Council for Pacific and Asian American Ministries

The Council for Pacific and Asian American Ministries (CPAAM) is a racial/ethnic council of the General Synod Council (GSC) of the RCA. In addition to being the voice of Pacific and Asian American congregants and congregations in the RCA, the council also advocates for policies of inclusion and economic, social, and racial justice.

CPAAM mission statement

The mission statement of CPAAM states that the body’s purpose is “to identify, communicate, and interpret Pacific and Asian American concerns, needs, and gifts; to advocate on behalf of Pacific and Asian Americans before the judicatories of the RCA; and to empower Pacific and Asian Americans within the RCA so that they can become full participants in the mission of the denomination.”

Membership

CPAAM recognizes three types of members: voting members, affiliate members, and corresponding members.

Voting members, or members who have privilege of the floor and can vote, include the following: pastors and one layperson each from RCA Pacific or Asian American congregations, RCA pastors involved in non-RCA work, one layperson each from a primarily non-Pacific or Asian American congregation, both a youth and a woman from a Pacific or Asian American congregation, and the members of the council’s executive committee.

Affiliate members, or members who both enjoy the privilege of the floor and can vote, include people from RCA Pacific and Asian American congregations other than the voting members from those congregations, pastor and/or laypersons from non-RCA Pacific and Asian American ministries either supported by the RCA or with Pacific and Asian American members.

Corresponding members, who have privilege of the floor but not of voting, include representatives from the other racial/ethnic councils.