This workshop by Rev. Alex Chang, titled “Church Culture and Mental Health: Building Congregations That Support Well-Being,” was recorded on April 11, 2026. The presentation was 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. You can learn more about this conference here: https://ourflourishing.org/
Church culture is shaped not only by sermons, programs, and mission statements, but by the shared behaviors, leadership practices, informal norms, and spiritual patterns that leaders model over time. In this workshop, Rev. Alex Chang invites pastors, elders, board members, staff, and volunteers to move beyond church growth as the primary measure of success and toward congregational health, healing, and restoration.
Rev. Alex Chang is the lead pastor of Princeton Alliance Church, a multi-ethnic church in Princeton, New Jersey, with more than 85 ethnicities represented. Raised as a pastor’s kid in a Korean immigrant church, he originally pursued a career outside of ministry, earning a BA in Economics from Boston College and working as a banker for several financial institutions in New York City. He later earned his Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and became an ordained minister in the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination.
Time Stamps
00:00 Speaker Introduction
04:21 Guides Versus Fathers
08:35 Leaders Worth Imitating
12:26 Growth Versus Health
15:40 Cultural Exegesis Skill
16:35 Know Your Community
18:06 Leadership Shapes Culture
20:07 Team Versus Solo
21:26 Psychological Safety Check
23:07 Naming Hidden Norms
25:14 Culture Is Shared Behavior
26:00 Theology Meets Practice
28:21 Owning Church Culture
29:10 Integrity Transparency Accountability
32:46 Healthy Pastor Practices
34:50 Normalize Mental Health Talk
36:31 Second Chair Responsibilities
37:06 Policies Pay Respect
38:43 Volunteer Discipleship Culture
Photo by Erika Giraud on Unsplash
