This week, we unpack what (un)healthy ministry leadership looks like within the Asian American Church. The publications this week highlight three distinct narrative lines that lead us to this understanding: healthy leadership must not conflate the Asian American experience into a single, one-dimensional narrative. Eun Strawser’s piece presents that unhealthy ministry stems from leaders who prioritize control over care. Domineering leadership suppresses voices, discourages diversity, and leaves little room for disagreement. Further informing us on what healthy leadership looks like, is our podcast of the week. This past April, three experienced ministry leaders gathered for a panel at the Our Flourishing, Our Faith Mental Health Conference hosted at Biola University. There, the leaders touch on the necessity for pastors and other leaders to stay continually informed about the changing dynamics of their people and the broader world. Lastly, Dr. David Chao’s piece reflecting on the Burmese refugee story uncovers a not-so-common immigration history. This community reminds us that Asian American Christianity includes various narratives, such as people whose migration was not primarily voluntary. Join us this August to learn more about the experiences of Burmese Christian believers at the Our Stories, Our Faith Conference. Registration is now open!
Deconstructing Domineering Leadership in the Church
By Eun Strawser, co-vocational lead pastor of Ma Ke Alo o, author, community physician, and co-founder of the 'IWA Collaborative. Amid recurring news of domineering church leadership and failure of church leadership, most efforts to devise an antidote to this toxic leadership culture... Fix the leader, heal the leader, or train the leader. It has left an extensive wake of communal harm, confusion and grief. A better leadership model is needed to replace the weary, lonely, and domineering leadership in the church.
Ministry Leaders’ Panel | Stan Sonu, Sandhya Oaks, Ben Shin
This expert panel was recorded on April 10, 2026, as part of the 2026 conference “Our Flourishing, Our Faith: Navigating Rupture and Repair in Asian American Christian Communities,” presented by the Center for Asian American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary and the Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University.
Gathering the Scattered, Part II
By Dr. David C. Chao, Director of the Center for Asian American Christianity. The Burma Christian diaspora challenges dominant accounts of Asian American Christianity. Many Asian American Christian narratives have centered immigration, professional mobility, assimilation, racial identity, or second-generation church life. Those themes remain important, and they do not adequately describe communities shaped by refugee resettlement, military violence, transnational humanitarian responsibility, and the dense fusion of church and social survival.
Our Stories, Our Faith 2026: Register Today!
Burma Christian Diaspora in Indianapolis: Celebrating Our Stories, Embracing Our Challenges
You are warmly invited to attend the 2026 Our Story, Our Faith (OSOF) Conference: Burma Christian Diaspora in Indianapolis: Celebrating Our Stories, Embracing Our Challenges—an in-person and online gathering centering the faith and life of the Burma Christian diaspora.
📍Dates: August 7–8, 2026
📍In-Person Location: Falam Baptist Church of Indiana in Indianapolis, IN
📍Virtual Attendance: Airmeet
Together, we will:
Celebrate stories of migration, resilience, and faith
Address trauma, healing, and intergenerational challenges
Empower youth and emerging leaders
Reflect on Scripture through the lens of diaspora
Strengthen unity across churches, generations, and communities
Anyone interested in Asian American history, theology, discipleship, and mental health, regardless of connections to the Burma diaspora, is welcome to attend. You are all invited to join this meaningful space for both lament and hope as we seek renewal together in Christ.
Interested in the intersection between artificial intelligence and spirituality? Dr. Ann Gillian Chu is co-editing a Special Issue exploring this intersection. This Special Issue is soliciting manuscripts addressing topics related to exploring the roles of AI in spirituality engagement and connection, transformation of spiritual education and practice, and personalized spiritual guidance, and on the other hand, discussing the ethical considerations of the impacts of AI on spiritual authenticity and inclusiveness, genuine spiritual experience and pastoral caring, and core transcendental values (e.g. truth, greater good, responsibility).