Bruce Reyes-Chow
Encyclopedia
Bruce Reyes-Chow is a minister of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
.
Bruce was the Moderator
of the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
. Reyes-Chow was elected as Moderator on June 21, 2008 from a field of four candidates. He received 48 percent of the vote on the first ballot and 55 percent of the vote on the second ballot. Upon his election those from the liberal parts of the church compared his election to that of the Barack Obama presidential campaign saying, "Like Obama, Reyes-Chow is young, incredibly smart, a gifted communicator, comfortable with new technologies, a facilitator who knows how to harness the wisdom of the larger group, and completely comfortable in a globalized, diverse, post-racial, post-gender, post-partisan interconnected world", while some on the conservative church questioned, "Has the General Assembly put the future of the Presbyterian Church (USA) at greater risk by electing Reyes-Chow as moderator for two years?" He ended his time as Moderator on July 3, 2010 when his successor, Elder Cynthia Bolbach
was elected at the 219th General Assembly.
Bruce received his BA in Asian American Studies, Sociology and Religion from San Francisco State University in 1990 and received his Masters of Divinity in 1995 from San Francisco Theological Seminary
. He was the pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in San Francisco from 1995-1999 and served as the founding pastor of Mission Bay Community Church in San Francisco, California
from 2000-2011. In 2011 he was given an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Austin College
and that same year was named the 2011 San Francisco Theological Seminary Distinguished Alumnus.
Bruce is a technophile. He is a prolific blogger and has a large social networking presence. He believes blogging is a spiritual practice and that technology is essential to a young church. Leaders in the PC(USA) feel that he understands "the way the world is changing, so he can help us feel less anxious and less resistant to change.”
Bruce is a contributing blogger for the progressive Christians section for Patheos (2011-present), the religion section of The Huffington Post (2011-present) and for City Brights on SFGate (2009-present), the online publication on the San Francisco Chronicle Newspaper. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of California Faith for Equality (2010–present) and The Public Religion Research Institute (2009–present). He is a frequent speaker and lecturer on the impact of social media and cultural changes on the church and has led events at Austin Theological Seminary, McCormick Theological Seminary
, and Columbia Theological Seminary
. Until October, 2010 he was co-host, with Rev. Carol Howard Merritt, of a weekly podcast, "God Complex Radio."
He currently lives in San Francisco where he has lived since 1989 with his wife and three daughters.
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
The Presbyterian Church , or PC, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S...
.
Bruce was the Moderator
Moderator of the General Assembly
The Moderator of the General Assembly is the chairperson of a General Assembly, the highest court of a presbyterian or reformed church. Kirk Sessions and Presbyteries may also style the chairperson as moderator....
of the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
The Presbyterian Church , or PC, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S...
. Reyes-Chow was elected as Moderator on June 21, 2008 from a field of four candidates. He received 48 percent of the vote on the first ballot and 55 percent of the vote on the second ballot. Upon his election those from the liberal parts of the church compared his election to that of the Barack Obama presidential campaign saying, "Like Obama, Reyes-Chow is young, incredibly smart, a gifted communicator, comfortable with new technologies, a facilitator who knows how to harness the wisdom of the larger group, and completely comfortable in a globalized, diverse, post-racial, post-gender, post-partisan interconnected world", while some on the conservative church questioned, "Has the General Assembly put the future of the Presbyterian Church (USA) at greater risk by electing Reyes-Chow as moderator for two years?" He ended his time as Moderator on July 3, 2010 when his successor, Elder Cynthia Bolbach
Cynthia Bolbach
Cynthia Bolbach is the Moderator of the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church . Bolbach was elected as Moderator on July 3, 2010 from a field of six candidates. Of the candidates, Bolbach was the only Elder and the only one to express unqualified support for same-sex marriage. She...
was elected at the 219th General Assembly.
Bruce received his BA in Asian American Studies, Sociology and Religion from San Francisco State University in 1990 and received his Masters of Divinity in 1995 from San Francisco Theological Seminary
San Francisco Theological Seminary
San Francisco Theological Seminary is a graduate school affiliated with Presbyterian Church located in San Anselmo, California. Founded in 1871, SFTS is a graduate theological institution that is focused on graduate theological education in the Reformed tradition...
. He was the pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in San Francisco from 1995-1999 and served as the founding pastor of Mission Bay Community Church in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
from 2000-2011. In 2011 he was given an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Austin College
Austin College
Austin College is a private liberal arts college affiliated by covenant relationship with the Presbyterian Church and located in Sherman, Texas, about 60 miles North of Dallas....
and that same year was named the 2011 San Francisco Theological Seminary Distinguished Alumnus.
Bruce is a technophile. He is a prolific blogger and has a large social networking presence. He believes blogging is a spiritual practice and that technology is essential to a young church. Leaders in the PC(USA) feel that he understands "the way the world is changing, so he can help us feel less anxious and less resistant to change.”
Bruce is a contributing blogger for the progressive Christians section for Patheos (2011-present), the religion section of The Huffington Post (2011-present) and for City Brights on SFGate (2009-present), the online publication on the San Francisco Chronicle Newspaper. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of California Faith for Equality (2010–present) and The Public Religion Research Institute (2009–present). He is a frequent speaker and lecturer on the impact of social media and cultural changes on the church and has led events at Austin Theological Seminary, McCormick Theological Seminary
McCormick Theological Seminary
McCormick Theological Seminary is one of eleven schools of theology of the Presbyterian Church . It shares a campus with the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, bordering the campus of the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois...
, and Columbia Theological Seminary
Columbia Theological Seminary
Columbia Theological Seminary is one of the ten theological institutions affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . It is located in Decatur, Georgia. Dr. Stephen A. Hayner is the seminary's president.-Description:...
. Until October, 2010 he was co-host, with Rev. Carol Howard Merritt, of a weekly podcast, "God Complex Radio."
He currently lives in San Francisco where he has lived since 1989 with his wife and three daughters.
Higher education
- McCormick Theological SeminaryMcCormick Theological SeminaryMcCormick Theological Seminary is one of eleven schools of theology of the Presbyterian Church . It shares a campus with the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, bordering the campus of the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois...
, 2011-Present, Doctor of Ministry - Pacific School of ReligionPacific School of ReligionPacific School of Religion is an ecumenical seminary located in Berkeley, California. It maintains covenantal relationships with the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church and the Disciples of Christ, providing all necessary expectations for candidates to their ordained ministries....
, 2007, Brief stint as a Doctor on Ministry Student MORE - San Francisco Theological SeminarySan Francisco Theological SeminarySan Francisco Theological Seminary is a graduate school affiliated with Presbyterian Church located in San Anselmo, California. Founded in 1871, SFTS is a graduate theological institution that is focused on graduate theological education in the Reformed tradition...
, 1995, Masters of Divinity - San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
, 1990, special major in Asian American Studies, Sociology, and Religion.
Awards and Honors
- Austin CollegeAustin CollegeAustin College is a private liberal arts college affiliated by covenant relationship with the Presbyterian Church and located in Sherman, Texas, about 60 miles North of Dallas....
, 2011, Honorary Doctor of Divinity - San Francisco Theological SeminarySan Francisco Theological SeminarySan Francisco Theological Seminary is a graduate school affiliated with Presbyterian Church located in San Anselmo, California. Founded in 1871, SFTS is a graduate theological institution that is focused on graduate theological education in the Reformed tradition...
, 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award
Blogs
Articles about Bruce
- November, 2009, Filipinas Magazine, "The Virtual Pastor"
- August 9, 2008, The Stockton Record, "Stockton Native to Lead Church"
- July 14, 2008, The Presbyterian Outlook, "Moderator 2.0"
- July 1, 2008, The San Francisco Chronicle, "New moderator seeks to unite"
- June 27, 2008, BeliefNet, "Are Presbyterians Emerging?"