Dr. Ken Fong: Faith, Identity, and Bridging Worlds
Dr. Ken Fong’s journey as a pastor, podcaster, and thought leader offers a rare window into the intersections of religion, U.S.–China relations, and Asian American identity. His story is not only one of personal conviction but also of community transformation, cultural bridge-building, and moral courage in the face of resistance. An interview with Dr. Fong presents an opportunity to trace how his life’s milestones map onto broader social currents, while also highlighting the unique role of faith as both a grounding and evolving force.
Fong first came to wide attention as the senior pastor of Evergreen Baptist Church of Los Angeles (EBCLA), where he served from 1997 until his retirement in 2017. Originally a historically Japanese American congregation, EBCLA became under his leadership one of the first English-speaking, multiethnic, majority-Asian churches in the nation. Through a careful balance of honoring tradition and embracing change, Fong shepherded the church through a transition that welcomed Asian Americans of 17 different ethnicities alongside non-Asian congregants. This transformation exemplified religion’s potential to build community across generational and cultural divides, serving as a microcosm of U.S.–Asia relations within a faith context. The Los Angeles Times profiled EBCLA in 2001, underscoring its influence as a model of inclusion.
If EBCLA’s transformation defined the late 1990s and early 2000s, Fong’s advocacy for LGBTQ inclusion marked the next era of his ministry. Around 2007, he felt spiritually compelled to use his accumulated reputation—his “stack of chips”—to support queer and trans believers. He organized forums, created space for dialogue, and ultimately led EBCLA toward becoming a fully affirming church by the time he retired. This bold stance came at a cost: Fong lost credibility among conservative evangelicals and became, in his own words, “kryptonite” in certain circles. Yet his decision reflected deep conviction, personal courage, and a vision for an intergenerational church that aligned its faith with justice. His story also offers poignant moments for reflection, such as the difficult conversations with his wife and staff when he revealed his plans to make a film documenting the church’s journey toward affirmation.
Fong’s personal family history provides another rich narrative thread, connecting his story to U.S.–China relations in deeply human terms. A third-generation Chinese American born in California, Fong recalls that his grandmother had bound feet—an indelible marker of pre-revolutionary Chinese culture. At the same time, his own upbringing was thoroughly Americanized; he jokes that he did not know how to use chopsticks until adolescence. This duality—an inherited Chinese legacy alongside an assimilated American childhood—underscores the complexities of identity formation across generations. Later, in the late 1990s, Fong and his Japanese American wife adopted a daughter from China, weaving together Chinese and Japanese heritages within their American household. Their adoption added another dimension to Fong’s engagement with Chinese culture, deepening his personal connection to the country and raising profound questions about heritage, belonging, and transnational family life.
In recent years, Fong has also become an outspoken voice against anti-Asian hate and Sinophobia, particularly in the wake of COVID-19 and rising U.S.–China tensions. On his long-running Ken Fong Podcast, launched in 2015, he has explored themes of scapegoating, historical racism, and Asian American resilience. He has addressed tragedies like the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings, framing them within broader histories of racialized violence and evangelical purity culture. Drawing on his experiences as the child of immigrants and as a pastor of a Japanese American church shaped by the legacy of internment, Fong brings historical depth to contemporary conversations about racism. His leadership after 9/11, when he invited South Asian and Palestinian American voices into his church to counter Islamophobia, exemplifies his enduring commitment to solidarity across communities.
Taken together, these chapters—church transformation, LGBTQ inclusion, family heritage and adoption, and anti-hate advocacy—form a rich narrative arc. They chart Fong’s evolution from local pastor to national voice, while also grounding his story in personal conviction and lived experience. For a documentary interview, this arc provides a natural structure: beginning with heritage and early influences, moving through church leadership and advocacy, and culminating in his contemporary role as a podcaster and cultural commentator.
Ultimately, Dr. Fong’s story illustrates how one leader’s life can illuminate larger questions about belonging, justice, and faith. His voice offers both a mirror to the struggles of Asian Americans and a beacon pointing toward the possibilities of inclusion and healing in divided times.
