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).