Church caters to generations of immigrants

This Chinese church in Illinois is making an effort to be multilingual. A nice change, in the past, churches tried to kill the other languages. DP

Services held in English, Cantonese and Mandarin
By Russell Working | Tribune reporter

In the sanctuary, the Cantonese service has cleared out and the pastor has begun preaching a lively sermon in Mandarin to a new group of worshipers. Upstairs, another congregation fills a hall to sing hymns in English, accompanied by drums and guitars.

And in the Sunday school classes, the languages mix as volunteers switch between English and Chinese.

One hundred years after it began as a mission to Chicago laundry workers, the Chinese Bible Church of Oak Park has found a way to thrive as three congregations in one: English-, Cantonese- and Mandarin-speaking.

The church, which will celebrate its centennial Sunday, includes many Chinese-Americans who feel more comfortable with English than their parents' and grandparents' language. But it has been renewed by generations of Chinese speakers as it reaches out to immigrants and students from the mainland and Taiwan.

The church relocated from downtown Chicago to Oak Park in the 1950s as the congregation's center of gravity spread to the suburbs. Only 20 percent of the congregants live in Oak Park; the rest are scattered across the Chicago area, said Rev. Yoman Man, the senior pastor.

Although immigrant churches often switch to English as American-born generations replace those from abroad, the Chinese Bible Church has maintained a multilingual identity.

In the beginning, the church was composed largely of working-class immigrant men.

"They came as laborers, and there was a restriction for their family to be united [in the U.S.]," Man said. "So the church acted as a kind of connection for them to their homeland."

Several of the early converts returned to China as missionaries, he said.

The parishioners now are mostly ethnic Chinese. But the English-speaking congregation draws some non-Chinese, particularly couples who have adopted children from China, he said.

Barry Lee, an elder who grew up in the church, is the son of Cantonese-speaking immigrants—his father came to this country when he was 16.

"We understand that the first generation will have a second generation, just like myself, and those people will need to be ministered to in English," Lee said.

The congregation is held together by a shared faith, family and culture, said associate pastor Raj Christodoss.

"Many people feel like they've lost a part of their culture as they go through their Monday through Saturday routine, but Sunday brings them back to the things that are important," he said.