Our vision is to gather Asian Americans Christians together to reimagine our future
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H.E.A.R.D. t-shirts and hoodies are now available for purchase through Stuff You Can Use! SYCU is a company that creates Kids Ministry Curriculum & Youth Ministry Curriculum. We appreciate SYCU’s partnership!
What is Justice Feasting?
Justice Feasting captures the essence of our venture because we strive to embody an inclusive, generous, and welcoming community.
Why feasting? As Asian Americans, we love to sit and eat together. As Jesus dined with people around a table, we too desire to share table fellowship so that Asian American Christians are HEARD.
Our Story
In January, 2023, in the third year of the pandemic and the ongoing anti-Asian hate, scholars and practitioners gathered to discuss the state of Asian American Christianity. We sought empirical evidence for the points of crisis that we shared. We found little. One colleague asked, “What are the myths that we can dispel with our data?” to which another colleague retorted, “We do not even have enough data to create myths that we can dispel!”
Asian American Christians are invisible in most religious research. People without data are not a people. Therefore, there is an urgency to survey and collect data to identify and locate Asian Americans. When there is no quantifiable data other than relying on anecdotal observations, it is impossible to chart the history and trends of Asian American Christianity and to strategize how to confront emerging challenges.
There are no organizations studying Asian American Christians in an evidence-based systematic fashion.
ISAAC aims to help fill this gap by creating a Big Tent for the Asian American Christian community. Our vision is to gather Asian American Christians together to reimagine our future. Accomplishing this will require scaling our mission and inviting other groups and individuals to collaborate with us so that, as a community, we can build an inspiring, innovative, and inclusive future. With this in mind, we are launching a venture known as HEARD.
What does H.E.A.R.D. stand for?
H.onor leadership identity
Raise up ethnic Asian American leaders who are largely overlooked in society. The younger generation needs role models to emulate.
E.ducate toward flourishing
Write and teach with a focus on advancing the welfare of the Asian American community. What do we need to know? What do we need to do?
A.ccelerate liberating justice
Speak up for the Asian American community in justice issues. Be a voice for the unheard and connect with other people of color.
R.econstruct narratives
We have been held captive for too long by the myth of the “model minority” script that was created by the dominant culture. We have been pitted against other minority groups when we are held up as a success story to be imitated.
D.evelop and curate community stories
The struggles of those who have gone before us need to be told, transcribed and transmitted to future generations so that they are not forgotten. There is much suffering in our collective memory as well as triumphant stories of perseverance that need to be elevated.
Our dreams for our beloved Asian American Christian community
wisdom
together
courage
feasting
identity
Core Team
Young Lee Hertig
Co-founder / Executive Director of ISAAC. Taught courses on Spirituality, Sustainability, and Diversity at Azusa Pacific University, United Theological Seminary, and Fuller Theological Seminary since 1992 to present. She holds three MA’s in Counseling Psychology, Theology, Anthropology, and PhD in Intercultural Studies.
Andrew Lee
Associate Director of the Global Diaspora Institute at Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. Retired as senior pastor of the Chinese Christian Union Church in Chicago, the largest Chinese church in the Midwest. Holds a PhD in Religion.
David M. Jamir
A United Methodist Clergy. His ministry experience extends from Nagaland, to Kolkata India, to Himalaya, to rural and small town and white suburbs in the midwest and finally to urban churches in Southern California.
Geomon George
Dean, Co-Director of the MA program and Coordinator of the Thriving in Ministry Initiative at City Seminary of New York. A PhD graduate of the University of Edinburgh, he is ordained in the Indian Pentecostal church over 20 years, and pastor of the International Gospel Church in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Jefferson Lee
Associate Dean of Contextual Education and International Partnerships, and Assistant Professor of Contextual Theologies at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA.
Jerry Park
Associate Professor of Sociology and an affiliate fellow of the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion. His research interests include the sociological study of religion, race, identity, culture and civic participation.
Joyce Chang
A PhD student in the department of Sociology at Baylor University. Her research centers Asian Americans in the racial discourse with a specific focus on racial attitudes, social movements and assimilation.
Joyce Koo-Dalrymple
Pastor, speaker, and podcast host. Leads Refuge for Strength, a women’s ministry focused on empowering women to live and love courageously through sacred listening spaces and retreats. On the teaching team for a collection of house churches called Church360. Received a BA from Stanford University, a JD from Boston College, and an MDiv from Metro Atlanta Seminary.
Russell Moy
Born and raised in Detroit as a third generation Chinese and Korean American. Pastor of the First Chinese Baptist in Sacramento. Taught Christian education and Bible at Drew University in NJ and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. Discovered a passion for wine while working at Trader Joe’s.
Spencer Lee
Entrepreneur, serves as VP and trustee of the North Jersey Vineyard Church, and leads Vineyard USA’s AAPI Association’s efforts in AAPI Christian identity, history and theology. Spencer has an AB from Harvard College and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Yulee Lee
The Chief Operating Officer at Stuff You Can Use. Holds a BA in Political Science from Tufts University, a MA in Public Policy from the University of Chicago, and a PhD in Educational Studies with a concentration in Organizational Leadership from Trinity International University. Has served in the non–profit sector for over 20 years.