Faith and Well-Being
May 3–5 and May 12, 2023
This hybrid event is free and open to the public; registration is required. The event will be held virtually and in person on Fuller’s campus.
A total of two units of continuing education (CE) credit will be available for the Asian American Psychology Lecture on Friday, May 5. CE credits are offered at $20 for two units for Fuller alumni and $30 for two units for the general public. Please visit the registration page to purchase or register for credits. Questions regarding CE credits can be sent to psychce@fuller.edu.
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration 2023
Fuller’s Asian American Center invites you to its annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) celebration. This year, Fuller APAHM will highlight the South Asian American experience through the theme “Faith and Well-Being.” Join conversations about mission, diasporic movement, culture, racism, colonialism, and casteism led by scholars Sam George (Wheaton College) and Ulash Thakore-Dunlap (Wright Institute).
Chapel Speaker and Asian American Theology Lecturer
Sam George
Sam George was born in the Andaman Islands (India) to Christian parents with the heritage of St. Thomas Christians of Kerala, and had a life-changing personal encounter with Jesus at the age of 15. Dr. George speaks five languages, has lived in five different countries, and travels widely around the world.
His early education was in engineering and business, and he worked in the engineering consulting and software technology sector for a decade in Asia and the US. Later, he studied at two seminaries in the US and God used him to pioneer two family mission organizations. Subsequently, he completed a PhD in the UK and now serves as a global catalyst of the Lausanne Movement as well as the director of the Global Diaspora Institute in the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College.
Ulash Thakore-Dunlap
Ulash Thakore-Dunlap is a licensed marriage family therapist (LMFT) in California and will attain her doctorate in educational leadership (EdD) May 2023. She currently serves as full-time faculty at the Wright Institute in the MA in Counseling Psychology program and has a private practice in California. She recently co-edited and published Counseling and Psychotherapy for South Asian Americans: Identity, Psychology, and Clinical Implications (Routledge), the first book of its kind in the US and UK as it explores the counseling needs of South Asian Americans.
Asian American Psychology Lecture Panelists
Carissa Dwiwardani obtained her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Biola University’s Rosemead School of Psychology and completed her psychology undergraduate degree at Biola. Dr. Dwiwardani is passionate about training the next generation of mental health practitioners. Prior to coming to Biola as a faculty member, she taught for seven years at Regent University’s clinical psychology doctoral program, and for four years at Azusa Pacific University’s undergraduate and master’s programs.
Jessica ChenFeng joined Fuller’s faculty in 2022 as an associate professor of marriage and family therapy for the Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy (DMFT) program. She brings years of MFT teaching, research, and supervision experience, as well as clinical and consulting experience across ministry, community, and medical contexts. She is a regular presenter at local and national conferences and is often invited to speak about self-of-the-therapist development, decolonizing supervision, and Asian American issues.
Asian American Theology Lecture Panelists
Allen Yeh is a missiologist who specializes in Latin America and China. He also has other academic interests in history, classical music, homiletics, social justice, the California missions, the Maya, and biographical interest in Jonathan Edwards and Adoniram Judson. Dr. Yeh serves on the Board of Trustees for the Foundation for Theological Education in Southeast Asia and is a professor of intercultural studies at Biola. He earned his BA from Yale, his MDiv from Gordon-Conwell, his MTh from Edinburgh, and his DPhil from Oxford.
Kirsteen Kim is the Paul E. Pierson Chair in World Christianity and associate dean for the Center for Missiological Research at Fuller Seminary. Previously, she taught at Leeds Trinity University (2011–2017), Selly Oak Colleges (2001–2006), and the Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide (1998–2001). A leader of Christian Unions (InterVarsity Christian Fellowships) at school and university, Dr. Kim began her career as a theological educator in South Korea, where she taught English Bible study and cross-cultural skills. Between 1993 and 1997 she lectured in missiology at Union Biblical Seminary in Pune, India, as a missionary of the Presbyterian Church of Korea.
Jose Abraham is a professor of theology and mission at Fuller Seminary, specializing in Islamic Studies. Dr. Abraham served on the faculty at Concordia University in Montreal for nine years before coming to Fuller’s School of Intercultural Studies (now School of Mission and Theology) in 2020. He received his PhD from McGill University in Montreal, and has taught at the master’s and doctoral levels in both India and North America. He is the author of Islamic Reform and Colonial Discourse on Modernity in India: Socio-Political and Religious Thought of Vakkom Moulavi (Palgrave, 2014). He is an ordained pastor of the Indian Pentecostal Church and a contributing member of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.
Asian American Gospel + Culture
Kevin Spencer Wilson, known to his social media followers as “Cross Culture Christian” and “CEO of Chai,” was born in Sri Lanka and raised in various places including the Sultanate of Oman, Lebanon, Virginia, Maryland, and Michigan. Wilson is the social media lead at Andrews University in Michigan. Prior to this appointment, he served as a youth and young adult pastor at the Oceanside SDA Church.
Caroline Lancaster serves as InterVarsity’s associate director for multiethnic initiatives and is on South Asian InterVarsity’s national leadership team. She is a creative at heart and loves equipping students, faculty, and staff to pursue justice in their contexts. She is a certified Cultural Intelligence Trainer, and is currently pursuing an MDiv at Fuller Seminary.
Linson Daniel is associate pastor of Metro Church in Dallas, Texas. He previously served as the national coordinator for South Asian InterVarsity and is a doctoral student at Fuller Seminary. He is also appointed as the South Asian Advisor for Fuller’s Center for Asian American Theology and Ministry. He is the co-author of Learning Our Names: Asian American Christians on Identity, Relationships, and Vocation (InterVarsity Press).
Asian American Counselors and Therapists Luncheon
Hatty J. Lee (LMFT) is the founder of Oak and Stone Therapy, a collective of Asian American therapists in Los Angeles, and the author of The Indwell Guide, which integrates visual storytelling, mental health education, and practical tools to support people to heal and thrive. She received her MS in Marital and Family Therapy from the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology and has 15 years of professional experience in mental health.
Linda Yoon (LCSW) works with teens and adults of all ages, specializing in anxiety, trauma, and the highly sensitive person/empath. She has extensive experience in working with Asian American individuals and families, immigrants, and refugees. She received her Master of Social Work from University of Southern California, and she is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), mindfulness, and Internal Family System (IFS).
Vicky Kwan (LCSW) is a clinical social worker serving the City of Rosemead. She has 16 years of experience in clinical social work and community mental health and is passionate about enhancing the quality of life of her clients, as well as embodying the values of communication, safety, and trust in her practice.
SCHEDULE
Please note, all times are listed in Pacific Time.
Wednesday, May 3
10:00–11:00 am “Reimagining Mission for 21st-Century Global Christianity”
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) Celebration Chapel
with guest speaker Sam George, director of the Global Diaspora Institute in the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College
Location: Travis Auditorium/Online
11:00–11:50 am APAHM Coffee and Conversation
Join us for coffee (or chai) and Indian-inspired hors d’oeuvres as we celebrate APAHM 2023 and reflect on the chapel service.
Location: Travis Breezeway
12:00–1:30 pm “God on the Move: Theology of and for the People of God”
Asian American Theology Lecture with Sam George
In this lecture, missiologist Sam George (Wheaton College) speaks on God’s diasporic movement. Dr. George’s lecture will be followed by a panel where Dr. George will be joined by global Christianity scholars Kirsteen Kim (Fuller Seminary) and Allen Yeh (Biola University), as well as Jose Abraham (Fuller Seminary) as moderator.
Location: Travis Auditorium/Online
Thursday, May 4
1:00–2:30 pm “Re/imagining Faith as South Asian American Christians”
Asian American Gospel + Culture Session
Join a virtual “afternoon chai” with Kevin Wilson (CEO of Chai), Linson Daniel (Metro Church, Dallas), and Caroline Lancaster (InterVarsity) as they converse about reimagining faith as South Asian American Christians.
Location: Zoom/Facebook Live (Online only)
Friday, May 5
7:00–9:00 pm “Decolonizing Well-Being: Casteism, Racism, and Colonialism”
Asian American Psychology Lecture with Ulash Thakore-Dunlap
In this lecture, scholar Ulash Thakore-Dunlap (Wright Institute) speaks on decolonization in the spaces of casteism, racism, and colonialism. Dr. Thakore-Dunlap’s lecture will be followed by a panel where she will be joined by Carissa Dwiwardani (Biola University), as well as Jessica ChenFeng (Fuller Seminary) as moderator.
Location: Travis Auditorium/Online
Two Continuing Education credits are available for this session. Registration will open at 6:30 pm.
Please note: Continuing Education (CE) credits are offered at $20 for two units for Fuller alumni and $30 for two units for the general public. Please visit the registration page if you are looking to purchase or register for credits (located under “Add-Ons” on the ticket page). Questions regarding CE credits can be sent to psychce@fuller.edu.
Friday, May 12
11:30 am–1:00 pm “Envisioning Asian American Well-Being Together”
Asian American Counselors and Therapists Luncheon
As part of Fuller’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) celebration, the Asian American Center will host a luncheon for Asian American therapists and/or mental health practitioners based in Southern California. Marriage and Family Therapy professor Jessica ChenFeng will moderate a panel on “Envisioning Asian American Well-being Together.”
Location: Payton 101
FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY ADDRESS AND CAMPUS MAP
Travis Auditorium
Fuller Theological Seminary
180 N. Oakland Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101
CAMPUS MAP
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Directions and Parking
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Parking
Complimentary parking is available in the exterior lot (185 N. Madison Ave.) behind the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.
Limited street parking may also be available on Oakland Ave. Please be sure to read city parking signs carefully.
Additional paid parking is available at 473 E. Union St., Pasadena.