Vibrant Past, Abundant Future
October 4, 2024
A Conversation with The Rev. Dr. Dong Hyeon Jeong
“As a seminary, we must help to bridge any gap between the academy and the church.” The Rev. Dr. Dong Hyeon Jeong—Assistant Professor of New Testament Interpretation and Director of the Center for Asian/Asian-American Ministry (CAAM)—is animated and joyful as he describes plans for the Garrett Seminary Homecoming on November 13. At this year’s gathering, CAAM will celebrate its 40th Anniversary, welcoming alumni to share exciting news about how the center is expanding its work and relationships with Asian churches. “All of our speakers are Asian women pastors, to discuss what it means to be of Asian descent and serve in local churches and other forms of vocational ministry,” Dr. Jeong says. “CAAM was created by the church and I want to rekindle those foundations, to connect academic study with practical ministry.”
Now in his fourth year leading CAAM, Dr. Jeong expresses deep gratitude for the abundance that Dr. Wonhee Anne Joh left as the center’s previous director. “Her incredible work on CAAM’s programming and commitment to hospitality helped so many students find a home at Garrett,” he says. “I seek to continue Dr. Joh’s legacy by inviting our alumni to reconnect with Garrett through the Homecoming and 40th founding anniversary event.” It’s a particularly exciting time for alums to connect with the Center, as the seminary experiences a dramatic increase in South and Southeast Asian students. “There are so many more students from India, Myanmar/Burma, and from other parts of the continent,” he notes. These new colleagues bring their own lived experiences, adding breadth to the programs CAAM is able to offer. “Last year, for example, we had a special event about what’s happening to churches in Myanmar under the military occupation,” Dr. Jeong reports. “We were humbled and honored to hear the stories and difficult experiences the people and the church of Burma are going through.”
While the addition of new perspectives nurtures change, other parts of CAAM’s mission remain constant. “The emphasis on hospitality is quite Asian,” Dr. Jeong asserts . “Many Asian cultures focus on communal wellbeing, and students who just came from those cultures hope to have a sense of continuity in what they’ve experienced when they arrive at Garrett.” Through frequent communication and shared meals, CAAM helps students feel a sense of belonging throughout their years at Garrett. “It’s so simple and yet so effective,” he says. “Regular emails remind them that they are part of this community, and food helps them know that Garrett is not just an intellectual or spiritual place—it’s also a physical, material space where you’re holistically cared for.”
One of CAAM’s hopes is that students will bring these same values into their ministries after graduation. “Before Jesus told people they were saved, he would feed and heal them first,” Dr. Jeong says. “If we’re going to live out a gospel of social holiness from the Wesleyan perspective, salvation is not just individual—it’s communal.” As students experience this holistic care, it prepares them to offer it to others. “If the Asian Center helps them feel welcome, they can go out and lead communities committed to the same,” he says.
Indeed, the fruits of this interplay between CAAM and Garrett’s Asian students are reflected in the number of graduates who return to help the center further its work. “We just had a worship service for alums of Korean descent and more than twenty of them came back,” Dr. Jeong reports with delight. “Some of them were even from Central Illinois and drove two hours just to be with us. It was a joy to hear their stories, to mutually engage and learn from one another.”
This same abundant spirit is poised to continue at November’s Homecoming celebrations. Garrett alumna The Rev. Dr. Hwa-Young Chong will preach, and The Rev. Dr. Amy Valdez Barker and The Rev. Ayla Samson—both alumna—will make presentations. Garrett professors The Rev. Dr. Mai-Anh Le Tran and The Rev. Dr. AHyun Lee will also provide teaching sessions, alongside an address by President Javier Viera. As he plans for the Center’s future, Dr. Jeong dreams that CAAM can model reciprocal relationships between new students and the generations who came before. “Seminary shouldn’t be something that ministers just finish and leave in the past,” he says. “It can be a place where people’s faith is renewed, where we learn fresh and different expressions of the Christ.” Click here to learn more about Garrett’s Homecoming and Register to Attend!