This is a shortened version of Tiffany Chu’s interview with Aaron Lee. Read the full interview at Asian Writers’ Collective.
Tiffany Chu: Tell us about SOLA Network and your role there. What drove you to create and publish A Letter to the Asian American Church?
Aaron Lee: SOLA Network exists to influence the emerging generation of Asian Americans and those who lead them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All of our articles, book reviews, podcasts, and more can be found at SOLA.NETWORK. We also host in-person gatherings for fellowship and networking, such as our Asian American Leadership Conference and Leaders’ Dialogue events.
I started at SOLA Network as the social media coordinator. My role expanded to become the editorial curator. For our first book, A Letter to the Asian American Church, I was the publishing manager.
A Letter to the Asian American Church was conceptualized when we realized that our SOLA Network council and leaders had much wisdom to share, but it had never been concretely collected together. We’ve had articles and talks online for various topics – but we wanted to get it down definitively in writing, in a book. As we were ideating, I saw that we had an upcoming conference – and the theme of the conference had already been chosen: Writing the Next Chapter. It was the perfect opportunity to tie it all together – we just had to write the book.
What were some of the most surprising or enlightening insights you gained while working on this project?
In terms of scope and scale, this is probably the biggest project I’ve ever worked on in my life. Looking back, I can clearly see God’s hand guiding me and others to get it done well and delivered on time. I’ve been around the Christian publishing industry for a while, but this was my first foray into actually producing a book! The entire experience was an education for me.
On a more personal level, I was amazed to see my wife’s work. She was responsible for the art and design for the book – everything from the front cover to the layout. She typeset the whole thing, and we prototyped several copies before finalizing. I think it’s incredible and I couldn’t be happier. It’s actually quite challenging for us to work together in artistic and professional capacities – so this book is also a testament of God’s hand over our marriage.
Can you share some insights into the process of curating the various voices represented in this book? How did you ensure a diverse range of Asian American experiences were included?
I would actually consider our book very niche, but also broad. Let me try to explain. There is a wide range of diversity within Asian American Christianity. SOLA Network is committed to being gospel-focused, emphasizing the importance of the local church, upholding the inerrancy of the Word of God, and embracing the call to the Great Commission. Our areas of ministry primarily take place in first, second, and third-generation Korean and Chinese churches. In regards to the content, we knew we had to have chapters on singleness, women in leadership, the immigrant church, and the Asian heritage church. We wanted our contributing authors to write to their strengths, while also showcasing the beauty and joy found in the Asian American church.
Working in the publishing industry is a difficult career choice, especially for underrepresented writers. What challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them? How do you think the unique perspectives in this book contribute to the broader literary landscape?
This is a self-published work, so our biggest challenge was just getting it done! For some of our authors, this may be their only published work. But we still saw their contributions as valuable. So they needed help, but also encouragement. In regards to the broader literary landscape, we are proud to be a part of God’s work in the world. We want to represent him well while being faithful to who he has made us as Asian Americans.
As someone who has been heavily involved in the publishing industry for many years now, what advice would you give to emerging authors?
Allow yourself room to grow. Be open to different opportunities. Take care of what is in front of you (your own relationship with God, family, local church ministry) before you worry about what’s beyond.
How do you think this book can contribute to the ongoing conversation about racial reconciliation and unity within the wider Christian community?
Our book is titled A Letter to the Asian American Church, but we are well aware that others will be reading – and we hope they can learn from our stories and perspectives. As Asian America and the Asian American Church continue to grow, our history will remain important as we push forward into the future. So we don’t want to forget about our current cultural moment, but we want to remember it and allow it to have a positive impact for Christ’s kingdom.
A Letter to the Asian American Church is available on paperback and Kindle.
Photo Credit: Ben Wicks