OUR STORY
The Loss of Identity
As a leader in the church for 23 years, pastoring for 16 of those years primarily in Korean American and Chinese American majority contexts, little did I know that my identity as a Filipino American was getting lost as I assimilated to fit in and serve the majority context.
For those who live as a minority in a majority community context, our ethnic identity can slowly erode as we serve a different community or simply try to fit in. It took many years for me to realize that a part of my identity as a Filipino American was deeply repressed.
Expanding Theology
In the loss of ethnic identity, I came to also realize how much traditional western theology was a critical part of why I continued to assimilate to ethnic majority contexts for so many years. Western theological teaching and practice has been undeniably impacted by Empire during the era of exploration and colonization and continues to be felt today. This was not addressed well in seminary institutions nor the Church. Not until I exposed myself to non-western thought and theology (i.e., Native American and Filipino) did I realize how narrow my understanding and experience of God was limiting my theology. Hearing non-western perspectives helped broaden my limited perspective of God and helped me realize how much I needed to expand my theology.
Re-Indigenzing
I also came to see that it wasn't just an issue of limited theology but a need to reroot myself in my God-given identity. The historical impact of Empire and colonization on theology has suppressed ethnic identity for many, and also what I experienced in seminary and in the Church. As part of the Filipino diaspora that was not born or grew up in the Philippines but in the US, I did not have a solid grasp of the spirituality and ethics of my own people. Re-indigenzing is the process of not only recognizing but re-evaluating and re-incorporating aspects of indigenous spirituality and ethics into our being. Reconnecting to the province of my ancestors in Mindanao and caring for the needs of its people has brought a deeper sense of purpose and a growing love for others. Re-indigenizing is not just for me-- there are so many that need the space and resources to journey into their own God-given identity. And thus, the Re-Indigenized Collective was born.