How Am I Going to Grow Up? : An Exploration of Congregational Transition among Second-Generation Chinese Canadian Evangelicals and Servant-Leadership

Abstract

Second-generation Chinese Canadian evangelicals inhabit a complex liminal space, positioned between the world of their parents and broader Canadian society. In this study, Dr. Enoch Wong explores the "silent exodus" of these Canadian-born Chinese from their parents' churches, tracing their journeys to negotiate their cultural, ethnic and faith identities for themselves. Utilizing both sociology of religion and leadership studies, Wong's research engages Robert Greenleaf's concept of foresight in servant leadership to examine the role of church leaders in mediating (or failing to mediate) these transitions for children raised in immigrant churches. This multi-case inquiry offers insight into the concerns of Canadian-born Chinese evangelicals and the cultural and generational conflicts that prompt them to search for new communities capable of understanding their identities and supporting their yearnings - whether inside or outside of the church.