Thomas Toan Thanh Le - Senior Pastor

IS GOD AVAILABLE EVEN FOR ASIANS?

The residents of Collin County would readily agree the Asian population in Collin County is constantly growing. According to the 2005 US Census, there are over 66,000 Asians living in Collin County with over 3,600 Asian owned businesses. However, the residents of Collin County do not need the US Census to tell them of the growth of Asian residents in their county; it is clearly shown through the explosion of Asian restaurants, supermarkets, and Churches. On a typical drive home anywhere in Collin County and on any busy street, there is at least one Asian Church written in Chinese, Korean, or Vietnamese. They range from all denominations and many are supported by other established American Churches. Where did this growth, transition, and movement from an Eastern Buddhist belief turn to a Western Protestant God?
Pastor Thomas Le of Plano Vietnamese Baptist Church, believes that Asians who have immigrated to the U.S. had previously been religiously repressed by their previous government (with the exception of some countries, such as S. Korea). How does Pastor Le understand these repressions? Pastor Le is from Vietnam, a country still under communist reign where religion must be conformed to government laws. However, being in the US, religion is free from persecution and available for everyone. This basic law allows churches such as Plano Vietnamese Baptist Church to reach out and share God with everyone who will listen. Pastor Le firmly understands this principle and his church is doing everything possible to make God available to all Asians starting with Collin County.
Plano Vietnamese Baptist Church; conceptualized in 2005; hosts several events within the community and is available to Vietnamese as well as English speaking Asians. The most current event the church is hosting is the Russell Creek Evangelical Picnic on Saturday September 23, 2007 from 10:00am to 2:00pm. The picnic is available to all Asians within the community, especially targeting the Vietnamese community. The picnic, Pastor Le boasts, has cotton candy, snow cones, clowns, and lots of food. Best of all, they are all free! A health fair is also in the works for late October, allowing all Asians to come and get free health exams from various local doctors. These events Pastor Le says, "Makes the Asian community; specifically the Vietnamese community; see that Asian churches here in Plano are vibrant and are committed to sharing God's love and His word." Most notably Pastor Le thinks God is available for Asians and everyone in between.