- Wilbur Wong Yan Choy
Wilbur Wong Yan Choy is a
retired Bishop of theUnited Methodist Church , elected in 1972. He is the firstAsian American elected aU.M. Bishop.Birth and Family
Wilbur was born
28 May 1918 inStockton, California , the son of Lie Yen and Ida Lee Choy. He married Grace Ying Hom26 September 1940 (she died26 December 1977 ). They have four children: Randolph W., Jonathan W., Phyllis W. (Mrs. LeRoy Seibert), and Donnell W.Education
Wilbur earned the A.A. degree from
Stockton Junior College (1944); the B.A. degree from theCollege of the Pacific (1946); and theBachelor of Divinity degree from thePacific School of Religion (1949). Bishop Choy also holdshonorary doctorates from the Pacific School of Religion (D.D. , 1969) and theUniversity of Puget Sound .Ordained ministry
While a college and seminary student, Wilbur served as Associate Pastor of the Chinese
Methodist Church in Stockton. He wasordained Deacon by BishopJames Chamberlain Baker in 1946. Following seminary Wilbur was ordained Elder by Bishop Donald Tippett, joining theCalifornia -Oriental Provisional Conference, continuing to serve the church in Stockton.In 1954 Rev. Choy was appointed to serve
St. Mark 's Methodist Church, Stockton, in the California-Nevada Annual Conference . He later held pastorates in Woodland andSacramento, California , as well. In 1967 he served asChaplain of theCalifornia Senate . In 1969 Rev. Choy was appointed Superintendent of the Bay View District.Episcopal ministry
Rev. Choy was elected to the
Episcopacy by the 1972 Western Jurisdictional Conference of theU.M. Church . He was assigned to theSeattle Episcopal Area, serving eight years. He was then assigned theSan Francisco Episcopal Area, where he served for four years. He was President of the "Council of Bishops" of the U.M. Church, 1983-84. Bishop Choy also was a member of the Executive Committee of the National Conference of Chinese Churches.Bishop Choy was an active member of the Board of Trustees of the Pacific School of Religion from 1970 until 1984. As such, he worked to strengthen the School's focus on
Pacific Basin cross-cultural dialogue, diversity and excellence in ministry. Bishop Wilbur W.Y. Choy was named a "Distinguished Alumni/ae" of the Pacific School of Religion in 1997.Bishop Choy retired in 1984.
Personal Appreciation
Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Pacific School of Religion, Mr. Robert Riddel, wrote in 1984 on behalf of the Board: :"Bishop Choy's commitment to
equality , liberation and a world free fromracism and war are evident to all. As bishop, superintendent and local church pastor, Choy has brought to his ministry pastoral sensitivity, prayerful depth, the strengthening of diverse ministries, administrative care, and a savingsense of humor ."References
* "InfoServ," the official information service of The United Methodist Church. [http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=1244]
* The Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church [http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=5855]
* "1997 Distinguished Alumni/ae," Pacific School of Religion. [http://www.psr.edu/page.cfm?l=105#choy]ee also
*
List of Bishops of the United Methodist Church External links
* [http://www2.umc.org/umns/photos_headshots.asp?ptid=2&mid=2060&photo=hs_Choy_Wilbur_W.Y. Photo of Bishop Choy]
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