PaLM

PaLM http://www.palmny.org PaLM is an acronym which stands for Pastoral and Laity Ministries. Our name reflects two important aspects of our service to God. First, our service involves two groups of people, Pastors and the Laity (i.e., lay people). God calls both groups to serve Him, but He calls each to serve a different community; pastors, the church and the laity, the marketplace. Copyright © 2001-2005 webmaster@palmny.org (PaLM) webmaster@palmny.org (PaLM) XOOPS 2.2.4 / RSSFit 1.5 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss en Thu, 17 Jan 2013 08:50:44 -0500 PaLM http://www.palmny.org/images/logo.gif http://www.palmny.org/ Spring, 2011 Unity in Diversity Conference
• A total of 124 Chinese churches
• Of these 124 Chinese churches, 102 are located in NYC, 22 in NJ
• Of these124 churches, 73 had an English Service (including Joint & Bi-lingual)
• But, only 37 of the 73 had a separate English Congregation/Service
• Of these 37 English congregations, 28 are in located NYC, 9 in NJ
• Additionally, he found that 90% of our churches in NYC are not growing/declining
• And at least half of our churches in NYC are struggling financially

Needless to say, the findings of that report were discouraging. In light of the fact that the Chinese have been immigrating to these shores for more than 100 years…

• Why do we find ourselves in this situation?
• Why haven’t our churches been more effective and productive?
• Why aren’t our numbers growing? Why are so many of us struggling?

Before we look for some answers, let me share with you some statistics about the Chinese population that I found on The City of New York, Department of City Planning website site. Regrettably equivalent data is not available for NJ.

• The Department of City Planning of NYC reports that NYC has “the largest Chinese population of any city outside of Asia.”
• In 2009 the number of Chinese found be living in NYC was 471,355.
• Of the 471,355 Chinese people living in NYC, the Department of City Planning tells us that 317,015 were born overseas.
• Assuming that their findings are correct, that would mean that the remaining 154,340 Chinese are ABCs or American Born Chinese.

When we combine what Pastor Stanley found with what the NYC Department of Planning found, we find that….

• In NYC, there is one Chinese church for every 3,108 overseas born Chinese (317,015/102)
• In NYC, there is one English service for every 5,512 ABCs (154,340/28)

What these statistics tell us THEORETICALLY is that our churches should be overflowing and overcrowded. What these stats tell us FACTUALLY is that we don’t have enough churches in place to effectively minister to the size of the Chinese population in NYC.

So, why don’t we have more churches? Well, I suppose there are many reasons why we don’t have more churches. But, those are yesterday’s reasons. This morning, I would like to share with you four things that you and I do today to change this picture of the Chinese church for tomorrow.

1. One thing that you and I can do today is to look outside our church walls and observe the “big picture.” God’s kingdom consists of more than just our own church. Instead, God’s kingdom’s consists of every church within our NY/NJ region. We need to ALSO pay attention to, and plan for, God’s work as a region. Up until now, most of us have only concerned ourselves with the needs and concerns of our own church and/or our own denomination. We need to look beyond our four walls…we need to see the “big picture.”
2. A second thing that you and I can do today is to become a mentor. One reason we don’t have more churches is because we don’t have the workers to serve in them. And the reason we don’t have the workers to serve in them is because too few of us are taking the time and making the effort to identify and mentor the next generation of workers from within our congregations. We can’t expect people to “discover” opportunities to serve God on their own. We need to be heavily involved in the process by investing our time and energy in the next generation and helping to raise the next group of servants for God.
3. A third thing that you and I can do today is support the planting of ABC churches. Over the last 100 years, the Chinese church has lost 95% of its young people and she continues to lose that many young people today. If we are to stem the tide of defecting ABCs to other churches we need to plant ABC churches/ congregations. For until we do so, until we give our children a reason to stay within the Chinese church…they will continue to leave us. If we continue to force them to choose between staying at an immigrant church and going elsewhere, I guarantee you that the vast majority will continue to choose to go elsewhere.
4. A fourth thing that you and I can do today is begin to work together. Up until now, each of us has done our own thing, in our own way. And where has that gotten us? The statistics that I shared in beginning suggests that we are all on a sinking ship, in danger of going under. But that doesn’t have to happen. The churches that we serve can remain afloat and one day thrive. But, it won’t happen unless and until we begin working together. That is one of the purposes of this conference. It is to help both ABCs and OBCs to better understand and appreciate one another. And in understanding and appreciating one another, to work together for the sake of the kingdom.

The road before us is difficult. But, I am hopeful and optimistic that our future can be vastly different from our past if you and I would abide by Paul’s exhortation to the Christians at Corinth…..

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. I Corinthians 1:10
]]> Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:11:52 -0400 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=38 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=38 Nov 6 Fundraiser Honoring Roy and Mary Eng
On our events page, you will also find more information about our luncheon. And if you would like to join us that day, you will find our online registration link there as well.]]> Thu, 16 Sep 2010 08:42:45 -0400 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=37 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=37 Short-Term Missions Application Deadline Extended
So, if you've been praying for a "second chance" to apply for our trip, it has just arrived! Don't delay any longer....apply today!]]> Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:29:35 -0400 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=36 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=36 NYS Clergy Eligible for a Tax Reduction on their Property Tax
If you are a minister and a resident of New York State AND you own property within New York State, you may be eligible for a reduction in your property tax.

The application deadline for this reduction is March 15, which if approved, will be applied to your taxes effective July of the same year.

To obtain an application for this reduction, you need to get in touch with your local government (e.g. township, village) for an application.

For New York City residences, you can find more information about the clergy tax reduction (as well as other tax reduction programs) and the application to apply for the clergy reduction here:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/property/property_tax_reduc_taxreductions.shtml
]]> Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:36:11 -0500 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=35 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=35 How Contemporary Christian Music Is Dividing Churches a SECOND Time
First, let me establish the fact that there is nothing wrong with contemporary Christian songs per se. In essence, they are no different than hymns in their purpose, to glorify God; however, they seek to do it in a different way (e.g. via a different style, beat, etc.) To be honest, I can't say that I love singing contemporary songs every Sunday but neither do I say that I "hate it." But, what I can say is this, "too much of ANYTHING (no matter what that thing is) is never good." And that, may I suggest, is where the problem lies! Or, to put it another way, I believe that our only singing, or mostly only singing contemporary songs is hurting our unity as Christians and will increasingly do so if we fail to see this as a problem and do something about it.

What, you may ask, am I talking about? As you may or may not know, I serve our region as an itinerant pastor, helping to fill the pulpit of our Asian American churches that have no pastor; or if they have a pastor, to give that pastor a one week break from preparing a sermon. The vast majority of us do not travel from church to church as I do. In general, most of us worship and serve our Lord at one church and one church only. Some of us may attend a second service for different reasons but mostly we worship and serve the one church we attend/are a member of. Thus, the vast majority of us worship with the same people, at the same location week after week except for the one, or two times a year, that we might attend an interchurch service, or parachurch conference where Christians from a number of different churches come together to worship.

I, on the other hand, am in a different church almost every Sunday. Thus, I am unable to worship with “the same group of people” every week as most of you do. This gives me a perspective that most of us don’t have….a much wider and bigger picture of what is taking place in our church worship services.

Based on the observations that I have made in the last five years as an itinerant pastor, I am beginning to wonder if our always, and often only, singing of contemporary Christian worship songs isn’t hurting the kingdom of God without our even realizing it! How, you ask? As I see it, it has hurt us in at least two different ways and the damage is growing deeper and wider by the year!

One way contemporary Christian music has hurt "the kingdom" is in the way that it has devalued Christmas, and other Christian holidays! To see how Christmas has been "devalued" read a previous commentary entitled "Why Don't Chinese Churches Celebrate Christmas?"

A second way contemporary Christian music is hurting "the kingdom" is that it is making it more and more difficult for us, as a diverse body, to feel that we are one. This happens to me every week as I enter different church worship services. Rare is the Sunday that I am able to sing every song in any particular Sunday Worship Service. Why? It is because in all likelihood I won't know some, and at times any, of the songs being sung that particular Sunday. More often than not, I/we (the church congregation) needs to learn a new song, or two or three….

The main reason for this is because our Christian song writers and publishers are, in my opinion, too prolific in their writing and introduction of new songs. Naturally, we assume their motives are good and pure (e.g. they are giving us new songs to help us worship God more meaningfully). And no doubt, most of them do have "pure" (or as pure as they can be) motives. But, when a vast array of new songs are constantly being introduced and worship leaders are constantly looking for new songs to sing or risk being seen as anachronistic, our worship services consists of a steady diet of new songs, few of which is widely adopted and fewer still are those that endure, leaving our congregations the unenviable task of learning new songs in almost every worship service. I wonder if some of our song writers and/or publishers are not more interested in producing the “next big hit” and/or making a killing in the market place. Please don’t get me wrong, I am not against creativity. And I am not against new songs per se. But, the ceaseless flood of new songs being introduced each year keeps growing with no apparent end in sight.

In the secular world, this works fine because people buy songs for the purpose of listening and self enjoyment. Thus, hundreds of artist can produce hundreds of songs for the secular market place and no problem exists, or will arise.

Worship songs on the other hand, are ultimately, written for corporate singing. And that is the way it should be. But, when hundreds (and those numbers are constantly increasing) of Christian song writers are constantly introducing new songs, they present two problems. First, many of the songs written are mostly “mediocrity warmed over.” I know that that sounds harsh. But, it’s true. Just because a song can be found on a CD doesn’t make that song a quality song. Publishers of CDs can’t afford to give you only “the best of the best.” Instead, they can only give you two or three songs that fall into that category. But, they also have to give you "your money's worth." And how do they do that? By giving you the ten-twelve songs you expect when you buy a CD. That is to say, the music publishers add "fill-ins" in order to give you "all that you paid for." Most of these "fill-ins" are okay but the publishers know that, in general, these songs will soon be forgotten. The need to offer fill-ins in a CD is going the way of the dinosaurs thanks to new technologies which allows us to download only those songs that we truly want and thus free us from paying for that which we never wanted to begin with.

But, even when we have the option to download only the songs that we want, the problem remains. It remains because whenever new songs come out, every worship leader chooses what he/she likes which will likely be different from what your worship leader might like and choose and what my church worshiper leader might like and choose. As a result, next Sunday each of our churches will be learning three different sets of new songs to worship God. That's fine for each of our churches as a "stand-alone" church. But, what happens when we come together for a Christian community event (e.g. ordination service, special recognition service), or an interchurch worship service? Invariable, a portion of the people who come will know the some or many of songs being sung, but for the rest of us it's something that we never heard of before and will have to learn.

Have you ever tried worshipping God in song when you don't know the song? It's tough to get into it isn't it? But, that is exactly what is happening in our churches every Sunday. In 2008 I attended the ordination of a pastor friend. I went to the service expecting to celebrate this joyous occasion with exuberant singing. What happened ultimately was much different than what I had anticipated. Of the six songs sung that evening, I knew only one...the rest I didn't know at all. I wasn't alone. Many of those around me struggled with the songs as well. Could the ordination service I attended be considered a community worship service if more than half the time, more than half the people at the service could not worship in song because the songs chosen were unfamiliar to the vast majority of us?

I personally find this situation unacceptable. For centuries and for a good portion of my early Christian life, every church sang the same hymns that everyone else knew. Thus, I could attend ANY church service and worship God with everything within me because we all worshipped with the same songs. And that would remain true if the service I was in were an Hispanic service or Korean service, or etc. Yes, the language would be different. But, I could still join in the singing in my own language while everyone else sang in their language. Today, I struggle almost every Sunday in an ENGLISH worship service as I strive to learn the never-ceasing flood of new songs that enter the marketplace and finds its way into our churches.

There's got to be a better way. Don't get me wrong. I am NOT saying that we have to go back to hymns...although I do love them for their words and their harmonies. But, the Christian church has a problem which needs to be addressed and unless we do, churches/congregations in the future will never feel united. Don't believe that? Wait and see if I am wrong. I hope and pray that I am wrong. But, what I fear most is that I will be right. What do you think?
]]> Thu, 8 Oct 2009 21:40:43 -0400 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=34 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=34 My Heart’s Concerns
Good morning everyone and welcome to our special OBC/ABC meeting. Today is an historic day. It’s an historic day because this is the first time, and hopefully not the last time, that OBCs and ABCs from the New York Metro area have come together to ponder….to share….and to dialogue about how all of us can work together to strengthen, to build up, and to advance God’s kingdom among our people. For too long ABCs and OBCs have had their difficulties and problems and without a doubt, we will continue to experience some difficulties in the days ahead. But, this meeting and your presence here this morning greatly encourages me and gives me hope to believe that a new day is here and with it comes new potentials and new possibilities.

When the idea of this meeting first arose in my mind, I pondered how we could best use our time together. After much prayer and thought, I came to conclude that the best way that I can help us begin to dialogue about how OBCs and ABCs can begin to work together is for me to first share with you the three burdens that God has placed on my heart that motivated me to call this meeting today.

My sharing of my three burdens with you this morning will be intentionally brief for two reasons. First, our time is short. I don’t want to squander it. And second, I want to give all of us here today the time and opportunity to respond and interact with what I will be sharing. Okay? Let’s get started….

One burden that God has placed on my heart concerns the shortage of ABC pastors serving our churches. Today, as many of you know, many of our ABC congregations do not have ABC pastors. And those churches that do have an ABC pastor are dropping steadily as each year more and more ABC pastors leave the Chinese church. And the future doesn’t look much better with the number of ABCs entering seminary at an all-time low.

If this trend is to reverse, all of us in this room need to be more proactive in plowing the field and helping to recruit and raise up more workers for the harvest. This can be done in a variety of ways. However, we at PaLM believe that one of the best ways to do this is through a program that we call MAP which stands for Ministry Apprenticeship Program.

For those who are unfamiliar with MAP, the primary mission of MAP is to encourage our pastors to look for and identify potential full-time Christian workers within their congregations; and once identifying such a worker, to challenge that person to consider the possibility of serving God on a full-time basis. And if that challenge is accepted, the pastor will then begin to mentor that young man or woman in the knowledge and skills needed to effectively serve God in a Chinese church. If during that time, it is discovered that that the young man/woman does not have the gifts or character for ministry, then he/she is encouraged to return to the church as a layperson, a little better trained than when he or she began. Or, if it is discovered that the young man/woman does have the gifts and character for ministry, then he/she will complete a two year mentoring program with the pastor. And upon completion of MAP, he/she may then go to seminary where he/she can learn the academic skills needed to serve as a pastor or other full-time Christian worker.

Unfortunately, to date PaLM has struggled to find enough ABC pastors to serve as mentors. One reason we haven’t been able to find enough ABC pastors to serve as mentors is that most of our pastors themselves have never been mentored and thus lack the knowledge, skills and experience needed to take up that task. In recognition of that fact, PaLM is in the process of establishing six month mentoring modules where our senior mentoring pastors will help equip and mentor our less experienced mentoring pastors in the art of mentoring. And I am pleased to report that PaLM is in the processing of recruiting our mentoring pastor trainees and expect to begin our first pastor mentoring class this coming August.

Eventually, it is our hope and dream that the OBC side of our churches will also adopt MAP or, at the very least, support it. For such an adoption or support by the OBC side of our churches will only increase the bounty of new workers for our churches whether they be ABC or OBC.

A second burden that God has placed on my heart is our region’s need for more adult ABC congregations and churches. When I was in seminary, I was told that the Chinese church has and is losing 90% of it young people. Now I don’t know how accurate that percentage is. But, based upon my own experience and observations, that 90% figure looks like a “ballpark” figure to me despite how outrageous that percentage looks to a reasonable person.

And it is my conviction that we will continue to lose our young people at that rate until and unless we establish more adult ABC churches. At present, most of our ABC congregations and churches are ministries that are extensions of immigrant churches. Today, most of those immigrant churches understand and realize the importance of establishing an ABC ministry within the church to retain their young people. But, when those young people go off to college, most of those churches are now discovering to their surprise, that many their young people still do not return…even after the church has established an English Ministries service. And if they do return, most don’t stay long. So, why don’t their young people return or stay?

There are, naturally, many answers to that question but I would suggest to you that a primary reason is because the ABC work in that immigrant church is geared for children and not adults. By the time our young people graduate from college, they are no longer children. Instead, they are young adults who feel out of place and boxed in when they return to their home church. They may then stay in their home church for a time to try and help the ABC children but those young people themselves need to be fed, nurtured and cared for. But, there is no one in that church that can do that for them and so they begin looking elsewhere for nourishment…eventually finding other churches such as Redeemer to attend.

At the present only a very few, loyal young people return to their home church and stay. And those that do return are often overworked and overused in the English ministries side of the church. And as a result they eventually burn out. When these burnt out young people leave our churches, they often have a bad taste in their mouths and vow never to return to a Chinese church again.

I understand and realize that most of our churches desire that their young people remain within their home church. But, it is also true that that strategy has been followed for more than 60 years and has only resulted in the lost of 90% of our young people; there’s got to be a better way. One of those ways I would suggest to you is for us, as a region, to establish adult ABC churches so that there are options and opportunities for our young people to remain within a Chinese or Asian American church.

If we are ever to have any chance of retaining our young people in our Chinese churches, more adult ABC congregations and churches need to be established. At present, we do have some adult ABC congregations or churches but they are too few and the few that we have are mostly overcrowded. Our Korean brothers have done a far better job in this area than we have on the Chinese side. I have visited a number of adult Korean American churches that are not only attracting Korean American young couples and families but they are also attracting a significant number of Chinese American couples and families as well. In fact, a few of those Korean American churches could boast that more than half of their congregations are comprised of ABC couples and families.

I have no problems with our ABC couples and families ending up at these Korean American churches because I know that they will be ministered to and that they will be actively involved in serving our Lord in those churches. But, what I find disturbing is seeing so many of our young people going to places like Redeemer where they are nothing more than a number in a crowd and do little, if anything, to serve God.

More adult ABC churches are needed….what can be done about it? How can we, as a region, plant more adult ABC churches?

These questions bring me to my third and last burden…the fissure that divides OBCs and ABCs. My third and last burden is that we ABCs and OBCs heal our relationships and begin to work together for our region. For too long we ABCs and OBCs have work independently of one another as if the other side did not exist. Because of past difficulties, differences, and hurts ABCs and OBCs have stayed out of each other’s way. On the surface that appears to work. But, the truth of the matter is, each side is hobbled because each side is missing a piece of themselves that makes each of us whole.

Adam was incomplete until God made Eve and gave her to him as his partner. Likewise, each of us is incomplete until we can reconcile our differences and mend our fences. For that to happen, each side must confess their sins and seek forgiveness from the other. It is time to put aside our hurts, mend our fences and bring healing to our relationships.

In all probability, most of us sitting here do not harbor any ill feelings towards “the other side” but neither do we make the effort to reach out to “the other side.” Today, you don’t have to work too hard to meet an OBC if you are an ABC or to meet an ABC if you are an OBC. Today, you have the opportunity to begin that healing process. At lunch time make it a point to sit with someone from the other side. I realize that the ratio this morning is a little lop-sided and so not everyone will have that opportunity. But, if PaLM has anything to do with it, there will be other opportunities in the future.

While each side has been able to accomplish some things while working independently of one another, I would suggest to you that so much more could be accomplished if both ABCs and OBCs were to work more closely with one another.

I am not so naïve as to be unaware of the fact that there would be a number of problems and issues standing in the way of our working together. However, I also do not see any one particular problem or issue that cannot be overcome if each side would be willing to set aside its own interests and focus on the interests of the greater good of our region as a whole.

Now don’t misunderstand me. I am not proposing that we form an ecumenical movement; nor am I suggesting that we establish a formal association of churches. But, what I am asking is this…can we, as group, commit to coming together once or twice a year to discuss and implement strategies and projects that will benefit our region as a whole?

That is to say, let us stop looking at our world solely from within the four walls of our church buildings. Instead, let us also look at our world from a regional perspective and see how our church can contribute to the greater good of our region. Too often, you and I look only at own church needs, our own church desires and our own church resources. I would suggest that we need to look beyond our four walls and understand that our churches and congregations are but only small pieces of a larger puzzle.

As I have already told you, this morning I seek only to provide some “food for thought” and give all of us an opportunity to discuss further my brief presentation. I now open the floor to give you the opportunity to respond and interact with my comments.
]]> Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:26:40 -0400 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=25 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=25 In Appreciation of His Faithful Service to the NY Asian American Community
One of my favorite movies is "It's A Wonderful Life." One reason I love that movie is because it's a story about an ordinary guy, who lives an ordinary life, only to discover - thanks to an angel - that his life wasn't really that ordinary after all.

The movie is about a family man named George Bailey. Generally, all goes well for George until his absent-minded Uncle Charlie loses a large sum of money from his Savings and Loan business. George frantically searches for the lost money but cannot find it, or replace it, and as a result falls into despair and prepares to take his own life by drowning himself.

But, before George could carry out his intentions, he is saved by Clarence, an angel from heaven. Though saved from drowning, George is still depressed and expresses to Clarence a wish that he had never been born.

Clarence wisely grants George his wish and George is given a great gift...an opportunity to see what the world would be like...if he had not never been born. George soon discovers that the world of Bedford Falls would be very different if he had not been born.

• In this world with no George Bailey, a life-long friend who is a pharmacist ends up going to prison and becoming a drunkard because George wasn't there to stop him when he accidentally put poison in a prescription he was filling.
• In this world with no George Bailey, George's younger brother, Harry dies in a winter sledding accident because George wasn't there to rescue Harry from the icy waters he fell into.
• And in this world with no George Bailey, the town of Bedford Falls turns into a town of disrepute and is renamed Pottersville because George wasn't there to stand up to mean-old Potter and his greedy ways.

In these and in many other ways George discovers that his ordinary life wasn't so ordinary after all. For his life touched and made a difference in the lives of the people of Bedford Falls in ways, and to a degree, that he never realized and understood until now.

This afternoon, I submit to you that there exists another George Bailey; and this "other George Bailey" is not a fictional character. He is, instead, a real human being. And that person that I speak of, of course, is Lee Hearn the man we have come to honor this afternoon for his faithful service to the New York Asian American community.

When we look at Lee, and the service he gave to the NY Asian American community and CEMC-M, we see nothing out of the ordinary. But, the fact of the matter is, the life that Lee lived as a pastor may appear to have been ordinary, but in terms of the impact that he has made on the NY Asian American Christian community and CEMC-M, in particular, is anything but ordinary.

Let me play the role of Clarence the angel, and help you to see three reasons why Lee's service to God was anything but ordinary.....

The first reason why Lee's service to God was anything but ordinary is due to his longevity. Lee began serving CEMC-M in 1962 when the church was simply known as CEM, Chinese Evangel Mission. He started going to CEM in 1962 to teach Sunday School and he continued to do that for three years, until 1965. In 1965, Lee's routine changed because that year he graduated from Nyack. Upon graduating, he moved into CEMC-M and continued to serve there until 2001 when he retired. In other words, Lee served CEMC-M for the entire time he served God as a pastor; and if you include the three years that he taught Sunday School while in seminary, Lee faithfully served God and CEMC-M for some 39 years. Statisticians tell us that a typical pastor stays at a church an average of 3 years before moving on to another church. In Lee's case, he stayed on at CEMC-M 39 years - 13 times longer, 13 times longer than most pastors stay at any one church! Would you say that that was ordinary? Or, extraordinary?

A second reason why Lee's service to God was anything but ordinary is the number of workers he nurtured and sent into God's harvest field. While serving as the English pastor of CEMC-M he inspired, discipled and sent forth ten...ten people into full-time Christian work. These ten people include some of the people who are sitting in this room. They include:

• John Eng, current pastor of Chinese Evangel Mission Church, Manhattan
• John Ng, seminary professor at ATS and an Associate Director of PaLM
• and Lisa Yu, an InterVarsity Christian Staff Worker

In addition to these three we have seven others:

• Frank Chan, professor at Nyack College
• John Chan, former missionary to Africa
• Steve Chin, senior pastor of Boston Chinese Evangelical Church
• Dan Ho, serving in a church in Texas
• Derrick Jackson, planting a church in New Jersey
• Sally Johnson, missionary to Hong Kong
• and Bayer Lee, serving a couple of churches in New York Chinatown

Lee nurtured and sent forth each of these men and women. The number ten may not sound like a very big number to some of us.... trust me, it is a big number...it is a very big number. It is a number you would appreciate more when you realize that in far too many churches, this idea of nurturing and sending forth workers into the harvest field is, too often, overlooked. But, that wasn't the case with Lee.

In Lee's service to God, sending forth new workers into the harvest field wasn't an incidental job to done when he felt like it. Instead, for Lee it was a cornerstone of his ministry. And because it played such an important role in his service to God, Lee today, continues to influence a wide-range of people; no longer directly as he once did with these ten people but when he nurtured and helped these men and women to become pastors, missionaries, and professors, he through them has influenced hundreds and thousands of others. Would you say that that was ordinary? Or, extraordinary?

A third, and last reason why Lee's service to God was anything but ordinary is due his character. When people look at Lee, who do they see? That question made me curious. So much so, that I decided to post a survey online to see what people would say when asked, "when you see Lee, what kind of person do you see?" I had hoped a large number of people would take advantage of the opportunity and participate in the survey; but alas, only 30 people took the survey. While the number of participants was not as high as I would have liked, what these 30 people shared about Lee was revealing nevertheless.

Can you guess what was Lee's top quality, or character trait? What do you think?
Let me share with you the TOP FIVE qualities or character traits people see in Lee....

05. Patient, Honest 22/30 (73%)
04. Always available 23/30 (77%)
03. Caring, Servant, Well-liked 24/30 (80%)
02. Easy to talk to 25/30 (83%)
01. Humble 29/30 (97%)

29/30 people see Lee as a humble man. And no doubt, the vast majority of us here this afternoon, including myself, would agree with that assessment.

And that is why I must confess to you now that I am deeply appreciative of Lee's willingness to accept PaLM's invitation to honor him here this afternoon. There is no doubt in my mind that there is no person more deserving of such a recognition than Lee. But, as we all know because Lee is so humble, receiving such a recognition makes him feel extremely uncomfortable. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that Lee would gladly give up drinking his beloved Chinatown coffee for the rest of his life than to be sitting where he is right now...in the spotlight. Is he squirming yet? Thus, despite his intense dislike of being in the spotlight...he agreed to come and be recognized nevertheless. And for that, I thank you Lee.

In my survey I had also asked people to share their special stories about Lee with me. I received nine stories. This afternoon I would like to share one of them with you. The rest you can read for yourselves....I will put a copy of the stories at each table after this presentation.

Of all the stories shared, I believe this one captures the essence of Lee....

I'll never forget how hard and wonderful it was to laugh at what Lee did on the day Johnny Soohoo got married. Lee once again revealed what a self-sacrificing person he is when he willingly gave his white shirt away to a member of the bridal party, who had forgotten to pack it. Many of us had not seen Lee in a while since he retired, and when we saw him, he was only wearing a white tee shirt under his suit jacket.

Pictures were taken of Lee and other wedding guests showing Lee with his "new, more hip and modern" look. Knowing Lee, he must've felt pretty embarrassed, but he did it anyway. Thanks Lee for being such a great example of a self-sacrificing person and for the laughter you bring into our lives.

This is Lee's legacy. He is someone who is willing to literally give you the shirt off of his back. Lee, you are extraordinary human being and an exceptional man of God.

In recognition of your contributions to the New York Asian American community at large, and particularly to CEMC-M, PaLM would like to present to you a special gift...a special made crystal bowl.

As we understand it, you like to have potpourri around your house. We hope that this special bowl that we had made especially for you will help you enjoy your potpourri.

The inscription on the bowl reads....

The PaLM Logo is on top...

Below that is your name...Rev. Alfred Lee Hearn, followed by the inscription....

In Appreciation of Your Faithful Service, Saturday, March 7. 2009

Congratulations Lee!
]]> Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:43:37 -0400 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=24 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=24 Why Don't Chinese Churches Celebrate Christmas?
What I find most disturbing about these December services leading up to Christmas and Christmas Sunday itself, is that too many of our ABC (American Born Chinese) churches do NOT in any way prepare for, or celebrate Christmas. In fact, just this past year (2008), throughout the four weeks leading up to Christmas Sunday, I barely heard anything about Christmas and did not have the opportunity to sing even ONE Christmas carol. On Christmas Sunday....I briefly sang one Christmas carol...just before my Christmas sermon. Isolated incident? I wish I could say that 2008 was an aberration but it isn't. In another year, I went through the four weeks leading up to Christmas without singing EVEN ONE Christmas carol, or hearing any mention of Christmas from the pulpit (except for my Christmas sermon on Christmas Sunday).

I don't know about you but I find this situation extremely disturbing and totally unacceptable! Now is this about my not getting the opportunity to sing Christmas carols during the Christmas season? I hope that that is not what you think. Because that is not what this is about. Instead, what this is about is this... why are our ABC churches not celebrating Christmas, one of the greatest events in Christian church history?

As I pondered that question, I came up with three reasons why this is so for many of our ABC churches. I share these reasons with you in no particular order. There may be other reasons but I believe the three below are the primary reasons many of our ABC churches fail to celebrate Christmas.

One reason too many of our ABC churches do not celebrate Christmas is because most of our churches are what is known as "low churches." What is a "low church"? To put is simply, a "low church" is a church that is informal in its worship style and format (i.e., does not follow a prescribed order of service), does not follow a church calendar, and does not use liturgical readings or follow liturgical patterns. In contrast, "high churches" are much more formal in their worship style and format generally incorporating liturgical, ceremonial and traditional worship elements and patterns in their services. In addition, most high churches also follow a church calendar which highlights the fasts and festivals important to the Christian church. In other words because our churches are informal and do not follow a church calendar , we are "free to worship as we wish"...including omitting the celebration of Christmas on Christmas Sunday.

A second reason too many of our ABC churches do not celebrate Christmas is because too many of them do not have a pastor, or mature leaders, to ensure that an important Christian holiday, like Christmas, is afforded the attention and focus it both deserves and requires on Christmas Sunday and the four weeks leading up to it.

A third reason too many of our ABC churches do not celebrate Christmas is because today contemporary songs serve as the main stay of our worship music. This in itself is not necessarily a problem. However, when it comes to contemporary Christmas worship songs, they either do not exist, or they have not been widely adopted by our churches. Consequently, in the month of December we continue to sing, or learn, the "same songs" that we sing the rest of the year with little, or no regard, to the Christian season.

How can we correct this situation? Let me offer the following suggestions....

1. People, like myself need to talk about this with the churches as the opportunities arise. When I first went out as an itinerant pastor and the church I was attending failed to "celebrate Christmas," I kept my mouth shut thinking that "it was not my place" to say anything. But, as the years went by and things didn't get any better (in fact, from my perspective they got worse) I realized that I had an obligation and responsibility to say something to the churches involved; otherwise, I am a part of the problem and not a part of the solution. Thus, in the month of December, I find myself preaching both through sermons and in "brief talks to the congregation" about the importance of celebrating a Christ-centered Christmas during the Christmas season.

2. Our churches need to learn about Advent and why practicing Advent in the four weeks leading up to Christmas will help people remember what Christmas is about and celebrate it accordingly. When my girls were toddlers and too focused on the giving and receiving of gifts, I realized that I had a responsibility as their dad and spiritual guide to help them keep a right mind-set during the Christmas season. Thus, I incorporated a family advent devotion after dinner every night in the four weeks leading up to Christmas. During these four weeks, we ate by the glow of the advent candles, listened to Christmas music while we ate, and after dinner, we briefly sang a Christmas carol and/or did an advent reading/craft (note: there are plenty of age-appropriate books out there to help you do this). Advent, and its accompanying age-appropriate readings, singing and activities are fun for the entire family...and it helps everyone keep Christmas in perspective. Google the word "advent" and read up on it...and then find a way to incorporate it in your church and home next Christmas.

3. Christmas is more than the singing of Christmas carols. It is a celebration, a joyous event, a remembrance of God's love, a story of God's gift to man, etc. For us to properly celebrate this special day, much attention and work needs to go into the planning of the church's activities and events leading up to and during this special holiday. Most churches that understand the importance and significance of this holiday begin planning for it in September! Naturally, this should be done especially for Christmas and Easter...for when we put in the time and effort necessary to properly remember these important Christian holidays, we express to God our deep gratitude and appreciation for giving us his most precious gift....undeserving as we are to receive it.

4. Do some research and reading on the "Christian calendar" and learn about "the seasons of the Church Year." Most of us know about Christmas and Easter, but the calendar also includes Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, and Pentecost. Do you know the significance of each of these important events? As you learn about these dates and their importance to Christianity, you will better appreciate our Lord and the love he has for us.
]]> Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:00:00 -0500 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=23 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=23 2008 Asian American Regional Report
In 2008 ten full-time pastors/youth pastors left their churches include:

01. Milton Eng from Brooklyn Chinese Christian Church
02. Joseph Feun from Chinese Conservative Baptist Church
03. Dan Ho from Queens Christian Alliance Church
04. Derrick Jackson from Monmouth Chinese Christian Church
05. Ben Lin from Chinese for Christ New York
06. Grace May from First Chinese Presbyterian Church
07. Frank Meyer from Church of Living Grace of New Jersey
08. James Poon from Brooklyn Alliance Church
09. Sunny Shih from Living Faith Community Church
10. Jeff Whisman from Jireh Church

The full-time Christian workers who began serving in our region in 2008 include:

01. Carmen Chau became the Education Coordinator for Chinese Christian Herald Crusades
02. Joshua Cheng became the English Pastor at Ling Liang Worldwide Evangelistic Mission
03. Christopher Chu became Youth Director at Chinese Christian Church of New Jersey
04. Deborah Fung became Youth Director at Oversea Chinese Mission
05. John Heald became Youth Pastor at Monmouth Chinese Christian Church
06. Keith Loo became an Extern at Queens Herald Church, C&MA
07. Emmanual Low became an Assistant Pastor at Chinese Christian Church of New Jersey
08. Bill Redekop became the Youth Pastor at New York Chinese Evangelical Free Church
09. Andy Tso became the English Pastor at Brooklyn Chinese Christian Church
10. Kevin Yiu became an Extern at Queens Herald Church, C&MA

Those pastors who transferred, or hope to transfer, to another ministry within our region include:

01. Joe Feun hopes to church plant or serve a multi-ethnic church in NY/NJ
02. Derrick Jackson hopes to plant an AA church in NJ
03. Ben Lin became the English Pastor at Jireh Church, NJ
04. Sunny Shih became the Youth Pastor at Queens Taiwanese Evangelical Church, NY
05. Jeff Whisman became the English Pastor at Chinese Christian Church in Somerset, NJ

2008 significant dates, or milestones, of our AA full-time workers:

01. Jonathan and Regina (Pei) married on Feb 23
02. Lisa and Danny Yu gave birth to Caleb on Jun 5
03. Lee and Joan Ka gave birth to June on Jun 20
04. Ron and Ting (Chen) married on Jul 26
05. Ting Chen drowned in a swimming accident on Jul 31
06. Ben Ing of New York Chinese Baptist Church was ordained on Sep 28
07. Peter and Jamie Ong gave birth to Nicholas on Sep 29
08. Anna (Lee) and James Winans married on Dec 6

There may have been other departures, start-ups, transfers and/or milestones that occurred in our region that I missed and/or was not aware of. If you know of such information, or if any of the above listed information is incorrect, please contact me via any of the options listed on our website.

Howard
]]> Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:42:40 -0500 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=22 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=22 Hosting Annual ABC/OBC Dialogues
The historic meeting took place on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at the New York Chinese Alliance Church in Manhattan. PaLM invited three OBC pastors to come and participate in a roundtable panel discussion with our ABC pastors. The three OBC pastors participants were: Pastor Johnny Chan, founder and senior pastor of Grace Chinese Alliance Church, Pastor Caleb Leung, pastor of Brooklyn Alliance Church and Pastor Calvin Tran, Christian Education pastor at New York Chinese Alliance Church.

I, Howard Chan, moderated the discussion. I asked each panelist the same question and after giving each panelist an opportunity to answer the question asked, I or someone in the audience would then ask one, or more, follow up questions.

As both a participant and observer of the discussion I found the answers given by the panelist to be thoughtful, insightful, and “eye-opening.” Some of the things I learned and/or got out of the roundtable discussion include in summary form the following:

• The OBC pastors saw the main reasons ABC/OBC pastors have such a hard time working together to be: a) cultural differences, b) communication difficulties, and c) the lack of patience and understanding by both ABC/OBC pastors.
• Pastor Calvin pointed out that even when an OBC pastor is very supportive of his ABC pastor/ministry that difficulties may yet arise because the OBC church leadership/congregation may stand in opposition, for whatever reason, to resolving the ABC concern.
• Due to the fact that Chinese culture fosters an indirect process to resolving problems, ABC pastors need to be 1) especially patient while working out ABC/OBC problems/conflicts AND 2) tenaciously persevering in their service to a particular church, or the possibility of finding a solution, or working out the problem, will never happen, or happen after the departure of the ABC pastor.
• Pastor Caleb pointed out that an OBC pastor needs to work as if he were serving in a missional context…bending in deference to the other when necessary for the sake of the ministry. I would add to that that the ABC pastor needs to think and work with a similar attitude and manner.
• Pastor John reminded everyone that any Chinese church that has two congregations (OBC and ABC) meeting under the same roof are not two individual ministries working independent of the other. Instead, the two are really one ministry. Thus, it is critical that both OBC and ABC pastors learn to work and serve together as one.

Personally, I thought the panel discussion went extremely well with our ABC pastors learning something new and/or developing a deeper understanding and appreciation of our OBC pastors. In fact from my perspective, I thought that the meeting was so fruitful and productive that it would be good if PaLM planned similar meetings in the future, to be held on an annual basis, where both the OBC and ABC pastors in our region are invited to come and talk and heal and work out and dream about serving God as one.

I am not so naïve as to believe that “every” OBC/ABC pastor would come to such an annual meeting. But, I believe that the good will, the better understanding and the greater good that can come out of such meetings would go a long way in healing, bringing together and strengthening the ABC/OBC work in the New York/New Jersey region. What do you think? If you would like to comment on this idea, or add your “two cents” to these thoughts check out the discussion page (under Asian American Ministries) where I have set up a place for you to respond.

One final thought. I have not forgotten our American Born Korean (ABK) brothers who are an important part of PaLM. In the weeks ahead I will dialogue with some of you to discern if a similar, or different, path should be pursued in your context.
]]> Sat, 18 Oct 2008 19:56:45 -0400 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=21 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=21 Ben Ing Ordination
The service was packed with NYCBC members, family and friends. Among the many people there were a good number of ABC (American Born Chinese) pastors who were present to personally congratulate and welcome Ben into their fraternal community.

The service began with a welcome by the Rev. Dr. John Ng who also served as Ben’s mentor. He was followed by the Rev. Paul Chan, Senior Pastor of NYCBC who gave the Call to Worship. Some of the other service participants included the Rev. Dr. Peter Loew, who opened the service in prayer, the Rev. Isaac Castaneda who read the Report of the Ordination Council, and the Rev. James Stallings who gave the Ordination Sermon.

Ben, who has been serving as the Pastor of the English Congregation at NYCBC since July, 2003, received from the church two gifts as an expression of their appreciation and love for him. He was presented with a shepherd’s staff, in recognition of his new service status, and a robe for use in formal ministerial duties.

We, at PaLM, congratulate Ben on his ordination. We praise God for anointing Ben’s life and for allowing him to serve the Asian American Community in the New York Metropolitan area. It is our prayer that God will continue to bless Ben mightily and use him at NYCBC to grow and strengthen that church for his kingdom.
]]> Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:16:04 -0400 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=20 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=20 Morpheus' Question Reloaded
Pastor John Ng is the Director of PaLM's Ekklesia ministry, and he didn't enjoy the Matrix. (But honestly, that's a side issue, and Pastor John regularly reviews many other movies he does enjoy.)

He did, however, post a new article in his e-musings series on Doing Pastoral Work In The Big Apple.

Quote:

I did not enjoy watching Matrix. Its convoluted storyline was impossible to follow. That same feeling of perplexity also describes my pastoral work among mostly Asians who live in postmodern world. Concerning their Christianity, many ask Morpheus’s question: What is real? How do you define real?

Read Part Six – Living With Congregants In A Postmodern Environment on the Ekklesia website.]]> Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:43:28 -0400 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=19 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=19 New Event: In Christ, the Mystery of Relationships Singles struggles with relationships. The "world" tells us one thing, our Christian friends tells us another. What does God say about all of it? In Christ, The Mystery of Relationships is a 2 day conference addressing our relationships with God, with ourselves and with others.

This event has three sessions during Friday night and Saturday.

April 25th and 26th at Reformed Church of Newtown.

Find out more here.]]> Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:20:28 -0400 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=18 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=18 New Event: Bread&Water [Engage Speaker Series] 1 in 2 people in the world live on less than $2 a day, where the amount you or I can spend on a nice dinner is what another person earns for a few months of manual labor. How do we live as Christians in a world of hunger? What can an ordinary person do?

This was the spark for Bread & Water, an all-volunteer nonprofit that engages young NYC professionals with grassroots poverty relief missions in the third world.

Come hear Ying Chan, founder of Bread & Water, who will share about global poverty and how we can respond as a Christian community.

7PM @ OCM on 3/18/08.

More details about the Engage Speaker Series can be found here.]]> Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:10:32 -0400 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=17 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=17 New Event: The CELT's are coming! The CELT's are coming! would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take...

... our International Christians in English Language Teaching Conference (CELT)!!!

Nyack College is hosting the CELT Conference on Wednesday, April 2, 2008.

In addition to two speakers, there will be workshops and informational sessions related to teaching English to speakers of other languages.

Christians interested in teaching English in the United States, in their own countries, or abroad will find this conference inspiring and helpful.

Find out more about CELT 2008]]> Sat, 8 Mar 2008 12:15:33 -0500 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=16 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=16 New Event: Who 2? Me two? ... nah You Too! The 5ifth Sunday is an opportunity for everyone to explore, examine, and experience who Jesus is and what the Bible has to say about Him in a real and relevant way. Pre-5ifth Sunday events, such as those listed below, gives us “glimpses” of lives lived to its fullest.

March 28, 6:30pm at OCM

Additional details about You Too! here.
]]> Fri, 7 Mar 2008 23:54:40 -0500 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=15 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=15 New Event: CoffeeHouse2008 - This Saturday!
Starts at 7:30PM with FREE ADMISSION!

More details available here in the events section.]]> Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:58:06 -0500 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=14 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=14 2007 STM Testimonies now online 2008 STM Project information is now available. Some excerpts...

"one of the things that stuck me was the beauty of God’s creation."
- Wendy

Little did I know to what extent my expectations would be fulfilled and ultimately exceeded.
- Daniel

Read the full stories here.]]> Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:50:38 -0500 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=13 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=13 Announcing the 2008 Short Term Missions Program!
Every summer since 1992*, PaLM has sent a short-term missions team to Little Black Spot Mountain on the Navajo Reservation in AZ to host a week-long Vacation Bible School (VBS). This summer, the reverse will happen - the Navajo are coming here for VBS and we’re calling the trip, “The Navajo to New York City Missions Trip.”

The Navajo will come to our great city where they will spend ten days learning about God, his work, and his people from a very different perspective than what they have seen, learned, and experienced up until now.

You can help make our unique STM trip happen through a variety of options:

a) Volunteering to be an “at home” STM team member and serving as a host, driver and/or escort for our Navajo friends
b) Making a financial contribution
c) Praying regularly for our trip.

More details can be found in Short-Term Missions page.

We are excited to sponsor an “at home” short-term missions trip this summer and give you the opportunity to serve God in this unique way.

We look forward to working with many of you and seeing God’s goodness and blessings poured out on the Navajo, our people, and our churches this summer.

* A team did not go in the summer of 1993 because of the emergence of the Hanta Virus.

]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:02:21 -0500 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=12 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=12 Take your PaLM News with you!
Well sort-of...

At PaLM we now provide an

feed that you can quickly find the latest updates and short descriptions with an RSS reader.

If you are unfamiliar with RSS, it is a web standard for publishing news headlines. You can read the RSS feed with special software and easily embed them into blogs and other web content.

Your have two options when reading RSS Feeds (just like email). You can purely online (Gmail, Hotmail) or offline (Outlook Express, .Mail App).

For online readers, Google Reader does a great job.

For offline readers, we recommend NetNewsWire Lite (Mac OS X), Feedreader (Windows) and AmphetaDesk (cross platform), or you may search for an RSS reader in Google.]]> Mon, 18 Feb 2008 10:07:19 -0500 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=11 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=11 New Movie Review - Atonement
Read it here]]> Wed, 6 Feb 2008 22:11:23 -0500 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=10 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=10 New Book Review - Leadership Next
Pastor John Ng, Director of PaLM's Ekklesia Ministry, reviews this "comprehensive resource for current and emerging leaders serving in churches, parachurch organizations and beyond."

Read the review here.]]> Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:39:03 -0500 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=9 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=9 New Movie Review - Jindabyne new movie review has just been posted for "Jindabyne".

Is this really a movie you should watch in solitude? Find out by reading the review.

]]> Sun, 11 Nov 2007 12:21:17 -0500 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=8 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=8 New eMusings Article - Envy, Insecurity and Collegiality Among Asian Pastors Ekklesia - has just posted a new eMusing article by Pastor Jon Eng.

Click here to go directly to the article.

Be sure to check out the previous four parts to this series on the Ekklesia site.]]> Sun, 11 Nov 2007 12:17:02 -0500 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=7 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=7 Evangelical Group Rebuffs Critics on Right By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
Published: March 14, 2007

The board of the National Association of Evangelicals has rebuffed leaders of the Christian right who had called for the association to silence or dismiss its Washington policy director because of his involvement in the campaign against global warming.

Prominent Christian conservatives like James C. Dobson, chairman of Focus on the Family, and Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, had sent a letter to the association’s leaders this month accusing the policy director, the Rev. Richard Cizik, of “using the global warming controversy to shift the emphasis away from the great moral issues of our time,” which they defined as abortion, homosexuality and teaching children sexual morality and abstinence.

More http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/14/us/14evangelical.html
]]> Wed, 14 Mar 2007 16:01:09 -0400 http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=5 News http://www.palmny.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=5