Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Samson Tso has a vision to share with the larger church and a new platform through which to offer it. Tso was elected on June 30 to a two-year term as   moderator of the National Asian Presbyterian Council, at its biennial meeting held at Big Tent.    Founded nearly 40 years ago, NAPC serves more than 10 ethnicities of Asian heritage. Believing each group has something unique to contribute the council’s by-laws were created to ensure maximum representation of its constituents.

During his term as moderator, Tso intends to focus on bringing “new ideas, new visions, and new ways of doing things” to NAPC’s work, a direction that is affirmed by the Rev. Mei-hui Chen Lai, associate for Asian Congregational Support in the Racial Ethnic & Women’s Ministries/Presbyterian Women ministry area of the General Assembly Mission Council.  At the meeting, Chen Lai presented the council with five actions on which she hopes all of the PC(USA)’s Asian congregations will begin working in January 2012.  These are to:

• Read the Bible through Jesus’ eyes, standing with powerless people.
• Work to improve church membership, attendance and giving.
• Recruit Asian members and pastors to translate PC(USA) curricula “to encourage every Asian congregation to fully participate in the PC(USA).”
• Designate a liaison in each congregation to help build an Asian congregational network that bridges congregations and the General Assembly offices.
• Emphasize youth ministry and get youth to work together both locally and regionally.

For Tso it was significant to be chosen as moderator of NAPC at a national gathering like Big Tent. “Asian groups need to participate in events like this to let the larger church know who we are and what gifts we have to contribute to the church.”   Adds Chen Lai, “For a long time we came together just to do business, but with new leadership we are moving forward, with new vision and focus. ”

Tso was the 2011 moderatorial nominee from the Chinese caucus.  He is a member of First Chinese Presbyterian Church, New York, N.Y., where at the age of 21 he was elected as that congregation’s youngest elder. Currently a candidate under care of The Presbytery of New York City, Tso is a 2006 graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary. Following graduation, he served four years in a non-ordained capacity as an English Ministry pastor for a Taiwanese Presbyterian church.

In addition to the Chinese caucus, the other ethnic groups which comprise NAPC’s membership are the Cambodian, Filipino, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Taiwanese, Thai, and Vietnamese caucuses. NAPC’s steering committee also includes one member from the National Asian Presbyterian Women (NAPW) and will eventually include one member of the National Asian Presbyterian Young Adults (NAPYA) following that group’s reorganization.