This October, just in time for Reformation Day, SOLA Network will be releasing a new book! Edited by Tom Sugimura, Here We Stand: Reformation Truths for the Church Today celebrates the legacy of the Reformation and its impact in shaping our faith even to this day. In addition to Tom, the book features chapters written by Nam Park, Tranwei Yu, Geoff Chang, and Johnson Pang.
The team at SOLA has worked tirelessly over the past year to bring this vision to life with the goal of strengthening the next generation of the Asian American church. Below is a note Tom shared with his congregation, providing a vignette into the “why” of the book and how he hopes it will bless its readers.
As a first-year seminarian, I never realized this world of theology existed because the Bible churches I grew up in taught us “What” to believe, but rarely “Why.” My understanding of church history was limited to stories of modern missionaries. And somehow, I hadn’t heard about the Protestant Reformation after 13 years of Christian school.
As an Asian American pastor, I also began to notice that most of the books I read on theology and church history were written by majority culture Christians. I was listening to preachers like Tim Keller and John Piper, while reading books by R.C. Sproul and John MacArthur. And although I cherished these precious truths, I found that their applications were sometimes disconnected from my own church and culture.
We hope this book, Here We Stand: Reformation Truths for the Church Today, will offer a basic guide encouraging the next generation of Asian American Christians to stand firm on gospel truths. Our goal has been to make these gospel truths accessible for families, fellowship groups, and Sunday school classes.
Each of the men who contributed to this volume have a shepherd’s heart for the Asian American church and have demonstrated personal faithfulness to Christ over decades of ministry. Nam Park still pastors the church he founded in 1996 and is actively raising up the next generation of missionaries and church planters. Tranwei Yu serves as the lead pastor of a tri-congregational Chinese church—a ministry which comes with its own unique joys and challenges. Geoff Chang is a foremost scholar on Charles Spurgeon and I was delighted to find his books being sold at the Metropolitan Tabernacle during a recent trip to London. Johnson Pang and I have been privileged to serve together in two separate churches, and I have seen up close his love for Christ and his passion to apply the gospel truths in everyday life. Together we’ve partnered with SOLA Network in our hopes to equip churches and Christian leaders within the Asian American community.
May this resource strengthen your faith for Christ and for his glory!
Header Photo Credit: Wu Yi