PastoraLab
“Divided we are conquered, and united we flourish: Mutual Learning, Mutual Empowerment.”
HOW PASTORALAB WORKS
Identity • Belonging • Wholeness
PastoraLab addresses the particular challenges & obstacles Asian American women ministers face from a historically marginalized social location.
This program provides an ecumenical/intergenerational learning space for AA women faith leaders to reflect on their experiences through a field-based hermeneutic that embraces their personal and social identities.
Engage in mentorships with Asian American faith leaders.
Learn practices to build a healthy and holistic ministry.
Cultivate one’s Asian American Christian leadership identity.
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Equipping Asian American faith leaders to advance equity at the pulpit.
This two-year program, which began in 2021, completed its initial three-year grant cycle in 2023. In 2024, we entered a sustainability phase, slated for the next three years, partially funded by the Lilly Endowment. This phase includes a requirement to raise matching funds over the next three years. With fundraising efforts now in full swing, we aim to sustain this popular program for the long term.
6 cohorts: LA, OC; 2x in the Bay Area; NE/SE, and NY/NJ.
Check out our When Women Preach Podcast: We feature AAPI and Latina faith leaders on our podcast. We are currently in Season 4!
PastoraLab Highlight Video
Program Outlines
Year 1
Session 1: Listen to participants’ leadership journeys as women, Asian Americans, and church leaders.
Session 2: Identify the stages of leadership from Level 1 to Level 5 and introduce the principles of distributive Yinist leadership.
Session 3: Share preaching preparation and style.
Session 4: Share cultural and biblical hermeneutical tools for Asian American settings.
Session 5: Share the best examples of hermeneutical preaching.
Session 6: Share feminist, womanist, mujerista, and Yinist hermeneutics and their ministry applications to ministry.
Session 7: Share unexamined theological, biblical, and cultural assumptions and collectively examine habits of pastoral leadership and ecclesial structures.
Session 8: Develop a prophetic voice for the pulpit and public witness.
Year 2
Session 9: Share exemplars of thriving female pastoral leadership.
Session 10: Examine ecclesial culture and leadership structure.
Session 11: Learn how to interpret and navigate power dynamics.
Session 12: Learn and strengthen conflict mediation skills.
Session 13: Practice financial and environmental stewardship.
Session 14: Share obstacles and vehicles of advancing personal and organizational leadership practices.
Session 15: Share testimonials of liberating Christianity from patriarchy and colonization.
Session 16: Share fears and hopes of one’s ministry going forward.
Participant Qualifications
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A Christ-follower who has a lived-out faith and a maturing growing relationship with God.
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A humble learner.
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A leader whom others will follow and has influence, not just having titles or positions of leadership.
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A leader with experience serving others and leading projects or teams in an Asian American community setting.
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A leader who values the Imago Dei in each person and respects all people navigates loving others cross-culturally and intergenerationally and works collaboratively with men and women.
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A leader who is committed to a local Asian American church or organization.
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A leader who is committed to growing in their character and leadership.
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A leader who can use technology well.
Program Requirements
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Mandatory attendance at 8 sessions (for a total of three hours per month) for 2 years.
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One hour of individual preparation before each session for 2 years.
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One hour of Professional seminar per year.
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One annual retreat hosted by ISAAC: A 2-3 day gathering with all cohorts, past and current (The gathering may be either in person or virtual. For more information, see the most recent retreat)
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Commitment to constructing field-based Asian American hermeneutics.
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Program fee: $400 for 2 years (non-refundable)
Our Team
Young Lee Hertig
Project Director
Co-founder / Executive Director of ISAAC. Taught courses on Spirituality, Sustainability, and Diversity at Azusa Pacific University, United Theological Seminary, and Fuller Theological Seminary since 1992 to present. She holds three MA’s in Counseling Psychology, Theology, Anthropology, and PhD in Intercultural Studies.
Diana Shing
Project Manager
Mary Anne de la Torre
NY/NJ Cohort Facilitator
Diana supports ISAAC through donor management, event planning, and any other ways to build ISAAC’s mission. She was as a Pastoralab participant in the LA Cohort where she found the space of belonging and empowerment truly meaningful. Diana graduated from Fuller Seminary with a Master of Divinity in 2011, and since then has served in various ministry settings including Pepperdine University, Azusa Pacific University, Lake Avenue Church and recently was the Minister of Family Life at First Evangelical Church of Glendale.
Senior Associate/NextGen Pastor at North Jersey Vineyard overseeing the Children’s and Youth Ministries and also supervises some staff members as well as serving on the Executive Leadership Team. Mary Anne also joyfully serves with the AAPI and Women’s Associations.
Mia Chang
NY/NJ Cohort Facilitator
Lead Pastor, founded NextGen Church in 2008. Ordained as a pastor by the American Baptist Churches of New Jersey upon completing her studies at Alliance Theological Seminary in New York. She obtained her doctorate in ministry studies at Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University in PA.
Cris Coniconde
NorCal Cohort Facilitator
A family pastor at Highway Church community. She is currently in the Masters of Theology & Ministry program with an Asian American ministry concentration at Fuller Theological seminary.
Eva Peters
LA Cohort Facilitator
Retired from her position as the Registrar at Pitzer College, Claremont, CA. She has an MBA from Azusa Pacific University. Prior to working at Pitzer, Eva was the director of International Services at Fuller Theological Seminary.
Jane Hong-Guzman de Leon
OC Cohort Facilitator
Holds an MDiv from Fuller Seminary. Licensed pastor with over a decade of ministry experience pastoring youth and adults. She is passionate about seeing diversity, justice, healing, and transformation in and out of the church.
Jeya So
OC Cohort Facilitator
One of the co-founding and co-lead pastors of Anchor City Church, and works in various capacities with new church leaders in several denominations and organizations, including the PC(USA)’s 1001 New Worshipping Communities and Cyclical Inc.
Eunice Song
NorCal Cohort Facilitator
Licensed clinical psychologist with over 15 years of counseling and clinical experience in the mental health and counseling field. Worked with pastoral leadership and seminarians as a spiritual director and currently provides culturally affirmative therapy.
Tina Teng-Henson
Norcal Cohort Facilitator
Served with InterVarsity at Harvard College, and in pastoral ministry at several Bay Area churches. Training to be a spiritual director while otherwise responding to the missional opportunities God brings about in daily life as a community chaplain, connector, writer and free agent in his kingdom.
