Bishop Shin will be with us on April 10 for Confirmation and Reception
Bishop Shin will be with us on April 10 for Confirmation and Reception. If you are interested in being received or confirmed, please contact Father Kunz or give the office a call. There will be classes in preparation for this on Sunday mornings from 9:15 till 9:45. The dates of the classes will be February 21, February 28, March 6 and March 13
An insightful interview given by Bishop Shin just before he took on the position of Suffragan Bishop for the Diocese of New York.
The Rev. Allen K. Shin Interview
Questions 1. What gives you joy?
The relationships I have with other people are often the significant source of joy for me. The relationship with my wife, Clara, gives me great joy. I truly believe that God has brought us together as a gift to each other to cherish and nurture each other and to enjoy each other’s company. My relationships with family and friends also give me much joy. I also find joy in the pastoral relationships with those I am called to serve, be they my parishioners or strangers outside the parish. When my ministry and presence make a small difference in people’s lives, it gives me joy and makes me thankful for the opportunity. Then, there are things for my personal enjoyment and enrichment such as classical music and opera, reading, writing, cooking, running and taking walks. The greatest joy, however, is life itself. Life, I believe, is a gift God has given me to enjoy and be happy in. So, whatever I do in life I try to make it fun and enjoyable. This, in turn, helps me bring creativity and meaning to the things I do. I find joy in being a faithful and creative steward of life in all its joys and sorrows, in its successes and failures, and in its peaceful and challenging moments. I have learned that God’s grace encompasses and redeems all of life. Discovering the surprising grace of God especially in the moments of crisis and challenge has given me the greatest joy in life. Tweet: Discovering the surprising grace of God especially in the moments of crisis and challenge has given me the greatest joy in life. #suffraganNY 2. Where do you see spiritual hunger and how do you address it? Spirituality is our innate capacity to connect with the sacred. Spiritual hunger, thus, is as natural as physical and emotional hunger, and I see it everywhere. The plethora of spiritual books in Barnes and Noble’s and the pages and pages of spiritual books and resources on Amazon.com signal the spiritual hunger of this age. I see spiritual hunger in the parishioners who come to the Christian Education class on Sunday morning or mid-week evening, in the youth group members who show up for Sunday evening activities, in the children who cannot wait for the Holy Communion class to begin, in the young adults who question the faith and the religious traditions they grew up with, in the church visitors who are shopping for a spiritual home, in the patient who is diagnosed with cancer and searching for an answer, the parent who is grieving the loss of her child and wrestling with faith, in the gay person who is seeking a safe space to search for his spiritual identity, and so on and on. All quests in life are the cries of spiritual hunger and are fundamentally quests for a deeper meaning of life. In the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus welcomes the woman into a safe space of his grace where she can question and seek and engages her in an honest and deeply personal conversation. Hospitable and honest conversation that welcomes each other into a space of Christ’s grace can satisfy our spiritual hunger. Tweet: Honest and hospitable conversation which welcomes each other into a space of Christ’s grace can satisfy our spiritual hunger. #suffraganNY 3. What does the Episcopal Church have to offer those who have negative experience of church? It pains me to hear of the painful experiences some people have of the church. In all honesty, the Episcopal Church has also done its share of causing people pain. Kathleen Norris rightly observed that “churches can be as inhospitable as any other institution.” Church ought to be a place of true Communion, which values and celebrates the dignity and the freedom of every human being and which witnesses to the reconciling grace of God at times of difference and conflict. Despite its shortcomings, the strength of the Anglican tradition is its 23 The Rev. Allen K. Shin Interview and Essay Question Responses (cont.) rootedness in the spirituality of Communion, the spirituality of democratic polity that values the grassroots movement of the Holy Spirit rather than a rigid, hierarchical polity. As a member of the global Anglican Communion, the Episcopal Church, I believe, has striven to live into the ethos of true Communion. The Episcopal Church offers a welcoming, generous and safe space for the seekers to question and search for the truth of God. In recent years, I have seen many people who have been estranged or hurt by other churches find their new spiritual home in the Episcopal Church because of its generous and welcoming spirit. Grounded in scripture, tradition and reason, the Episcopal Church offers a reasonable and balanced approach to faith and religion. Its rich liturgical tradition and spirituality also witness to the power of ritual and enrich people’s spiritual life. The Episcopal Church, I believe, has much to offer in witness to Christ’s grace and mercy. Tweet: Grounded in scripture, tradition and reason, the Episcopal Church offers a reasonable approach to faith and a welcoming and safe space for seekers. #suffraganNY 4. Let’s talk social media. What is your level of comfort with and knowledge of social media? When I was chaplain at Keble College, I experienced the change in the students’ communication habits. While it took days to get email replies from students, I would get instant communication from them through Facebook. I also learned that they prefer texting rather than calling, even they were sitting next to each other. In my current parish, the first thing I did when I arrived was to create a new website and a new Facebook page. We have also tried the Google ads and the Facebook ads to boost the visibility of our church. We diligently keep up with new posts on the website and the Facebook. Some Facebook posts have had over 300 reaches. A recent post about our new solar panels generated 295 reaches. I recently posted an Erma Bombeck quote, which received 215 hits. Although I don’t post Twitter messages regularly, I follow the Twitter posts of a number of people and organizations. Good and effective communication is the heart of good relationships and successful ministries. In different ages of the past, new technologies have revolutionized the way we communicate and socialize, be it the radio or the TV or the telephone. These technological advances have transformed the way churches do their mission and ministries. The latest internet communication and social media are the new communication tools that are revolutionizing our culture and society. Ministry today requires the skills to engage in the new social media for effective communication. Tweet: Good and effective communication is essential for successful ministry and requires skills in the latest internet communication and social media. #suffraganNY 5. Describe your experience with collaborative working relationships with a supervisor; one where you were supervised and also worked independently. Collaborative working relationships must be grounded in trust, integrity, transparency, respect and effective communication. I have been fortunate to have had supervisors with whom I could work collaboratively. At the Episcopal Church Center, my supervisor, the Rev. Winston Ching, and I collaborated and coordinated our skills and efforts to grow Asian ministries in various dioceses and to develop partnerships with the Anglican Churches in Asia. I was entrusted to develop and nurture Asian youth and young adult ministries at the national level and to work with various dioceses to strengthen and develop Korean ministries. At St. Mary the Virgin, Times Square, I served under two rectors, the Rev. Canon Edgar Wells and the Rev. Stephen Gerth. I had a wonderful collaborative working and collegial relationship with both. I was entrusted with developing and running the Christian formation program, overseeing the sacristans and the lectors and developing the new 20s & 30s ministry. At Keble College, Oxford, my supervisor was the head of the College, Professor Dame Averil Cameron. 24 The Rev. Allen K. Shin Interview and Essay Question Responses (cont.) Although it was a bit trickier than the parochial setting, I enjoyed a wonderful collaborative working relationship with her. While she was my supervisor in the wider college affairs, as a lay person she respected my position as the Chaplain in the matters of pastoral care and the chapel affairs. We also collaborated well in fundraising efforts for a new pipe organ. In my current parish, I practice collaborative leadership with my staff and the vestry. Tweet: Collaborative working relationships must be based on the key values of trust, integrity, transparency, respect and effective communication. #suffraganNY 6. How do your skills and talents add to those of Bishop Dietsche? First of all, I offer who I am as a Korean-American. Having immigrated to the US at the age of 14 with virtually no English, I have learned to work hard and develop a strong work ethic. The immigrant experience has also taught me to be open and easily adapt to new situations. As a bicultural person, I have developed innate bridge-building skills to reconcile the different cultural contexts and influences for my personal life and to be comfortable with the paradoxes of opposing cultural perspectives. So, community-building and communion are central to my vision of ministry and life. I bring ample experience in congregational development from the level of oversight. As Assistant Officer for Episcopal Asiamerica Ministry at the Episcopal Church Center, I worked on projects at the national and the international levels, providing consultations to various Asian congregations and to their respective dioceses, organizing national Asian youth and young adult conferences and ministering to them as their chaplain, and working with the Anglican Churches of Korea, Japan and Hong Kong. Having worked in England, I gained a great deal of insight and experience on the polity and the culture of the Church of England. I bring first-hand experience in young adult ministries in parishes, as a college chaplain and in national conferences. I even started a new campus ministry while I was in the Diocese of Chicago. I also offer theological knowledge of high integrity which I have gained from my academic research at University of Oxford, UK. Tweet: I offer who I am as a Korean-American, ministry experiences at local, national and international levels and theological knowledge of high integrity. #suffraganNY Essay Questions 1. Describe for us your personal spirituality and prayer life. What experiences have most profoundly contributed to your spiritual life? How would you describe your relationship with Jesus? My personal spirituality is grounded in the baptismal covenant, the sacramental life of the Church, and praying the Daily Office. Having served at several historic churches in the Anglo-Catholic liturgical tradition in New York, London and Oxford, I have a deep appreciation for the liturgical spirituality of the Anglican tradition. I am inspired by and deeply committed to the gift and the spirit of Communion, the true union that celebrates the freedom of diversity in the reconciling love of God. This, I believe, is the heart of the Anglican spirituality and of the Anglican Communion. Prayer is the most important thing that nourishes me in my spiritual life and sustains me in my ministry. I cannot imagine getting through a day without prayer. When I was a small child in South Korea, I grew up in a large household with my grandparents, aunts and uncles. My grandmother, who was a very devout Christian, used to gather the family for prayer and hymn singing every night. I still remember the sound of my family’s four-part hymn singing, accompanied by my grandfather on the harmonium and my grandmother’s prayers which seemed to endure forever. Although my aunts and uncles and I used to take part reluctantly at the time, I have come to realize that this childhood experience deeply formed me in the spirituality of daily prayer, common worship and the value of community. 25 The Rev. Allen K. Shin Interview and Essay Question Responses (cont.) The most profound life-changing experience occurred 22 years ago when my younger sister suddenly died from a car accident at the age of 20. It thrust me into total chaos and confusion and made me question everything from my life’s mission and values to my faith in God. At my sister’s funeral, there were 30 or so teenagers. My sister had worked at a rehab center for teens with drug addiction. One by one they told a story of how my sister had helped them change and get their lives back together. My mother later gave me my sister’s Bible which was the only thing miraculously salvaged from her totaled car. In my subsequent spiritual journey, guided by my parish priest and mentors, I gradually came to see the gift of new life my sister gave to those broken teenagers and the new life to which she was calling me. This experience and journey led me to renewed faith in God and a deeper personal relationship with Jesus. As I reflected upon my sister’s work and death, the baptismal call to seek and serve Christ in all persons took on a new personal meaning for me. The source of the pastoral ministry for me is the self-giving love of Jesus on the cross and the mutual love of the Trinity. Where love is deeply experienced and genuinely shared, life can change and new life can begin. Jesus’ love is life-changing and life-giving, because it is deeply personal and genuine. We are called to love the Lord our God. I believe that my calling, first of all, is to love Jesus Christ my Lord and my God. 2. By entering our process, you have indicated that you are open to the possibility that God might be calling you to this important and challenging ministry. Tell us how you have perceived God’s call and why you are open to that call. After reviewing the information in our information packet, which of your spiritual gifts and personal and professional experiences would equip you to meet the perceived needs of our Diocese? God’s nudging voice often comes in oddly unexpected ways. On the morning of May 6, I was leading a parishioner aspiring for ordination in discernment. At the end of our conversation, she asked me out of the blue whether I had ever thought I might be called to be a bishop someday. I laughed and said that it was a matter of calling and not something I thought much about. An hour later I saw the email from the Diocese of New York, announcing this search process. I laughed at the coincidence but something in me continued to nag and pull to pray and discern on this opportunity. Then, some friends encouraged me to put my name in for the position. Discernment is best done in prayerful communion with other people. So, I asked my wife and some trusted friends to pray and discern with me. With their prayerful help, I have decided to submit myself to the formal process of discernment for this awesome and challenging ministry. The most wonderful and exciting treasure of the Diocese of New York is its remarkable diversity. Unity presumes diversity, and true Communion, I believe, celebrates the freedom of every unique individual gift and reconciles the diversity of the gifts in the love of God. I would value many unique gifts of the Diocese on all levels and dimensions of its common life and celebrate its diversity with freedom and joyful gusto. In my interpersonal and pastoral skills, I value and honor people of all social, political and economic backgrounds, and of all ages, gender and sexual orientations. As a bicultural and bilingual Korean American, I thrive in diversity and have developed skills to adapt easily to new situations and changing environments and to be comfortable with life’s paradoxes. I am passionately committed to the young adult and the youth ministries. I have started the 20s & 30s ministries in the parishes I have served, including my current parish. As the chaplain at Keble College in Oxford, I mentored many students in their spiritual search and nurtured a number of them to ordained ministry. In my work at the Episcopal Church Center, I organized a number of national Asian youth and young adult conferences and ministered to them as their chaplain. I have experience in congregational development from the level of oversight. As the Chaplain of Keble College, I was responsible for working with 70 parishes under the College’s patronage, which consisted of visiting these parishes, strengthening their ties with the College with joint events and services, assisting them in their needs, and overseeing their search processes for new priests. At the Episcopal Church Center, I worked 26 The Rev. Allen K. Shin Interview and Essay Question Responses (cont.) closely with the Korean and other Asian Episcopal congregations around the country and guided some Korean congregations and their clergy in their conversion to the Episcopal Church from other denominations. I also provided consultations to various dioceses on the Korean and the Asian ministries. 3. The new Bishop Suffragan will take our church out into the world, beyond the doors of our churches. Which of your gifts and talents would equip you to do this work? At the same time, where do you experience the Holy Spirit at work outside the walls of the church? How will you work in these areas to encourage the formation of new Christian ministries and congregational development among young adults, young families, and older adults? Where and how have you already done this? The bishop is caught up in the mission of the Holy Spirit not only in the pastoral oversight and encouragement of the congregations but also in the Christian witness in the public discourse for justice and peace in the society and in the partnerships and networks of the Episcopal Church at large and of the global Anglican Communion. Having served in the Church of England and at the Episcopal Church Center, I have working knowledge and perspective of the national church and of the global Anglican Communion. With my theological training and intellectual discipline gained from the post-graduate level research, I strive to be an effective communicator of and a witness to the Christian faith with spiritual and theological integrity. I also bring skills in healthy pastoral leadership and experiences in congregational development. I see the Holy Spirit at work in many facets of life in the outside community, perhaps even more actively than within the church at times. In the local charities which care for the homeless, the AIDS victims and the undocumented immigrants, in the volunteers working for the post-Sandy relief efforts, in the youth members organizing fundraising events for cancer and diabetes research, and in the people caring for the shut-in elderly neighbors, the Holy Spirit is already at work and God’s mission is being carried out. It is no longer enough to create programs to attract people to the church. Churches need to engage and partner with the local charities for mission and to be the “missional resource” to people who are already engaged in mission in their lives. My current parish with other churches and synagogues has partnered with a local community service organization, Family Service League, in a project called, Huntington Interfaith Homeless Initiative this past winter. Our Latina curate and some lay people have gone out into the local Hispanic community, meeting people, leading prayer groups in people’s homes and nurturing a core group for the Hispanic ministry outside the church. Last year we held the first Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration and are launching the Spanish Eucharist to serve the growing Hispanic community in Huntington. These efforts have heightened the awareness of my current parish in the larger community of Huntington. I am also personally involved in the Huntington Interfaith Clergy Association, the Huntington Clergy Coalition and the Long Island Council of Churches and am a board member of the Protestant Campus Ministry at Hofstra University. At Keble College Chapel, I began the annual interfaith Holocaust Memorial service with the local Jewish congregation and an Interfaith Prayer for Peace with the Islamic Student Society of Oxford University. In partnership with some non-Chapel members, we also launched the Oxford chapter of Free Cakes for Kids, which provided birthday cakes for the children of the underprivileged families in Oxford. In conjunction with the College’s art club, I also organized an art exhibit in the chapel which drew many students who would not otherwise enter the chapel door. Through these outward ministries, more people in the College and in the greater Oxford community became aware of Keble College Chapel and the chapel community grew as a result. It is no longer enough, in my opinion, to be a welcoming church at the threshold of the building. The church needs to go out and engage with the larger community and open their doors in the mist of the mission field outside the four walls of the church. Faithfulness to God’s mission calls us to openness to vulnerability and risk-taking in what the Holy Spirit is already doing within us and in the midst of our community. It can bring about the spiritual conversion and renewal of the church. Faith assumes conversion, and mission is essentially a journey of faith and conversion toward God’s kingdom on earth.