In response to the Atlanta spa shootings and the spike in Anti-Asian hate incidents being reported, the SOLA Network asked church leaders across the country for their thoughts in April 2020. Of the 47 leaders who shared their responses, 43 are Asian American and four are non-Asian Americans leading in Asian American churches. In addition, 39 minister at churches that are independent predominantly Asian American churches while seven are at White-majority or multi-ethnic churches. Finally, at least 14 denominations were represented in the survey. Here are two surprising findings and three main thoughts from the responses of the leaders.
Findings
1. The experience of racism is felt deeply, but there is no “spike”
Although there has been a sharp increase in reported instances of racism against Asian Americans, the responses of the leaders show that there has not been a dramatic spike. 18.4% said that there has been an increase in reports of anti-Asian hate incidents among their church members, while 55.1% said that there has not been an increase and 26.5% were unsure.
The personal experiences of the Asian American leaders may help explain the disparity between the reported spike and what leaders are seeing. Among Asian American leaders, only 7.1% said that they have personally experienced anti-Asian hatred (such as violence, bullying, name-calling, professional slights, etc.) this past year. However, 69.0% said that they have experienced anti-Asian hatred in the past. Combined, 76.1% of Asian American leaders surveyed have experienced anti-Asian hatred in their lifetime. Only 19% responded that they have not experienced anti-Asian racism.
Perhaps the responses reflect that racism against Asian Americans is not new. As one leader stated, “Reported incidences have been on the rise, but AA stigmas and racism against AA has been around and prevalent for a VERY long time. I appreciate it being highlighted, but I’m sad that more non-Asians were not ‘woke’ to it much earlier (i.e., 1882).”
Another leader lamented honestly, “I’ve dealt with racism my whole life.” Another is waking up to the fact that, “Not sure, but upon reflection, am wondering if certain actions have been ‘micro-aggressions.’”
2. Asian American churches are paying attention
In the aftermath of the Atlanta shootings, a large percentage of churches represented by Asian American leaders responded to the shootings formally at their churches. In fact, two-thirds (67%) said that their church addressed the incident in some form during a Sunday sermon, 42% addressed it electronically (website, email, social media), and 48% responded to the issue through an event such as a prayer meeting, rally, or outreach. 17% of the respondents’ churches were not planning to do anything.
Various leaders wished that there would be a greater acknowledgment of the issue from both within (“Members within our own Korean-American church community who continue to vocally express their beliefs that…deny racism exists.”) and from others (“I wished that there was broader support/acknowledgment from non-Asian churches and leaders.”)
A volunteer leader from a White-majority church confessed, “The church does not acknowledge our pain, nor do they show empathy or understanding when we speak out. They make racist and insensitive comments from the pulpit. The sentiment is that Black lives are more important/valuable than Asian American lives, but on the whole, there is no empathy or understanding of the racism and discrimination we face on a regular basis (even before the pandemic).”
Thoughts Among The Asian American Leaders
When leaders were asked simply to give their thoughts, these were the three dominant encouragements, discouragements, and hopes that emerged.
1. This is an important awakening
Though anti-Asian racism has been causing great pain in the community, many Asian American leaders saw this moment as a collective awakening. The broader Asian American community experienced pain together and spoke out in a unified voice. This experience and response transcended religious tribes, generations, ethnicity, and race. In some ways, anti-Asian racism has brought about an unprecedented unity among churches. One leader commented, “The bringing to light of anti-Asian racism in our community has brought about a unity that I haven’t seen before.”
Another leader brought up cross-generational care, “It’s been encouraging to see Asian Americans take a greater interest in reaching out and caring for their older community members. It’s been encouraging to see English Ministries grow a deeper heart for their respective Korean Ministries. It’s also been encouraging to see people reconnect in new ways with their parents as they talk through some of the traumas and experiences that they have gone through.”
2. Be aware of potential pitfalls
At the same time, many leaders are concerned about the potential pitfalls of this moment. Some talked about the general atmosphere of polarization that exists in today’s culture and the church: “The views are too polarized. Many claim these incidents are negligible and not worth addressing. [Others] are too swept up in social justice efforts and aren’t staying true to the gospel.”
Some pastors feel pressured to give the right answers even when they are not necessarily ready or equipped: “It feels overwhelming trying to address this issue that hits so close to home, while being inundated with other issues that pastors are expected to speak about, on top of carrying out the daily tasks of pastoral ministry and preparing for re-opening.”
Others expressed concern about responding to injustice with ungodliness. One leader commented, “It’s…been discouraging to see the younger generation (younger millennials and Gen Z) gravitate more towards taking their cues from social media rather than from the local church. This seems to fuel much more anxiety and rage, which are not always expressed in healthy ways, rather than godly sorrow, lament, hope, and healing.” Another leader worried: “What has been discouraging has been the highlighting of racial issues at the COST of the Gospel instead of viewing all issues through the urgent lens of the Gospel.”
Leaders cited a number of helpful resources written from a Christian perspective, including Asian American Christian Collaborative (AACC), The Gospel Coalition (TGC), SOLA Network, and more.
3. There is hope for real change
The surveyed leaders hope this is not simply a blip on the radar but the beginning of real change. They hope that current times will spark a more sustained collaboration and conversation among the Asian American faith community.
One leader wishes “to see more conversations between different ethnicities in the church about these issues. I feel like that is where the most progress can be made, at least in the church, where we can break out of echo chambers and actually have honest discussions with one another. Even in churches that are mostly mono-ethnic, what if different churches could get together and have these conversations and listen to one another?”
Another leader hoped that such interaction would lead to more: “I hope to see more interaction between churches and see the Asian American church help in this fight for biblical reconciliation. I pray that it is not just about justice, but it is about gospel transformation.”
Along with change, other leaders hoped for the rising up of confident, vocal, gospel-centered leaders within the Asian American community. One leader wrote, “I hope for Asian American leaders to step up within their churches and to become leaders in the public sphere who are strongly rooted in the gospel.”
Another hoped that Asian Americans can become greater contributors to the broader church in general: “More AAPI leaders being given a platform to talk about the unique contributions of the AA community to the North American Church. We have a unique, much-needed voice in race relations, theology, and practical orthopraxy in the greater church.”
Many other leaders talked of how this could be an opportunity for the gospel. As one leader wrote, “People see that the love of Christ is the only way forward as believers.” But as spiritual leaders, many recognized that the change must happen with them first, including one respondent who hoped for a “change in me.”
Perhaps that should be the takeaway for Asian American leaders during this moment in history–that we should not simply hope for change or wait for others to change, but be willing to be the catalyst for change ourselves.