2000
Meredith Woods Potter
Finding and Forming Asian Leaders for the Episcopal Church
The rapid and continuing increase in Asian immigration onto the mainland of the United States presents new and increasing opportunities for evangelism. The study documents the population increase and the history of Asian congregations in the Episcopal Church. A research instrument is developed that provides statistics concerning the number, training, and ministries of Asian priests serving in the Episcopal Church. This study hypothesizes that western views of leadership as well as diocesan procedures for the discernment of a “call to ordained ministry” mitigate against the recruitment and selection of Asian leadership to serve the Church, thus making it difficult to evangelize and serve this mission field. The study then examines the canonical and traditional components of typical seminary education as well as the format and characteristics of a number of diocesan and non-traditional schools of formation. The thesis concludes with a program of formation designed to overcome the identified obstacles and thus prepare and empower Asian leadership for the Church.