VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 12/13/12)—The Alliance of Asian American Baptist Churches, the Asian caucus’s steering committee, voted to endorse Emerson and Ivy Wu for global service as development workers, announced American Baptist International Ministries (IM).
The Wus are currently endorsed candidates with IM. They are in the process of establishing their Partnership Team.
According to Caucus President Marie Onwubuariri in a recent news release, “the action of the steering committee, at the most basic level, is an affirmation of the Wu’s call to ministry, and specifically of their call to Macau. It also means that the steering committee will present the Wus for endorsement by the total body at the 2013 Convocation of the Alliance of Asian American Baptist Churches. If affirmed at that gathering, the Wus would thereby become the first global servants endorsed by the new Alliance. Beyond that, endorsement would also mean that the Alliance would encourage its constituent churches and individuals to consider supporting the Wus in all ways possible and become an integral part of their Network.”
The Wus will strive to bring a new spirit to Macau as development workers. For a long time, Macau was known for its gambling casinos. Drug, alcohol and gambling addictions, crime and prostitution were rampant in this small congested region in which less than 1% of the population is Christian. However, under the new government, many changes are taking place. Better education and social service are two major areas that are creating opportunities for the younger generation. The Wus will work primarily in the area of youth leadership development.
Ivy and Emerson’s home church is Karl Road Baptist in Columbus OH, where Ivy was ordained into Christian Ministry on November 4, 2012. The Wus have two grown children, Jack and Jessica, who will remain in the U.S. Both Ivy and Emerson are U.S. citizens and first-generation Taiwanese immigrants. They are trilingual in English, Mandarin, and Taiwanese, and will also learn Cantonese for their ministry in Macau.
When asked why they believe they have been called by God to this ministry, Ivy responded, “The Lord uses the hunger in my heart for His Word to feed others wherever there is spiritual hunger.” Emerson added, “He keeps opening doors for us to serve the Chinese community. God’s direction guides us to see His leading in being a part of His great commission. That is why we firmly step up to IM’s mission.”
American Baptist International Ministries was organized in 1814 as the first Baptist international mission agency in America. It began its pioneer mission work in Burma and today works in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas serving more than 1,800 long-term and short-term missionaries. Its central mission is to help people come to faith in Jesus, grow in their relationship with God, and change their worlds through the power of the Spirit. It works with respected partners in over 70 countries in ministries that meet human need.
American Baptist Churches is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with over 5,200 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.