Elly Chong Is Featured in Conversation with John Dorhauer

Listen to a recording of a conversation with John Dorhauer, General Minister and President of the UCC, and Eleanore Chong, member of Central Union Church in Honolulu and member of the UCC Board of Directors. She talks about her love for the UCC and her experiences growing up in Hawai'i.

United Church of Christ:

This week's special "Conversations with John" guest is UCC Board member, Elly Chong. Elly tells the Rev. John C. Dorhauer that her love for the United Church of Christ is deep-rooted. She says she not only grew up as a UCC member as a child in the Hawaii Conference, but she is also the daughter and sister of UCC ministers.

Elly says that with her Asian descent has come experiences with discrimination, and this is one reason that she loves the United Church of Christ - because part of its mission is justice and equality for all, and that it all starts at the grass roots local church level. But she says, "Our Congregational roots mean that we have a duty to participate. It starts at the local church level, but goes in every setting of church, and we have to participate (or nothing will get done)."

Elly also emphasizes that in whatever work we do as the church and as a society, it must be done with love. She says without love, only bitterness, resentment and hate are likely to sprout. She states, "Until we can love our neighbors and ourselves and the earth, I think we'll have fallen short."

Listen now to her very insightful and heartfelt Conversation with John.