An Offering of Asian-American and Burmese Ministries

Thursday, April 21, 2022 | 7:00 – 8:30 pm EDT

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, communities from diverse groups have faced various social, emotional, and economic challenges. People of Asian descent, especially elderly immigrants, are afraid to use public transit for fear of attacks and have isolated themselves from socializing with friends and church members. Asian-owned businesses have been forced to close, resulting in high levels of unemployment. Racist rhetoric has caused fear, depression, and mental stress at levels not previously seen by health care professionals, and acts of racism against Asian, Black, Latinx, and Native Americans as well as other people of color, are rising along with the cost of living.

Though the pandemic will one day come to an end as “endemic,” the effects of this season will be long-lasting for struggling families and communities. How can we, the church, respond and support people in being well, even as such conditions persist?

Rev. Hyepin Im, Founder and President/CEO of Faith and Community Empowerment (FACE) in Los Angeles, will present findings on how the pandemic brought about racial injustice that impacted the struggling communities.  Speaking as a panel in response will be Rev. Sanchita Kisku, Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church in Kalamazoo, MI; Rev. Dr. Gerald Mann, Senior Pastor of Sunset Ministries, San Francisco, CA; Rev. Yana Cruz-Pagan, Associate Regional Minister, ABC of Connecticut; and Mr. Quinton Romannose, Watonga (Okla.) Indian Baptist Church, ABHMS Board Member. Rev. Mia Chang, pastor of Nextgen Church in West Windsor, NJ and ABHMS Board Member, will moderate the discussion.

“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

1 Corinthians 12:26-27

Featured speaker: Rev. Hyepin Im is the President, CEO, and Founder of Faith and Community Empowerment (FACE, formerly KCCD), a non-profit organization whose aim is to help churches by connecting them to resources and partners that could help them to create a bigger impact and positive influence in their communities. Hyepin is the former U.S. Presidential Appointee on the Board of the Corporation for National and Community Service, serving during the Obama/Biden administration.

Original Post: https://ccl.ministrelife.org/courses/social-emotional-and-economic-health-in-the-midst-of-racial-injustice/