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Mark Lau Branson, Ed.D.
Mark is the Homer L. Goddard Associate Professor of the Ministry of the Laity at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, where he teaches courses in congregational leadership and community engagement.
Juan F. Martínez, Ph.D.
Juan is Associate Dean in charge of the Center for the Study of Hispanic Church and Community and Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies and Pastoral Leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.
Leading Change
Haah Video: Leader as Learner
In the midst of intercultural life, Pastor Kevin Haah admits that he, like anyone, has ethnocentric tendencies that are potentially hurtful to others. He discusses that through a posture of humility and attentiveness, a leader can learn from mistakes and … Read the Post
Fong Video: Youth Lead Neighborhood Change
When a youth pastor at Evergreen Baptist took a job at the neighborhood recreation center, the missional life of the church changed dramatically. Pastor Fong tells the story of how God led the youth and parents to step outside their … Read the Post
Posted in: Part I: Theology and Context, Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
Tags: Asian American, Church Story, intercul, Intercultural communication, Intercultural Leadership, Leading Change, Missional church, Multicultural churches, Reconciliation and Mediation, Relationships, Training
Fong Video: Meetings, Diverse Voices, & Leadership
Pastor Ken Fong (Evergreen Baptist Church, Los Angeles) talks about church board meetings – and how diversity changes the discussion. He explains how the church’s vision and values have prompted them to seek diverse leadership so that a multitude of … Read the Post
Fong Video: Members Initiate & Leaders Create Space
When Japanese American members took the initiative to share their stories about relocation camps, Pastor Fong remembered how his own previous learning had shaped his cross-cultural empathy. His story created space in the congregation for a deeper appreciation for cultural … Read the Post
Fong Video: Cultural Differences – Stewardship
Pastor Fong tells a story in which a decision about cleaning the church’s carpets surfaced different cultural values. Even seemingly unimportant decisions are arrived at on the basis of deeply held beliefs. Fong shows how their conversation about theology and … Read the Post
Posted in: Part I: Theology and Context, Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
Tags: Asian American, Chinese American, Church Story, Communication, Decision-making, Intercultural communication, Intercultural Leadership, Japanese American, Leading Change, Multicultural churches, Relationships, Worldview
Carson Video: Willing to Change – Passion & Patience
Pastor Elwood Carson portrays the complexities associated with becoming a multi-ethnic congregation. He talks about having to adapt his African American preaching style as Latino neighbors join the congregation. Also, the congregation embodies differences between people and their various stages … Read the Post
Fong Video: Latino Neighbor Becomes Key Staff Person
As the church became willing to engage with the neighborhood and crosscultural experiments, Fong explains that Steve, a Latino neighbor, visited and left then returned and left…. Today, Steve is a crucial part of the church and its mission. Fong … Read the Post
Carson Video: Friendships
Pastor Carson’s church is currently doing the work of building intercultural friendships, even with the challenges of a bi-lingual context. To do this, he stresses the importance of hospitality, time spent together, and the practice of sharing meals. → On … Read the Post
Fong Video: Transition Beyond Asian American
After participating in the vision of an Asian American church for an extended period of time, Ken Fong sensed the Spirit calling him in a new direction. The senior pastor noted that they voiced two different directions – so they … Read the Post
Carson Video: Prophecies, the Economy, and from Commuter to Local
Pastor Carson’s story shows how transformation is not a straight line. Turbulent economic times forced many commuters at Carson’s congregation to stop coming to church in an effort to save money on gas. This difficult loss led the church to … Read the Post