Liberation through Language

By Tabitha Jou Yi

D

uring my undergrad years, I attended a prominently Korean American college campus church where the role of women in ministerial positions was based on patriarchal or complementarian norms. Even though there were the strong, independent, powerful female small group leaders and coaches in the church, only men would be invited to pray and preach in front of the congregation. The only time a woman would be on stage was when she would sing a traditionally female-led song, give baptism testimonies, or give speeches to the congregation (as many did when they left the college campus). Ministers from this church would often preach that women should be homemakers and that a married woman must always submit to her husband’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. This environment was toxic, to say the least, but it was not an isolated incident.

After marriage, I attended a large evangelical church in Chicagoland and experienced elements of tokenism, or performative racial equality and inclusivity. I recall a particular Easter Sunday when we were gathering at a large arena, and I was unexpectedly added to the roster to sing about two weeks before the event. I found this strange because this church usually started planning Easter services a year in advance. Despite the fact that they assured me that it was solely my “talent” that got me on that large of a stage, I was aware that they needed an East Asian on stage alongside the other BIPOC “representatives.” In retrospect, I wish they were willing to acknowledge the reason why (or at least one other reason why) they asked me to serve that Easter.

I have found some practical solutions for avoiding these invalidating situations in our churches through my studies at Trinity International University. Toward the end of my time at Trinity, I took a mission and evangelism class titled Anthropology for Ministry. This class offered critical lenses and theories to allow the diversity of audiences to impact how leaders could minister to congregations. During the week on feminist anthropology, I recall my anthropology professor Dr. Robert Priest humbly admitting all the unlearning he had to do when he attended a feminist anthropology course during his graduate studies. Dr. Priest argues that the most important thing non-females can do in a ministry setting is to empower and acknowledge the talents they see in their congregation, and this can be done through language. Ministry leaders have many decisions and choices to make, and the willingness to use inclusive language that celebrates women and empowers all people is a simple change a leader can make to better meet the needs of their congregation.

By using nontraditional household roles in illustrations, elevating the perspectives of female scholars and people of color, and taking an inventory of personal biases, ministry leaders can use their platforms to elevate and empower their congregation toward equitable and impartial Kingdom-building.

Another illustration of the power of inclusive language comes from Chung Hyun Kyung’s article Doing Theology from Korean Women’s Perspective written in 1988. Chung’s concept of Christian Han-pu-ri, or literally, the “release of Han,” is a powerful form of liberation. Chung asserts that “good theology” is one that “liberates us from bondage,” and one way that we can be liberated from the bondage of trauma of past experiences and the suffering of “Han” is by “speaking and hearing.” Pastors and missionaries who hope to practically minister to those different from them in their congregation must be willing to silence their own opinions to make space for the quieter voices, for those who have been marginalized and subordinated by misogynistic systems and inequitable institutions for generations.

Leaders must learn to simply listen—without the need to give advice or immediately fix a certain problem. As Romans 12:15 and I Corinthians 12:26 instruct, there must be a willingness to “weep with those who weep;” and if “one part suffers, every part suffers with it.” This first step will be one that leads to empowerment and lasting, Gospel-driven change. As Jesus called and acknowledged the marginalized and most hated of society by name, we, as His disciples, must also do the same.

photo credit: Jon Tyson

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Tabitha Jou Yi is a second-generation Korean-American high school English teacher and worship leader from Chicagoland. After completing a Bachelor's in English from the University of Illinois (UIUC) and an MA in Theological Studies from TEDS, she is currently pursuing an MA in Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse at DePaul University to develop and empower citizen-workers at her public high school. After school, you can find her reading, writing, and spending quality time outdoors with her husband and pup Cashew. Connect with her on Instagram @tabithayii and on Medium @tabithagrace.