Sayonara, Asian colleagues!

In my last few jobs I have been part of a corps of Asian - and frequently Korean - employees. this was true at both St. Thomas and Western Illinois. Because the Presbyterian Church once had a strong presence in northern Korea (where my father is also from), many Koreans immigrating to the United States were Presbyterian, and Koreans are among the largest minority groups within the Presbyterian Church, and more than a dozen Presbyterian Center staff people are Korean American (in addition to there being folks from other parts of East Asia, as well as from South Asia). In the month or so before Thanksgiving, we said good-bye to two Asian American colleagues: Insik Kim, who was the World Mission area coordinator for Asia and the Pacific (and who at one point had also helped Korean Americans start Presbyterian church around the country); and Sun Chi Wang, once the pastor of a Taiwanese Presbyterian congregation in Houston, who had taken risky steps to champion Taiwanese autonomy and democracy and had been in charge of helping out non-Korean Asian American congregations around the country for decades. Pictured above is Insik Kim and Eric Hoey, currently the highest ranking Asian American at the Center, a former pastor in Torrance (where my father lives) who now heads the Evangelism and Church Growth division. Below is Insik Kim and his wife.

It hardly seemed like Insik Kim was retiring as - two days after these pictures were taken - who was heading to North Korea. He had been a voice for reconciliation between the two Koreas. Our longest-running Asian American colleague, Evelyn Hwang, had picked out some nice presents for Insik Kim.

There's a lot of us posing. These are Asian American Center staff, the majority of us Korean American. Sitting in the front - to our right - is David Chai, who now has my old office. He also works with Korean American congregation and I have discussed with him the situation of my father's old church. My father sided with the then pastor, who ended up giving up his fight to keep the church building and that segment of the church now meets in hotels and auditoriums. David has adviced the segment of the church that stayed in the building, and recently he helped guide that segment into a pastoral search, which has resulted in a new pastor.

Below - a few weeks later - is David, Evelyn, and Sun Chi (just hours from finishing his decades working at the Center and vacating his apartment to return to Houston).

Below is more of the group, including my Research Services colleague and former turtle-sitter, Ida.

Below (second from our left) is Sun Bai Kim, who also works with Korean churches, and three of my South Asian American colleagues: Sam (from IT), and two accountants, including Thomas, who was a big help to me in my first year or two at the Center and whose wife is a former Toastmasters president.

Below is a closer-up picture of Sun Bai Kim. I personally think that the Center leadership will end up laying off some of these staff that work with congregations in which specific non-white ethnic groups are predominant. These staff play very important roles - but - on the other hand - we have almost no staff to help struggling predominantly Anglo congregations.

Below is high-ranking Erick Hoey.

Below, Sun Chi opened cards and gifts, while Evelyn looked on.

And others.

-- Perry