The Gospel principles of hospitality and inclusion are at the heart of my motivation in ministry.
These principles have brought into focus the importance of enabling people from Languages Other Than English-speaking (LOTE) backgrounds to find their distinctive voice in church life.
My name is Meewon Yang. I did a Bachelor of Theology at Whitley, the Ordination course, and a Master of Theology. I am presently Baptist Union of Victoria’s Multicultural Consultant.
I was once a student pastor of a Korean-language Baptist church. My dream of what multicultural church life can really be about began while I studied at Whitley College.
It took me into an urban, fragile but creatively energetic community at Brunswick Baptist Church and for many years I was part of the pastoral team.
Studying at Whitley has helped me to live out my faith and theology. It was an experience of being and doing theology.
I think personal journey is important but I have also discovered God through community, and that it is okay to be vulnerable and open.
Now I see a bigger world, God’s creation and re-creation through our participation. Whitley helped shape and encourage my multicultural faith which embraces our differences, as part of God’s world.
I have many fond memories of Whitley. A favourite is the three-day Annual School of Ministry Conference and being inspired as we learned.
Another is good friends who have influenced me: Garry Deverell, Ruth Sandy, Bronwen McClelland and Joan Fisher.
I also remember one of my first essays in which the wife of a classmate helped me use a typewriter to type it out – there were no computers. When it was time to go, full of gratitude, I left the papers on the top of my car as I said goodbye. We had to pick up the papers scattered all over the ground.
I would like to mention some of the faculty that have impacted me: my first lecturer Athol Gill, who recognised I needed help with language; Merrill Kitchen who opened up the call to women’s ministry for me; and, I hugely miss the late Ross Langmead whose thinking and teaching in missiology greatly influenced me.
I am married to John Gilmore and we have a son and a granddaughter.
I am a passionate advocate for asylum seekers and refugees and a Board Member of Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce. I believe it is important to stand in solidarity with refugees – they desperately need our support.
I joined a group at Brunswick Baptist Church to do yarn bombing, sharing thoughts of what is happening in our society and giving voice to our reflections through yarning the poles in front of the church.
Jesus is on the streets!