Bruce Reyes-Chow

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Bruce Reyes-Chow is a teaching elder (minister) of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

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Reyes-Chow received his BA in Asian American Studies, Sociology and Religion from San Francisco State University in 1990 and received his Masters of Divinity in 1995 from San Francisco Theological Seminary. [1] He was the pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in San Francisco from 1995 to 1999 and from 2000 to 2011 he served as the founding pastor of Mission Bay Community Church in the SOMA District San Francisco, California, described as a new kind of start-up. [2] In 2011 he was given an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Austin College and that same year was named the 2011 San Francisco Theological Seminary Distinguished Alumnus. [1]

He is currently a freelance writer, speaker, pastor and a Senior Consultant and Coach with Convergence, a non-profit, Atlanta-based church development organization. Since we was ordained to in the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1995 he has pastor served as churches all in California: in San Francisco, Daly City, Portola Valley, San Jose, Azusa, and Palo Alto. He formerly blogged for the religion, parenting, and technology sections of The Huffington Post (2011–2015), the progressive Christians section for Patheos (2011–2014) and the City Brights on SFGate (2009–2012), the online publication for the San Francisco Chronicle . [3]

Reyes-Chow was elected Moderator of the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. [2] [4] He was elected on June 21, 2008, from a field of four candidates, [5] receiving 48 percent of the vote on the first ballot and 55 percent of the vote on the second ballot. [6] He was at the youngest Moderator ever elected at 39 years old, and considered to be a representative of the liberal parts of the church, [7] while some on the conservative church questioned, "Has the General Assembly put the future of the Presbyterian Church (USA) at greater risk by electing Reyes-Chow as moderator for two years?" [8] He has been characterized as a radical centrist thinker in USA Today . [9]

He ended his time as Moderator on July 3, 2010, when his successor, Elder Cynthia Bolbach was elected at the 219th General Assembly. [10]

Reyes-Chow is a blogger and has a large social networking presence. [11] He believes blogging is a spiritual practice [12] and that technology is essential to a young church. [6] He has been interview many times on the nature of social media and liturgical seasons [13] as well as the use of racial imagery in worship. [14]

In 2018 Reyes-Chow, a vocal supporter of immigrant and refugee rights, [15] along with 30+ other faith leaders, was arrested at the US Mexico Border as part of an action by the American Friends Service Committee's protest against the militarization of the board and the treatment of refugees. [16]

In 2013 he was part of the controversial Council of "The New New Testament" that published a revised version of the New Testament that added writings previous deemed unworthy of inclusion [17] and in 2022 his book was the center of a controversy about only reading writers of color during lent.

In 2010 Reyes-Chow was named to the NUMMI Blue Ribbon Commission by CA State Treasurer, Bill Lockyer tasked with convincing the Toyota Motor Corporation not to close their manufacturing plant in Fremont, CA.

Works

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presbyterian Church (USA)</span> Mainline Protestant denomination in the United States

The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PCUSA, is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the country, known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and members of the LGBT community as elders and ministers. The Presbyterian Church (USA) was established with the 1983 merger of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, whose churches were located in the Southern and border states, with the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, whose congregations could be found in every state.

Presbyterianpolity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply. Groups of local churches are governed by a higher assembly of elders known as the presbytery or classis; presbyteries can be grouped into a synod, and presbyteries and synods nationwide often join together in a general assembly. Responsibility for conduct of church services is reserved to an ordained minister or pastor known as a teaching elder, or a minister of the word and sacrament.

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References

  1. 1 2 "Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow named SFTS Distinguished Alumni". San Francisco Theological Seminar. Archived from the original on 21 April 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  2. 1 2 Official Biography
  3. ↑ Reyes-Chow, Bruce (July 14, 2012). "City Brights: Final post". SFGate.
  4. ↑ "Austin College community prepares for commencement activities May 14–15". Austin College. May 13, 2011.
  5. ↑ King, Doug (March 3, 2008). "218th General Assembly 2008 Moderator Candidates". Presbyterian Voices for Justice.
  6. 1 2 Reyes-Chow elected moderator of 218th GA
  7. ↑ America Passes the Torch to the Joshua Generation -- What it means for the PC(U.S.A.) Archived November 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ Is risk-taker moderator a risk for denomination? Archived April 3, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ Krattenmaker, Tom (27 December 2012). "Welcome to the 'Radical Middle'". USA Today newspaper. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  10. ↑ Cynthia Bolbach elected Moderator on fourth ballot Archived July 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ New GA moderator holds post-election press conference
  12. ↑ New Presbyterian moderator elected
  13. ↑ "Pastor: Don't Give Up Social Media For Lent".
  14. ↑ Miller, Emily McFarlan (2022-12-08). "With Race in Mind, Christians Reconsider Language of Dark and Light at Advent". ChurchLeaders. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  15. ↑ Campbell, Debe (13 June 2019). "Tucson interfaith rally draws scores to support activist Warren". Arizona Jewish Post.
  16. ↑ Vandermillet, Cherie (12 December 2018). "Clergy Protesting US Immigration Policies Arrested at US-Mexico Border". Pulpit & Pen.
  17. ↑ Bell, Caleb K. (2013-03-28). "Scholars piece together a 'new' New Testament". Religion News Service. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
Religious titles
Preceded by
The Rev. Joan Gray
Moderator of the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
2008–2010		Succeeded by
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