Ekklesiae Stories of the Prophetic
Welcome to ESP, or Ekklesiae Stories of the Prophetic. What are such stories, you ask? Here’s a taste: In 1917, my grandmother Wong Chew Lung sailed from China to the United States, but was immediately detained on Angel Island by the ICE¹ of that day. Under the Chinese Exclusion Act², Chew Lung had to prove her legal status or be deported. Several months later, after multiple interrogations and cross-examinations, she teetered on the brink of suicide. Chew Lung might not have made it, were it not for a Presbyterian mission in Chinatown who tirelessly advocated for her release. This faithful Christian community prophetically embodied the inclusive gospel in an era of virulent, anti-Chinese racism. Learning of God’s presence through the Church in my grandmother's life has profoundly shaped my life and ministry, and has fueled my desire for others to uncover their own narratives. This past summer, via ESP, a remarkable group of twelve emerging leaders were given space to deepen embrace of their Asian-American identities through their ancestral histories–and to discover God there.
On behalf of Ekklesiae, I thank the Santo Collective for hosting the essays, poems, and art that capture their stories so beautifully. We hope you are as moved and inspired as we've been.
– Craig Wong, Executive Director, Ekklesiae
Who they are:
Ekklesiae
Partnering in Practical Theology for a More Faithful Witness
Ekklesiae gathers leaders across tradition, culture, and generation who know they need each other to discern Christ’s purposes for His Church in the world.
Neither a program or a movement, Ekklesiae leans into the Ephesian claim that through the Church, the manifold wisdom of God is made known to the powers and principalities in the heavenly places, believing that revelation comes when faithful disciples of all stripes, seek the truth together with humility. Rooted in Trinitarian orthodoxy, and dependent on the Spirit’s leading, Ekklesiae sets the table for leaders to theologically reflect on the times and discern the implications for the Church’s life and witness. Ultimately, we want our work to forge lasting gospel friendships, nurture the prophetic imagination, and equip leaders for the Church’s future.
*Photo courtesy of Stephanie Cheung and her family.
¹Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) represents the policing side of the federal immigration bureaucracy when the former INS (Immigration & Naturalization Service) was split into two distinct agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, created in 2003 under the George W. Bush administration in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001.
²The Chinese Exclusion Act was enacted in 1882 by the U.S. Congress in culmination of a proliferation of discriminatory policies, at both the local and national level, designed to curb the influx of Chinese laborers into the U.S. to assuage fears of workforce displacement and what was viewed by many as a threat to white racial purity and public health.