait the two shared is their long-term commitment to their churches. Each man served his church for an extraordinary length of time. Statistics tells us that the average pastor transitions to another church once every three years.[1] Neither Lee nor Wendell served their churches for a short period; for each, such a brief term of service was simply incomprehensible. Lee Hearn retired from Chinese Evangel Mission Church, Manhattan in June, 2001 after serving the church 39 years. Similarly, Wendell stepped down from Christian Testimony Church at the end of 2014 after serving more than 25 years. Serving one church for an extraordinary length of time alone will not automatically produce new workers. On the other hand, unless one serves for a protracted length of time, producing a sizable harvest of workers is improbable.
A third trait the two shared is their humility. In 2009 while preparing to present Lee Hearn with a recognition gift for his service to God, I surveyed Lee’s former congregation concerning his character traits. The survey listed 68 character traits, both positive and negative and asked the community to pick any trait listed that exemplified Lee to them. Not surprisingly, the survey results listed humility as Lee’s top character trait with 97% of those taking the survey choosing it as exemplifying Lee.
Regrettably, I never underwent a similar survey of Wendell’s character traits. But, if I had, I have no doubt that the survey would show that humility is one of Wendell’s outstanding traits, if not his top trait.
Humility may not seem like an important trait for producing large numbers of workers for God, but the fact of the matter is it is a key component. How can that be you might wonder? Let me answer that question with a question. Which would you rather follow: a brash and overbearing mentor who thinks he knows it all; or, a humble one, who openly shares his imperfections, weaknesses, and short-comings? Need I say more? When a humble man allows us to see that we don’t have to be perfect or a superman to serve God, we soon realize that we too can serve, despite our flaws. We only need to be obedient if called.
Both Lee and Wendell are ordinary men. Thanks to their commitment to mentoring, faithfulness to their churches and humble character, each were able to produce an exceptional number of servants for our Lord to deploy and bless generations to come. We praise God for these two men and rejoice in their remarkable achievement.
The following is a listing of the fruit each produced and the place each had served, or are serving as of today.
[1] Thom Rainer, Effective Evangelistic Churches (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1996), pp. 43-44.
LEE HEARN PHOTO TAKEN BY KING LOUIE, WENDELL WYATT PHOTO TAKEN BY HOWARD CHAN
LEE HEARN PHOTO TAKEN BY KING LOUIE, WENDELL WYATT PHOTO TAKEN BY HOWARD CHAN
Chinatown Churches Marching in New York Lunar New Year Parade
by Howard Chan January 28, 2015
For the first time in the history of the New York Chinatown Churches, several churches will march in the 2015 Lunar New Year Parade. The Lunar New Year will be celebrated in New York Chinatown on February 22, with the parade stepping off on Mott and Canal Streets at 1 pm. The parade route will follow Mott Street to Chatham Square, turn left onto East Broadway, go past the Manhattan Bridge, turn left onto Eldridge Street, proceed to Hester Street turn left again and immediate turn right onto Forsyth Street, ending on Grand Street at Sara D Roosevelt Park. The churches will march under a single banner "Jesus Loves Chinatown" and will be the last group of marchers in the parade. During the march, church participants will distribute flyers with the word "Fook/Blessing" on it. To date the churches who have committed to the march include: Chinese Evangel Mission Church of Manhattan, Church of the Living Lord, New York Chinese Baptist Church, New York Chinese Alliance Church, and Oversea Chinese Mission.
Update-February 23, 2015
The day of the parade came and the organizers could not have asked for a more perfect setting for their parade. The temperature hovered in the 40’s, the streets were swept clean of snow and thousands of people had gathered along the parade route to view the 16th annual New York Lunar New Year’s Parade.
This year more than 6,000 people marched in the parade representing numerous organizations and commercial enterprises that sent out decorative floats, dancing lions, winding dragons, marching bands, and costumed actors or acrobats. Most of the marchers, however, were simply people riding or walking along the route that shot off novelty “fireworks” or distributed various flyers, calendars, fans and other gifts to those standing along the parade route.
Among the thousands who marched in the parade were approximately 200 Christians representing 5 Chinatown Churches. At the head of the group were various Christian leaders holding up a “Jesus Loves Chinatown” banner. The group had such a good time marching that many already talked about what they will do at next year’s parade.
PHOTOS BY ABRAHAM KOO COURTESY OF NEW YORK CHRISTIAN SHORT-TERM MISSON
Picture of Leaders holding the "Jesus Loves Chinatown" banner are (from left to right): Elder Ng (Oversea Chinese Mission), Pastor Ringo Liu (Chinese Evangel Mission Church, Manhattan), Rev. John Eng (Chinese Evangel Mission Church, Manhattan), Dr. Rev. Wong (New York Chinese Baptist Church), Pastor Helen Leung (New York Short-Term Mission), and Rev. Austin Woo (Oversea Chinese Mission)
For the first time in the history of the New York Chinatown Churches, several churches will march in the 2015 Lunar New Year Parade. The Lunar New Year will be celebrated in New York Chinatown on February 22, with the parade stepping off on Mott and Canal Streets at 1 pm. The parade route will follow Mott Street to Chatham Square, turn left onto East Broadway, go past the Manhattan Bridge, turn left onto Eldridge Street, proceed to Hester Street turn left again and immediate turn right onto Forsyth Street, ending on Grand Street at Sara D Roosevelt Park. The churches will march under a single banner "Jesus Loves Chinatown" and will be the last group of marchers in the parade. During the march, church participants will distribute flyers with the word "Fook/Blessing" on it. To date the churches who have committed to the march include: Chinese Evangel Mission Church of Manhattan, Church of the Living Lord, New York Chinese Baptist Church, New York Chinese Alliance Church, and Oversea Chinese Mission.
Update-February 23, 2015
The day of the parade came and the organizers could not have asked for a more perfect setting for their parade. The temperature hovered in the 40’s, the streets were swept clean of snow and thousands of people had gathered along the parade route to view the 16th annual New York Lunar New Year’s Parade.
This year more than 6,000 people marched in the parade representing numerous organizations and commercial enterprises that sent out decorative floats, dancing lions, winding dragons, marching bands, and costumed actors or acrobats. Most of the marchers, however, were simply people riding or walking along the route that shot off novelty “fireworks” or distributed various flyers, calendars, fans and other gifts to those standing along the parade route.
Among the thousands who marched in the parade were approximately 200 Christians representing 5 Chinatown Churches. At the head of the group were various Christian leaders holding up a “Jesus Loves Chinatown” banner. The group had such a good time marching that many already talked about what they will do at next year’s parade.
PHOTOS BY ABRAHAM KOO COURTESY OF NEW YORK CHRISTIAN SHORT-TERM MISSON
Picture of Leaders holding the "Jesus Loves Chinatown" banner are (from left to right): Elder Ng (Oversea Chinese Mission), Pastor Ringo Liu (Chinese Evangel Mission Church, Manhattan), Rev. John Eng (Chinese Evangel Mission Church, Manhattan), Dr. Rev. Wong (New York Chinese Baptist Church), Pastor Helen Leung (New York Short-Term Mission), and Rev. Austin Woo (Oversea Chinese Mission)
A Life Celebrated
by Howard Chan January 26, 2015
On Sunday, January 25 Scott Sheet’s life and ministerial work was commemorated in a memorial service held at the Chinese Christian Herald Crusades Herald Mission Center in Flushing, Queens. Despite the frigid weather and difficulty traversing streets clogged with snow, more than 500 people came out to pay their respects and celebrate a life well-lived. Scott’s work with the Boon Church of Oversea Chinese Mission began in Jun, 2007 when he was installed as an Associate Pastor. During the service, his ministry and work at Boon was portrayed in a video montage that ended with a video message from Scott that he had prerecorded for the occasion. Following the video, ten people offered their eulogies and testimonies of how Scott’s life and ministry touched their lives. The final speaker of the evening was Lili Tu whom Scott had married in April, 2014. Upon completion of the service, the gathering was encouraged to greet Lili and the Sheet family to express their sympathies and thereafter remain for a time of informal sharing and fellowship.
PHOTOS BY: 2002 SHORT-TERM MISSION-HENRY MOY; 2012 PALM CO-WORKER'S FELLOWSHIP-HOWARD CHAN
On Sunday, January 25 Scott Sheet’s life and ministerial work was commemorated in a memorial service held at the Chinese Christian Herald Crusades Herald Mission Center in Flushing, Queens. Despite the frigid weather and difficulty traversing streets clogged with snow, more than 500 people came out to pay their respects and celebrate a life well-lived. Scott’s work with the Boon Church of Oversea Chinese Mission began in Jun, 2007 when he was installed as an Associate Pastor. During the service, his ministry and work at Boon was portrayed in a video montage that ended with a video message from Scott that he had prerecorded for the occasion. Following the video, ten people offered their eulogies and testimonies of how Scott’s life and ministry touched their lives. The final speaker of the evening was Lili Tu whom Scott had married in April, 2014. Upon completion of the service, the gathering was encouraged to greet Lili and the Sheet family to express their sympathies and thereafter remain for a time of informal sharing and fellowship.
PHOTOS BY: 2002 SHORT-TERM MISSION-HENRY MOY; 2012 PALM CO-WORKER'S FELLOWSHIP-HOWARD CHAN