May Chin is the pastor of Grace Alive Fellowship (GAF), which she planted with a team of five women in the heart of NYC Chinatown. She also helped to found Women of Wonder! (WOW!) and is working part-time as the Director of Spiritual Discernment. Formerly, May served as the Director of the Herald Youth Center serving Chinese immigrant teens, as well as the former Director of English ministries at the Church of the Living Lord, where she established an inter-generational congregation, a children’s church, youth service, and a summer leadership training school for early teens. She is a licensed social worker and recently graduated with an MA in Ministry in the Global City at the City Seminary of New York. May is married, has a daughter studying costume design, and 2 fun loving cats.

What is a pivotal moment that clarified God’s call for you?

I don’t recall any one pivotal moment that clarified God’s calling. Serving God came naturally.

I accepted Christ alone in my bedroom and decided to go to church. I still remember that moment before I stepped into the church sanctuary for the very first time. I felt God stirring something in me. Then I blurted out to God, “For better or worse I’m staying!” I made a public commitment at my first summer conference in church. The verse that spoke to me over and over is 1 Corinthians 9:19 where Paul declares to have freedom, yet he chose to commit that freedom to serve others so that people may know Christ’s love.

What is one challenge in ministry that you did not expect?

There are numerous challenges in ministry, but the one that stood out the most was the pharisaical mindset in the church I was attending which led to much blindness and brokenness in that church. I believed I was part of a church family that was moving forward and making a difference, but then I realized that I was scooping water out of a sinking ship. Many left the church quietly with hidden wounds. Finally, I became one of them.

How has being an Asian American woman been beneficial to you in ministry? And what are some challenges?

Being an Asian woman and a newbie amongst an applauded white scholarly male-dominated pastoral community made me feel small, invisible and alone. I felt the same way among Asian pastoral community. Yet, I am grateful to have this perspective as an Asian American woman to learn from. I can easily get caught up in this culture if I came with all the qualifications. As God keeps showing up in my life, I will keep showing up in these circles. God is helping me break through the spirit of timidity, birthing a boldness of presence, and growing a platform for me to be heard. I was very encouraged to have met another Asian American female church planter from the West Coast. I’m sure there are and will be more to come. This is all part of the grand vision of God’s communion of people from every tongue, race, culture, gender, and language as described in Revelations 7:9.

What is one piece of encouragement you would pass on to other Asian American women aspiring to go into ministry?

Although you are treading new ground and may feel all alone or that no one understands you, take hold to the fact that you have a community that went ahead of you so that you can take this path. You are shaping a path for the community following behind you. Let God fill your pioneering imagination and create the future.