[1]Editor’s note: This article was edited after its initial publication.
FRESNO, Calif. (BP) – Hmong Southern Baptist churches across the nation followed the lead of the SBC. They have been preaching all year on the theme of “One Mind, One Voice” and Romans 15:5-6, the theme of the SBC annual meeting in June.
This was a deliberate initiative this year to draw the churches closer together, Hmong National Baptist Association President Chong Pao Thao said.
“I believe the unity of the HBNA is coming together,” Thao told Baptist Press after the 33rd annual meeting Oct. 4-5 of the SBC’s Hmong Association group at Christian Temple in Fresno. “We received a lot of positive feedback. Leaders and messengers liked how smoothly the meeting ran. We’re pleased to see a lot of younger pastors, leaders and messengers engaged in the association.
“This year in California the West Region was excited about the opportunity to participate and did an outstanding job hosting the annual meeting, which included preparation of all the meals,” the Hmong Baptist president continued.
The Hmong Association, which consists of five regions – North, Northeast, Southeast, and South-Central/West – tries to hold the annual meeting in different regions to encourage more participation from local churches. HBNA consists of 56 churches across the nation.
This year, 203 people registered for the event, including 46 messengers, 25 pastors, and members from 27 churches. More than 250 attended the Pastors Appreciation lunch on Saturday sponsored by Hmong Baptist Church of Fresno and Freedom Community Church of Fresno.
The Hmong annual meeting includes worship, preaching, reports, resources, and opportunities for fellowship and encouragement, said Thao, pastor of Denver First Hmong Baptist Church of Broomfield, Colo.
The worship team was led by the President’s son, Alex Thao, and the Denver First Hmong Baptist Church of Broomfield, Colo., worship team. Guest speakers included Chong Tou Her, Pastor of Freedom Community Church in Fresno; Greg Kilgore, Director of Missions for Mid-Valley Baptist Association in California; and Timothy Boonlert Lor, Pastor of Followers of Christ Hmong Baptist Church in St. Paul, Minn.
In his welcome, the president noted the unexpected passing last fall of Executive Director Wa Tra Xiong.
“The year has been challenging for all of us, due to the loss of our beloved executive director,” Thao said. “But God is faithful and has been in the midst, as He always has and will always be.
“HBNA is all of us united in one mind and as one voice,” the President continued. “God has called each of us to hold a unique role and responsibility, but as parts of the body working together, all of us united create one mind and one voice. When we are one in Christ, God can achieve greatness through us to build and strengthen His kingdom through our Southern Baptist Hmong family – in our local churches, in our communities, across the nation, and across the globe.”
In the absence of an executive director, day-to-day leadership is shared by the core executive team: President Pao Thao, Vice President Chia Pao Ly, and HBNA Pastoral Ministry Director Cher Cha Yang. A search committee has been formed for a new executive director, one with administrative and business skills.
Interspersed with reports from SBC entities – Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Minwoo Jang), GuideStone Financial Resources (Hoon Im), the SBC Executive Committee (Charles Grant), the North American Mission Board (Jeremy Sin) and the International Mission Board (Ezra Bae) were reports from the Hmong Association 13 ministry departments.
HBNA announced a ministry name change, “Youth Ministry” to “NextGen Ministry” to include children through young single adults. Chris Vang, Associate Pastor of Hmong Baptist Church in Fresno, Calif., is the director.
“God is raising up the next generation just like Moses passing on the baton to Joshua and Elijah passing the mantle to Elisha with a double measure of God’s power,” Vice-President Pao Ly said. “I see great things to come and a brighter future for the Hmong Baptist National Association.”
A team of pastors is proofing and revising the White Hmong Bible, which is in a northern dialect. The new revision will be aligned with the Green Hmong Bible – southern dialect – that is in the final proof-reading phase and will be ready to print once that phase is complete.
Grief Ministry, originally established under the Women’s Ministry, has been adopted by the National Association as a national ministry.
A revision being drafted of the Association’s Bylaws is anticipated to be ready for a vote by members at the 2025 annual meeting. Various other administrative and financial improvement details are also in process.
Messengers approved a $170,650 operating budget for 2025. This is outside of member-funded events, such as the $190,000 annual NextGen Standing Stones and Living Water camps that draw around 500 NextGen participants from around the nation this summer.
The 2024 slate of officers elected at the association’s 2023 National Conference in Green Lake, Wis., serving a two-year term consist of: President Chong Pao Thao, pastor of First Hmong Baptist Church of Broomfield, Colo.; Vice President Chia Pao Ly, pastor of First Hmong Baptist Church of Morganton, N.C., Pastoral Director Cher Cha Yang, pastor of Hmong Baptist Church in Fresno, Calif.; Secretary Pa Kou Xiong, member at Followers of Christ Hmong Baptist Church in St. Paul, Minn.; Treasurer Lydia Ly, member at the same church; Moderator Foua Vang, a member at First Hmong Baptist Church of Coon Rapids, Minn.; and Xai Lor as the part-time office manager, associate pastor at First Hmong Baptist Church of Coon Rapids, Minn.
“It was a blessing to see everyone coming together – collaborating, supporting one another, and participating as One Mind and One Voice – to make this annual meeting another successful one,” the Hmong Fellowship’s president said. “Praise to God for His guidance and protection for bringing everyone to the meeting this year and safely return home.”
The next Hmong National Baptist Association annual meeting is set for Oct. 9-11, 2025, in Green Lake, Wis., with the theme of “Firm Foundation” based on Psalm 62:1-2.
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