“Are you open to Texas?” This was the question that changed my world.
Growing up for most of my life in Southern California, I had never considered moving, and out of all places, I never thought of moving to…TEXAS?!?
I was not looking to leave my predominantly Asian American church nor move away from all my family, friends, and church. I had no reason to pack up and move my family to the South. I was more than content living on the West Coast.
Who was asking me to go to Texas? A predominantly (75%) white megachurch in Plano (yes, Toyota’s new home city) that was started the year I was born: 1972. Honestly, my first thought was, “Are they looking for a token Asian? Then no, thank you.” Secondly, why search all the way in California when I was sure there were plenty of Asian American pastors available in the belt buckle of the Bible belt?
Not A Token
Well, to make a long story short, I was kicking and screaming “no” (for 8 months to be exact), just like Jonah. Eventually God made his will known as clear as the Laguna Beach sky. So I packed up my bags, wife, and two daughters and experienced my “second immigration,” moving to the Lone Star State of Texas. To a predominantly white megachurch. But not as a token.
Chase Oaks Church is a multi-generational non-denominational church with a diverse congregation that was starting to reflect the diverse community surrounding it. So the church wanted to be intentional in hiring more diversity on staff.
But church leaders were having a hard time finding the right person, at least partially because they just didn’t have enough candidates. I believe this is not just a reality in Texas, but the realistic situation for many churches trying to become more intentionally diverse.
After talking with many of my Asian American pastor friends, I have a few theories to why this pastor pool is so small:
- Most Asian American pastors have very little or no interest in serving in a predominantly white mega church.
- For those who do, they might not interview well. Most Asian cultures discourage speaking confidently about yourself and your strengths/talents/gifting. We could easily downplay the reality of who we are, which can hurt us in an interview.
- Many may feel intimidated by, and unfamiliar with, non-Asian church environments and church culture.
- They have a passion for a more specific demographic of their similar background.
Whatever the reason, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.
Lessons Learned In Texas
I just celebrated my 5th year anniversary at Chase Oaks Church and here are some key discoveries:
- I’m not only called to be an ambassador for Christ, but I realize that I am an ambassador for diversity (at least for the Asian side) in the dominant culture. I have a voice at the table.
- I have been learning so much about other cultures. The diverse setting has allowed me to learn so much more about African-American, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, etc., cultures. This has grown my perspective of heaven and God in a powerful way.
- I’ve introduced Korean food (and BTS) to the majority of my staff. Their appreciation for diversity grows especially when I take them out for some amazing Korean BBQ.
- Not only is it challenging to recruit Asian Americans to my predominantly white church, it’s tough for SoCal pastors to even consider moving to Texas.
Finally, I am learning and growing in ways that I never thought I would as I am learning the best of “both worlds” from both my Asian American church years and now at Chase Oaks. You just can’t learn this stuff at school or from a book.
Every weekend, when I look out into the crowd worshiping our same eternal Father, I see a glimpse of heaven where every tongue and tribe and nation will be represented. Particularly, in light of America’s current social climate, I’ll take that any day.