Asian American Pastors’ Summit Foster Deeper Connections

September 13, 2022256 views0

Asian American Pastors’ Summit Foster Deeper Connections

2022-09-13T11:02:37+01:00

By Church News

Fourteen NextGen Asian American pastors and church leaders recently travelled from churches across the U.S. to the International Mission Board’s headquarters in Richmond, Virginia, for the NextGen Southern Baptist Convention Asian American Pastors’ Summit.These pastors met with IMB senior leadership and departmental leaders to learn about the organization and opportunities for partnership.The IMB has long-standing relationships with Asian American churches and leaders, but this was the first official meeting between NextGen pastors and the IMB.NextGen refers to second-generation Asian Americans who were born in or moved to the U.S. as children.The Southern Baptist Convention’s Asian American Collective was the organizing body behind the NextGen summit.The Asian American Collective was formed after Peter Yanes became the executive director of Asian American relations and mobilization for the Southern Baptist Convention.Yanes and the core team of leaders with the Asian American Collective saw a need to build a network, provide opportunities and engage NextGen Asian American pastors in the SBC.Terrence Shay, the family ministry associate pastor for First Chinese Baptist Church Walnut said, “I think we need to really make sure that the next generation owns it for themselves — a love for the IMB and for mobilizing and sending and training through the IMB, so we’re here to build a bridge to hopefully then begin many more seasons of conversation.”IMB President Paul Chitwood, Todd Lafferty, IMB’s vice president, and other senior leaders spent time fellowshipping with the pastors.“We exist to serve Southern Baptists and we want to do that well. Hosting you and being in conversation with you today, and in past conversations, we’ve had, and future relationships that we want to steward with you, help us understand how we can do that, what the needs are and how we can serve,” Chitwood told the pastors.ALSO READ Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary Removes Tuition For Students