2025 Ministers Collective

CHCC 2025

On May 6-8, 2025, we invite you to join us at the Chinese Heritage Church Ministers Collective in Dallas, TX. This is a gathering for those called to serve and engage the Chinese heritage church, particularly in the English speaking ministries. This gathering is a collection of those serving and we pray that participants would be encouraged not so much by content, but more so by connection with others serving in Chinese heritage churches.

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Location

Dallas Chinese Bible Church
1707 Campbell Trl.
Richardson, TX 75082

Lodging

Element Dallas Richardson
2205 N. Glenville Dr.
Richardson, TX 75082
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Schedule

Tuesday, May 6

Wednesday, May 7

Thursday, May 8

Presentations

Five Plenary Session Topics along Partnership with the Chinese Heritage Church

We call our gathering a Ministers Collective because it's more a collection of ministers than it is a conference. And this is reflected in how we designed our five main plenary sessions.

Many conferences offer outstanding content and speakers. Yet in the Ministers Collective, we hope you leave not only with good content, but good connections with others who are ministering in Chinese heritage churches.

That's why in a 90 minute plenary session, participants will have the opportunity to discuss at table groups the various themes of this year's gathering.

Think of the two 10 minute presentations at the start of each plenary session as a sort of "setting the table" for your own table group to discuss. You won't be assigned tables, as we trust you can find your own seats. And we hope that after you hear our presenters share briefly, it will open opportunities for you to share and pray at your tables with one another.

Our theme for this year's Ministers Collective is "Partnership with the Chinese Heritage Church."

Opening Session

Pastor Enoch Liao
Pastor Enoch Liao

Pastor Enoch currently serves at Boston Chinese Evangelical Church (BCEC) in both their inner city and suburban campuses. He is married to Karen, and they have 3 sons at home and 1 daughter who has passed on. They have a dog named Colby. Enoch received his education from UCLA and Talbot School of Theology in California, where both he and Karen grew up. He is the author of In Reverence and Awe, a practical worship leading resource. Enoch also serves on the Executive Team of the Chinese Heritage Church Collaborative, the organizing group of this event.

Surprising Partnership with the Chinese Heritage Church

Andrew Bywaters and Raj Christodoss

One of the reasons we find the term "Chinese heritage church" helpful is that it seems odd to call our churches "Chinese churches" especially when we have folks that do not identify ethnically or culturally as Chinese. This is all the more relevant when the non-Chinese persons in the Chinese heritage church are those pastoring them!

In this session, we hear from two pastors whom God has called into years of ministry in Chinese heritage churches. We believe that many who are now serving and will serve in the Chinese heritage church may come from outside the Chinese people. We thank the Lord for raising up workers for the harvest, and who faithfully follow God's leading to a surprising partnership with the Chinese heritage church.

Pastor Andrew Bywaters
Pastor Andrew Bywaters

Andrew Bywaters has been on staff at West Houston Christian Church since 2011, serving as the English Pastor until September 2024, when he became the Pastor of Christian Formation. He currently oversees the children, youth, and college ministries as well as provides theological support to our Adult Education ministries. He served as a missionary in Taiwan for six years, and has served the Chinese Heritage Church in the US since 2003. He has an M. Div from Fuller Seminary and a Th.M from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is currently a Ph.D. candidate in New Testament Studies. He and his wife Angela have one daughter, AnaLiza.

Pastor Raj Christodoss
Pastor Raj Christodoss

Pastor Raj Christodoss has served at Cornerstone Chinese Church since 2003. Previously, Pastor Raj ministered at Fairlawn Community Church of New Jersey from 1997-2002. He has also served as a Youth and Young Adult Minister. Pastor Raj received a Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Business from Trinity College. Currently, he is working on his Doctor of Ministry Program at TEDS with an emphasis on the "Thriving Immigrant Congregation Initiative".

Partnering Across Life Stages in the Chinese Heritage Church

Faith Chang and Jon Mann

Singleness in the Chinese heritage church. Spouses of the ministers in the Chinese heritage church. These are just two of many life stages in which we may find ourselves while we seek to love and serve the Chinese heritage church. Perhaps all churches struggle with this, but perhaps there are unique challenges for Chinese heritage churches.

In this session, we hear from a pastor who is single and we also hear from the spouse of a minister. Perhaps their sharing will encourage us to reflect and discuss about how our churches can continue to become churches where people from various life stages can come, grow, worship, and serve.

Faith Chang
Faith Chang

Faith Chang is a pastor's wife and mother of four serving at Grace Christian Church of Staten Island. She is also part of the team at the Westminster Theological Seminary Bookstore and the board of SOLA Network. She is the author of Peace Over Perfection: Enjoying a Good God When You Feel You're Never Good Enough.

Pastor Jon Mann
Pastor Jon Mann

Jon Mann currently serves as the college & young adult pastor at San Jose Christian Alliance Church. He has been serving next generation ministries in the Christian & Missionary Alliance denomination since 2007 and is a co-host of the Bamboo Pastors Podcast. His passion is to see faith passed on from one generation to the next, particularly in the Chinese heritage church.

Parachurch and Chinese Heritage Church Partnerships

Jonathan Lê and Katie Luc

When churches and parachurch ministries partner together, it can be an amazing work of God! Yet there can also be challenges, especially in ethnic heritage churches such as Chinese heritage churches. What is it like for parachurch workers to relate to Chinese heritage churches? How can we further the partnership between us?

In this session, we hear from parachurch workers who are engaging with Chinese heritage churches. May this session spur us on to greater partnerships!

Jonathan Lê
Jonathan Lê

Jonathan Lê is the Director of International Missions Strategies at Epic Movement, leveraging 16 years of experience in mobilizing staff and church partners for impactful missions worldwide. Based in Austin, TX, Jonathan and his wife, Linda, are dedicated to preaching the gospel and equipping others to effectively reach college students across the globe. He actively engages as a guest speaker and Sunday school teacher in his local church, advocating for collaborative efforts across denominations and ethnicities to fulfill the Great Commission. Jonathan believes passionately that every individual deserves the opportunity to embrace Jesus Christ.

Katie Luc
Katie Luc

Katie Luc currently serves as both the New England Regional Coordinator for Asian American Ministries and Greater Boston Associate Area Director. Katie accepted Jesus during her freshman year through God’s work in her on campus IV fellowship. It’s an honor and privilege to walk with college-aged students and Katie longs to see all Asian American communities on campuses in New England honored and reached with the Gospel.

Partnering with OBC in the Chinese Heritage Church

Ben Pun and Jalon Chan

If you ask many English-speaking ministers, one of the greatest challenges has been learning how to partner well with our brothers and sisters who are in the Chinese-speaking ministries. Many of us call these our Overseas Born Chinese (OBC) brothers and sisters.

In this session, we will hear and consider how God both challenges and blesses our churches through leaning into deeper partnerships with Overseas brethren. We affirm we need one another. What are some different ways we can manifest and live out this mutuality? How can we continue to move forward together in partnership for the gospel?

Pastor Ben Pun
Pastor Ben Pun

Ben Pun is the Lead Pastor of Anchor Community Church in Diamond Bar, CA. He planted Anchor out of a Chinese Heritage Church 7 years ago where he was the English Pastor for 6 years. Anchor continues a partnership with this church today. He grew up in Chicago, but also has lived and pastored in Houston, Boston (where he went to Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary), and North Carolina. In his spare time, Ben enjoys spending time with wife and three kids, and cheering for his hometown Chicago teams, especially the Bears.

Pastor Jalon Chan
Pastor Jalon Chan

Jalon Chan has been serving as the English Pastor of Chinese Christian Fellowship Church, in Wilmette, IL since 2015. He loves preaching God's Word and developing wholehearted disciples of Jesus. He has a particular passion for immigrant churches and the Chinese Heritage Church and co-hosts The Bamboo Pastors Podcast.

Jalon grew up in the Chinese Heritage Church (Chinese Christian Union Church) and served for nearly 10 years in a multi-ethnic church on the near south side of Chicago. He is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute.

Jalon is blessed to be married to Jenny, and together they have four boys (Jaxon, Jadon, Jaron, Jayon) and a girl (Jenevieve).

Struggles to Be Faithful in the Chinese Heritage Church

Tim Lo and Steven Chin

To minister or pastor a church is a high and challenging calling. Sometimes it's easy to blame the "Chinese-ness" of Chinese heritage churches for problems. But in reality, all churches struggle. And yet, there are perhaps some unique struggles to faithfully minister in a Chinese heritage church in the midst of a majority white context.

In this session, two pastors set the stage for our table discussions by sharing from their experiences on the journey of seeking to be faithful in serving the Chinese heritage church.

Pastor Tim Lo
Pastor Tim Lo

Tim loves how adolescents are full of volatility and potential. He's been a youth pastor in Chinese heritage churches (Boston, New Jersey, and southern California) since 2002. He spends a lot of his time in the teenage world, but also cares deeply about listening to parents, networking and equipping other adults that work with youth, and building bridges into the non-church and non-Asian community. The lifelong theme of Tim's life is "not living up to his potential", but he's often reminded that he should only seek approval from the Lord (1 Corinthians 4:3-4).

Pastor Steven Chin
Pastor Steven Chin

Steven Chin is Pastor Emeritus of the Boston Chinese Evangelical Church where he had served in various roles for over 40 years, including as Senior Pastor. He is also a Founding Council Emeritus of The Gospel Coalition. Steven and his wife, Nancy, have two grown children.

Closing Session

Pastor Jason Tarn
Pastor Jason Tarn

Jason Tarn is the Lead English Pastor of Houston Chinese Church, a non-denominational Chinese heritage church in Houston, TX. He received his bachelors from UT Austin and completed an M.Div. at Regent College. Jason grew up at Houston Chinese Church as a teenager and has been pastoring there since 2011. His passion is to bring healthy reform to the immigrant church that is rooted in sound doctrine and a missional vision. He is married to Theresa and has two daughters, Talia and Maisie.