Maria Liu Wong is the dean of City Seminary of New York, as well as a doctoral candidate of Teachers College at Columbia University. Her focus of study is Asian American, West Indian, African, and Asian women leaders in theological education. Maria is a mom of two kids with one on the way, and married to a great husband who supports her in all her endeavors.

What are your ministry passions?

My passion is for bridge-building and bringing resources to the under-resourced. I started out working in the Bronx with Teach for America, working in an inner city setting. Later, I worked in Ethiopia, and I am now part of a non-profit, humanitarian organization. Social justice issues are very critical for me, and working in the city brings all those things together. In particular, the people we’re training in the our seminary are grassroots, on-the-ground people working in their communities, and our vision is to seek the peace of the city, building our neighborhoods and our communities, whether through educators in the schools, pastors, etc., and in whatever location.

Also, family is really important to me, especially in integrating these ideals and visions of social justice. In light of all that is going on around us in the world, we ask ourselves questions like, What does that mean for our family? How do we spend our money? How do we spend our time? What do we do with gifts? We try to think prayerfully about how to relate to the rest of the world while living In North America.

What are specific challenges for you in your vocation as an Asian American woman?

I was in Philadelphia recently at a symposium on theological education in the city and looking around the table, I was the only Asian American woman. There were quite a few men, and of the women, they were all Caucasian. This seems to be the pattern at this level of higher education in North America. But despite our scarcity, I do believe that our voices are equally as valid and important to contribute to the larger picture of Christianity in the world, both in ministry training and theology.

The other challenge is common for many women working and raising a family – juggling family, marriage, work, and/or school can take a lot out of a person. I have a unique situation where my schedule is rather flexible — I can be the one to pick up my child from the bus, and I’ll work afterwards in the evenings, because our students come in the evenings. But the challenge lies in finding space for myself and space for reflection and time with God, amidst all that needs to be done.

What is a word of advice that you would offer to other evangelical Asian American women?

Know yourself. Know your limitations. I know that the stereotype of Asian American women is competitive and work/achievement-oriented. Having grown up in ministry, I know how easy it is to place the emphasis on work ethic, workaholism, and on a “do, do, do” mentality, not making space for really resting and prioritizing family. The truth is, ministry is what you make of it. God can do it without you. He does choose to use you and gives you a specific calling, but you have to have space for yourself so you can give. Also, you have to build a community around you because that’s the community that nourishes you so you can do everything else.

Finally, don’t try to do everything in the world. There’s a season for everything. Making time and balancing it, as well as carving out space is really critical to flourishing in the long haul.

Interviewed by Joy Wong