By Greg Yee, Superintendent, PacNWC

Autumn greetings!  I want to thank our executive board, who represent all of you, for granting me a five-week ministry renewal leave.  The goal was mostly to disconnect and listen to God.  I had a long list of things I wanted to accomplish including books to read, places to visit, and great spiritual insights I was going to receive!  I look back and feel blessed with what ultimately materialized.  Our good Father certainly knows what gifts to give to us His children.  The conference team was exceptional in protecting my time and covering everything so well.  Thank you for investing in me this way so I can continue to serve you well.

Richard Bullock with the Alban Institute describes exactly what this time was for me, “A ministry renewal leave gets one off the treadmill and provides an opportunity for renewal of vision and hope.  It’s more than just a chance to recharge your batteries for another year.  It can be a life and soul-changing time – a time when perspective and the Holy Spirit can come together.”

I return to you with more clarity in my depths that I’ll continue to unpack in the days ahead.  I look forward to sharing more with you in person and in other opportunities as they arise.  For now, I want to encourage you to make sure your church has a sabbatical/ministry renewal leave policy for your pastors.  Please inquire with any of the conference staff.  We have helpful documents concerning sabbaticals and ministry renewal leaves.

Here are a few of my musings with a few of things I engaged in during the leave:

• The New Pilgrims: How Immigrants are Renewing America’s Faith and Values, Joseph Castleberry (president of Northwest University): God is powerfully at work around the globe. New immigrants into the U.S. are largely Christian and bring with them a “high octane faith and positive expectation for missional success.”  We need to plant new ministries/churches with immigrants!
• A Retrospect, Hudson Taylor: Far less about work in China as it was his absolute commitment to Jesus. Provoked by his desire to live a life of accustomzing to eschew an easy life and to prepare to endure hardship.  And economizing so he could be of the constant mindset of helping as many people as possible in daily life.
• Holy Man-Father Damien of Molokai, Gavan Daws (didn’t finish): A gift from a colleague as I was leaving CA that I forgot I had. Another story of a Philippians 2-kind of commitment to become the other in order for Kingdom work to be realized.  All of this in the context of our clumsy humanity and imperfections.  Don’t just be a tourist.  Learn what it means to be a resident alien.
• “Crazy Rich Asians” movie: Fun, warm-hearted movie that touched a deep place for Asians Americans. It was fun to share this with the family and process Asian American identity in general.  Some Asian Americans were surprised by their tears/emotions with this because of often described challenge of being invisible.  CRA’s normalizing effect exposed that wound and gave people an unfamiliar sense of pride.  Knowing what makes those different from us cry is a solid Jesus-way to walk.
• “BlacKkKlansman” movie: Watched the week after I returned with my two sister superintendents Tammy Swanson Dreheim and Catherine Gilliard.  Tammy and I were deeply grateful to have Catherine with us to process and help us see the layers.  I was moved that Superintendent Gilliard was willing to watch this disturbing movie for a second time so that she could help Tammy and me walk further in our collective journey.  Catherine has been sage at multiple points that week for me.
• “Kim’s Convenience” on Netflix: I’m not going to lie. I love being Chinese, but I think I was Korean in a former life!  In a different way than Crazy Rich Asians, this had a different part in helping me think through what it means to be an Asian North American (show is Canadian).  I love Korean food.  I love how God beautifully expresses the pallet of his image through all of us.

God bless you as you begin a new school year and lean into your Fall launch.  We cover you in prayer.

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’” (Mark 6:31).

By Greg Yee, Superintendent, PacNWC

So many times in life, my own brokenness or the brokenness in our world can stifle my soul.  For me, even though God continues to refine me, I struggle with lack of faith, idolatry, and not living in the power of the Holy Spirit as God’s son.  I can also feel defeated or easily discouraged as I hear about senseless injustices, shocking violence, or widespread desperation in our world.  In these moments I often find myself turning to Isaiah 43:19, Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?  I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert…  That prophecy speaks to us today and also points ahead.  I am then led to the description of our end-game, the closing scene in Revelation 21:5 where we hear the voice of God himself, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”  That’s incredible hope for today, Friends.  God is at work!

I saw this hope as I joined the 5,000 students and attendees at CHIC two weeks ago.  Scores of students stood up to make commitments to Jesus. There was hope as they made commitments toward lives and ministries of loving mercy and doing justice.  I wept with joy as I watched these young people worship with reckless abandon and seek God’s face!

Hope poured in as I was with City of Rain Covenant Church (Kent/Pastor Andrey Khilchenko) yesterday as they met with a church demographically very different from them once a month this past year.  The fellowship was sweet and so contagious.  During the prayer and healing time, my cup was filled as we prayed and anointed real people with real problems/hurts/longings as we all experienced the very real presence of God!

I’m overwhelmed with hope as I heard the story of one of our pastors whose son has come back to Jesus after too many years of wandering.  And for me, hope is present after decades of conversations with a family member about Jesus, that after my wife’s faithful commitment to her and after my 13 year old asked her last week if she believed in God, she is closer than ever before to surrendering her life to Jesus!

I am filled with hope as I hear from so many of you that are just living the gospel is so many small and large ways – in so many hidden/faithful but powerful ways.  As we endure this unusual heat wave, may you find timely belief in the God of green pastures and cool waters.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

By Greg Yee, PacNWC Superintendent

As I reflect on the 133 Annual Meeting of our Covenant Church my mind lingers around four thoughts. First, Caden loves Minneapolis!  It was fun for my 13-year old to explore the downtown area with its skyways and decorated public pianos while I was in meetings all week. We made fun memories together on our “guys trip.”  I loved reflecting on the deep and rich history of Covenanters in the Twin Cities.  If only the Northwest Conference would stop using our name…but we thank them for their wonderful hospitality nonetheless!

A second thought lands around how our leadership is growing/evolving.  With the election of John Wenrich (President) and Lance Davis (Develop Leaders/Ordered Ministry) and installation of Superintendents Catherine Gilliard (Central Conference) and Glenn Peterson (Canada Conference), the senior leadership of the denomination (Covenant Office Leadership Team and Council of Superintendents) is strong in its diversity.  On the Covenant Office Leadership Team, 8 of the 13 are women and leaders of color and on the Council of Superintendents, 6 of the 11. We should be extremely proud of this.  We should be excited about the wonderful gifts God puts in the leadership of the denomination.  God’s mosaic is growing.  It’s no longer a blurry Polaroid snapshot, but a beautiful, more detailed portrait.  I returned home with a deeper sense of God’s hand upon us in our diversity.

Third, there were several moments that concerns around human sexuality arose.  I read and heard different perspectives on the leaders that were elected and motions that did not pass.  I humbly question how to distinguish between our Covenant commitments to make room for faithful dissent and what comes across as flat-out dissent.  I see a difference between disagreeing and being disagreeable.  I prayerfully consider when activism crosses the line into divisiveness.  I certainly understand that at its core activism is disruptive, but I also believe that we are to be ever more diligent in upholding a spirit of unity which is constantly urged throughout the NT.  It was said by multiple people that at the very least our baseline is to continue to grow in understanding and loving LGBTQ people.  We can all agree to this.  It was also said by multiple people, that we need to check ourselves and not let this one area overshadow the many other areas that affect evangelism and discipleship as connected to God’s justice and righteousness.  The church spoke very clearly at this meeting in its ongoing beliefs and commitments to an orthodox view on human sexuality.  But make no mistake, we need to continue to work hard at how we best live this out going forward.

Lastly, we used a new individually held electronic devices for voting that greatly improved logistics and speed overall.  There was some talk about how this could translate to having multiple settings for the annual meeting to help increase participation and input.  There are many hurdles to this, but it does bring up an important point. Too many churches are unable to afford to send delegates.  Pastors are also not able to participate in the Ministerium Annual Meeting that is always the Thursday before the ECC Annual Meeting.  Our system is currently bent toward mostly the resourced being able to have voice and vote.  In all of our diversity, we will need to find new ways of connecting. I suspect that will need a major shift in our thinking and approach to this.  Many layers to consider here…

Much to pray about and continue discussing.  For now, may God bless the beginning of your summer and may God continue to stretch and grow His Evangelical Covenant Church.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil 1:3-6)

[Click Here] For more info on the Evangelical Covenant Church Annual Meeting including the Delegate Summary and Session Videos.

By Greg Yee, Superintendent, PacNWC

Spring and end-of-school-year greetings!  As Mary and I have been slowly cleaning our yard in our Renton glacial-till and construction debris-buried land, Jesus’ lakeside teaching about four soils prominently comes to mind.  For many of us, through our Western lenses we read the Bible more individualistically.  Certainly, this is appropriate, and we are encouraged to apply the Parable of the Four Soils for personal application.  Lord, how has the soil of my heart, my actions, my choices, my resources, my life been?  Has it remained fertile for these Spring seedings to produce much fruit?  Am I connected to Jesus The Vine, my life-source?  Am I drinking Living Water and though I may be low/no-carb for my body, am I spiritually feasting on The Sustenance (Bread) of Life?  Do I continue to say “yes” to Jesus’ invitation to be my only path, for he alone is The Way, Truth and Life?  Am I walking off on my own or is The Good Shepherd leading me?  Is The Light shining in all my dark places?  As I stand in my weed-filled sections of my backyard, I cannot help but think about the weeds that have choked my own life.  I think about my heart as hard soil.  I must remind myself that those ravenous life-sucking demon crows are real.  As I work my yard, I personally practice the presence of God…

For more collectivistic cultures, Jewish/Middle Eastern included, we see the four soils through the lens of the family/tribe/church as a unit – think letters to the seven churches in Revelation.  For us as a family of 78 churches and for your church, on what soil does God’s good news and mission fall?  Does it fall on hard ground?  Do you prefer to take out plants and trees and just lay concrete to put some permanent fixtures in?  Do you want to just install artificial turf because it’s more important to look good because the real stuff takes too much work?  Or, has the busyness, worries and pursuits of life grown so thick that growth and fruitfulness is just a distant memory?  Have we watered-down Jesus’ call to for us to drop everything and follow him, or has unresolved conflict or other types of enemy birds successfully wiped us out?

My prayer has been for us to increase our sense of spiritual realities and urgency.  I pray that your churches would continue to grow into expert disciple-makers, developers of leaders, and bringers of God’s shalom.  There’s nothing more beautiful than a fertile, thriving, fruitful garden.  May we spring forth in the days and months ahead to reflect just that with fertile hearts.  God bless you!

By Greg Yee, Superintendent, Pacific Northwest Conference

“Christ is arisen…He’s arisen indeed…mind-blowing!”  Happy Resurrection Sunday!  There are so many different ways we communicate today, but God’s message has been timeless. He is our loving Father who relentlessly pursues us.  Before the foundations of the earth were laid down, it has been his desire for us to be his family (Eph 1:4-6).  We’ve just walked Holy Week and remembered the suffering, torture, and death our Lord willingly endured. The three days from Good Friday to Easter morning didn’t just change history, it literally changed the universe.  A couple of months later, the Holy Spirit empowers the birth of the church and all of this put into motion the next chapter in missio dei, the mission of God.  He gives birth to the church and calls her to be the vehicle of his ongoing work of salvation.  It has been specifically through the church that this redemptive work has poured out –   lost…saved, diseased…healed, oppressed…justice realized, hatred…reconciled, brokenness…shalom established.  Today is a grand day of celebration – the highest point in the church calendar and for Creation.  It is also a day that we remember that we, the church, re-confess our faith and commitment anew and say “Yes!” to our Lord.  Yes, we give you our lives!  Yes we are your Church!  Yes, we give ourselves to your work in the world.  Yes, Christ is arisen!

From the Superintendent March 2018

By Greg Yee, Superintendent, Pacific Northwest Conference

I did not grow up practicing any Lenten rhythms in my home church in Oakland.  But the time before Easter was always filled with rehearsals for Easter cantatas and drama productions.  Grandma Yee didn’t have much money but would always splurge on one of those store-produced Easter baskets full of candy treats.  We were expected to dress up every Sunday but we broke out the nicer clothes – always looking quite dapper. But today as I walk the way of the cross, these warm memories of the Easter Season seem distant to me – hear “distant” not “insignificant.”  With our glaring realities as a broken people in a challenged society I find myself going in and out of two states of mind.  One cries out with the Psalmist, the Prophets, and all of God’s people who felt crushed by the weight of our human condition – How long O, LORD?  Enough is enough…right?  239 school shootings since 2014…too many reports of cancer, chronic ailments, accidents, and untimely deaths…inability to agree on even basic levels of what “for the common good” should mean.   How long O, LORD?  And as we’ve seen the interchange of clouds and sun these days, I also see the interchange of lament and joy.  It seems like it was just yesterday that we were singing Joy to the World the Lord has come…repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat, the sounding joy!  Indeed, our Savior came and he is still Emmanuel.  Stop right there – that’s amazing and I need to just sit there much much longer than my chronically hurried-self will often feel…

It is true, we are people of hope.  And we know this deep unmovable joy despite what life unfolds.  I’ve seen this joy in mothers and children in the filthy slums of Nairobi – amazing.  I witnessed living hope in the eyes and spirit of our new pastor at Newport, David Beck, as he heard the shocking news of his stage 3 potentially 4 pancreatic cancer a couple of weeks ago – inspiring.  As I sat across the table from her, I felt the healing and resolve of a sister who had experienced horrific abuse in her past but walks forward with amazing confidence – contagious.  I hope you’ve recently witnessed this kind of raw and amazing faith.  Perhaps it’s your own story.  Today, I’m a little tired of the shiny Facebook-faces that I see.  But this is not because I’m discouraged or melancholy.  In this Lenten season I find that it’s the un-shiny stuff of life, actually some of the hardest stuff, that keeps me in the way of the cross.  I feel like I can see and hear more clearly.  My heart aches in many ways, but I feel more centered than ever.  I better know God’s blessings in these days, for each day is truly a gift.  God bless you as you walk toward Holy Week.  Yes, remember you are dust – but also remember that you are royalty.  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope (Romans 15:13).

From the Superintendent for February 2018

By Greg Yee, Superintendent, PacNWC

A new chapter begins in the Covenant Church with the announcement of our presidential nominee John Wenrich this week.  Please see the official announcement (here).  But the most important detail was not noted!  What John is most famous and appreciated for is hiring our very own Erik Cave almost 20 years ago when he was at First Portland!  We also thank our own Gail Ohta (conference chair) and Dwain Tissell (Executive Board) who were part of the 27-member Presidential Search Committee.  They did a lot of overtime and we are grateful. And thank you all for praying over the entire process.

As we lean into this transition, we recognize that a sense of disorientation often sets in.  I know some of us felt it immediately.  There were different opinions being shared, concerns expressed, and outstanding questions standing over the unknown.  But what also comes with transitions are opportunities to take a fresh look at who we are.  How has God shaped us to this point?  What has been our current missional trajectory where the Spirit has been leading us?  I am particularly grateful for the senior leadership of the Covenant that consists of the Covenant Office Leadership Team (COLT) and the Council of Superintendents (COS).  It has been a personal joy and blessing to work alongside these wise and gifted people.  I love how we’ve lived into our mosaic vision expressed in the team’s make up.  Within the core members, half of us are women and people of color – 10 of the 20.  John inherits a solid team.  So far, we have much to learn still – that’s clear.  It also teaches us that God’s hand has been upon us and he gives us a very special gift in this family we call the Covenant.

My spirit is heavy as we stand at this juncture of transition – this holy point in time.  For me, it is a time of recommitment.  Our vision is to be a mosaic of churches working interdependently together to transform lives and communities.  We live this out together as 78 churches through our three mission priorities: starting new churches, strengthening churches, and supporting our pastors.  I want to keep doing that.  I believe God is still calling us to keep doing that.  I urge us to draw deep from the well of our lives in Christ and allow this time of transition to draw us closer and push us forward.  Transitions teach us a lot.  Let us remain prayerfully focused on the things God has already been calling us to.

I hear God’s voice through Paul to us as he spoke them to the church in Philippi, …being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus…

Pray for the church and now for John and Julie Wenrich.  Make plans to send delegates to the annual meeting in Minneapolis.  Lord what will you have for us here in the PacNWC?  Here we are, Lord…here we are…

From the Superintendent for January 2018

By Greg Yee, Superintendent, PacNWC

Happy 2018!  I trust that you had a wonderful Christmas.  I’ve heard and seen so many good reports from around the conference including neighbors served, needs being met, people turning their lives over to Jesus, churches coming together, beautiful music being savored, kids looking heart-meltingly cute, multi-lingual services shared…so much!  I pray that this Christmas spirit – the reality of God With Us – would continue with great Holy Spirit momentum into the new year.

For me, I’m excited about ministry development and church planting.  I am writing this while attending the Chinese Mission Conference in Ontario, CA.  It’s been a fantastic way to end 2017.  I’m attending with the single purpose of finding ministry partners and/or church planters to reach the Chinese-speaking in the PacNW.  I know that many of our churches are in neighborhoods that have seen sizable Chinese growth.  I long for us to be part of God’s action among the Chinese (and also East Indian!).  I want to remind us that we are “doubling down” on ministry development/church planting in general this year with the ongoing work of our coaches (Russ Blake, Mark Meredith, Rob Fairbanks), contracted work with Esau Del Arca to lead Latino ministry growth, and the start of our new Conference Coach, Peter Sung, who will oversee planting.  I’m really excited! I can’t wait to see what God will show us!  I long for more people to be reached and for all of our communities to be transformed through new ministries in your churches and with new plants.  But I know nothing will happen without us praying and fasting.  PacNWC, please join me in regularly doing so.  In addition to other times and ways you might pray and fast, I want to invite you to join me in calendering something specific.  I will set my phone alarm to 9:38PM as a reminder to pray Matthew 9:38 (Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the Harvest…).  I will also calendar a weekly fast through March and then reassess.  Let’s keep it real, Mission Friends.  New Years blessings to you, yours, and your church.  May Jesus continue to be glorified.  Happy New Years!

Greg Yee

By Greg Yee, Superintendent, PacNWC

As we begin a new Christian Year with the first week of Advent this Sunday, I find myself reflecting on the beautiful and theologically vital passage Philippians 2:5-8.  As we enter this time of the year when we remember in anticipation the coming of our Savior, we are given this description of Jesus knowing his place of power and privilege.  Even though he had this, deserved it, it was not his focus to maintain it.  Rather, he let go of his control and position and took on human flesh.  He did this to make things right so that all could flourish and have new life.  In the beginning of this passage it says, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”  How is your mindset?  I’m feeling this deeply as we just came off our 10th Journey to Mosaic.  How do I understand my racial privilege and power and what must I do to have Christ’s heart-set when it comes to learning and responding to race realities?  I’m feeling this deeply as we are confronted with the shocking and steady flow of names coming forward around sexual assault/harassment.  How do I understand how misogynistic our culture and subcultures are and how do I have the focus and attitude of Christ as a male? I once read this quote, “One of the privileges of the great is to witness catastrophes from a terrace.”  I believe there is much for each of us to consider as we, even today, expectantly wait for Jesus’ coming.  May we have the mindset of the Prince of Peace and not sit on our terraces, but enter our worlds full of catastrophes.  We are people of contentment & restlessness, peace & frustration, and love & anger.  May you begin Advent with the mindset of the Prince of Peace & our Conquering King.  Come, o come, Emmanuel…