From: kerryg@stat.rice.edu (Kerry Go)
Subject: Re: AA ministers and churches
Organization: Dept. of Statistics, Rice University
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1992 23:22:30 GMT

In article <12172@tamsun.tamu.edu> achin@math.tamu.edu (Andrew Chin) writes:
>Another new thread from my unravelling mind:
>
>1.  Have you ever attended a church service led by an AA minister?
Yes
>       Are you a member of a church with an AA minister?
No--I was ten years ago, but I imagine there is some way to discontinue
the membership of those who don't regularly attend.  On the other hand,
perhaps I still am and don't know it.
>       Are you a member of a church with a non-AA minister?
Yes

>2.  Do you know of any AA ministers who lead mainstream/non-AA churches?
No

>3.  How would you characterize the AA minister?
The AA minister of an *AA* church or a *non-AA* church.  Since you answered
"no" to #2, and still answered #3, I assume the former.
>       Which generation is s/he?
Most are 1st, i.e., overseas born, one is 2nd, I think.  (My sample is only
seven here.)
>       Is s/he an effective leader of the congregation?
Medium.
>       the local AA community?  
Perhaps their *portion* of the AA community.  It is too much to hope for
someone to lead all of the AA factions.
>       the general community?
Certainly not.
>       Is s/he an effective witness of the Gospel?
I thought so in high school.  I would say three of my current sample are.
>       Is s/he respected among the leaders of mainstream churches?
No idea--I've never asked.
>       Given the pragmatic materialism of most AAs, is the minister
>          respected as a role model for the congregation?
No idea.  I would not consider them (except one) a role model.
>
>4.  Are services conducted in both English and an Asian language?
Yes.
>       How does the content of the services compare?
Probably alike, but I don't know enough Mandarin to know for sure.
>
>5.  Is the content of the services relatively "watered down" for new
>       Christians/new English-speakers?
I doubt it.

Like Andrew, I also go to an almost all-white church, but for different
reasons.

My experience of AA churches...in high school, I found my church a very
nice place to go.  However, I also found that many there still had their
parents' views (mostly 1st generation), and had little tolerance for my
questioning things.

I find most of the people around my age pretty nice--in two
of the churches, most people ignored me like the plague, but in two of
them, I was accepted pretty easily.  (The others were newer churches
that had mostly parents and children and very few people my age.) However,
my relations with the generation before me was/is a disaster, and I go to
great lengths to avoid any discussion with them.  After some particularly
bitter confrontations, I left.

I now go to a place which has better speakers than any of the AA churches I've
been to.  (This is *not* a statement against them; it is more a reflection
of my short attention span early in the morning.)  I also find my present
church to be more accepting of people and less cliquish.  However, I value
my experiences in AA churches (and I'll still visit occasionally) because it
has given me insight on the culture and behaviors of 1st generation people.

Any further discussion with me on this subject is *e-mail only*.  I fear
retribution from leaders of AA churches and have no desire to be shot or
otherwise have my life harmed or shortened by involved parties.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asian.american