Nurturing Generations of Leaders

Among mainline churches, the Presbyterian Church in Chinatown has been one of the most fertile training grounds for Asian American leadership. Over the past five decades it has produced over fifty seminarians and church workers, and even greater numbers have gone into community leadership or serve the church in volunteer lay leadership positions. From Christian Education programs for all ages to formal and informal mentoring programs to opportunities for service at all levels in the church's leadership, the community actively trains its members to be a voice for others and equips them to plan, carry out, and coordinate efforts in community-building.

Lauren Quock (center) leads a Sunday School activity. (Photo: 2001.)

The Rev. David Ng was a Donaldina Cameron House staff-person and a collegiate pastor at the Presbyterian Church in Chinatown from 1959 to 1962. Ng (second from left) is seen here ministering to a group of young people outside the entrance to Donaldina Cameron House.

Church School Superintendent Nancy Chee demonstrates craft-making skills to Jared and Justine Lue. (Photo: 2001.)

Young people represent the Presbyterian Church in Chinatown's three language congregations at a trilingual service for Christian Education Sunday. From left to right are Beatrice Zhou, Jeffrey Go, and Simon Wong. (Photo 2001.)

Marcella Soohoo teaches Marcus Wong confidence in the water at an English congregation retreat at the Mt. Hermon Retreat Center over Labor Day weekend, 1993.

A girls' Sunday School class circa 1920s–1930s.

Jeremy and Jared Lue. (Photo: 2001.)

A student at the Yook Ji Ga Daycare practices for a lion dance.

Edward Jeung (above) — widely known as EJ — was an example of a leader nurtured from youth within the church walls. (Photo: 2001.) He grew up in the church youth group pictured below, circa late 1940s–early 1950s, and is seen wearing a tie and standing at the center of the front row. Jeung went on to serve as an elder for fifteen years over four decades, including holding the office of Clerk of Session.

Andy Ding from the Cantonese congregation leads the church in a scripture reading during a Christian Education Sunday trilingual worship service. (Photo: 2001.)

From 1979 through 1994, the Presbyterian Church in Chinatown was home to Yook Yau Ji Ga Daycare founded by church member Jeanne Choy Tate. The daycare was the nation's first English-Cantonese bilingual/bicultural Christian daycare accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Here, Kim Robinson, one of the daycare's teachers, leads her class in a prayer of thanksgiving before lunch.

A boys' Sunday School class called the "Square Fellows" circa 1920s–1930s.

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