Ms. Ikali Heshito Ayemi is a research scholar currently in the Doctoral Research Scholars Program for the fall 2025 semester at Princeton Theological Seminary. She is pursuing her PhD in Biblical Studies – Old Testament at The United Theological Seminary, Bangalore. She hails from the state of Nagaland in Northeast India, but has lived and studied in different parts of the country. She taught at a seminary in India before beginning her doctoral studies. Her academic and research interests focus on feminist and tribal biblical interpretation. She is passionate about interpreting biblical texts in which women are negatively portrayed and about reclaiming marginalised voices.

Joseph Cho is a Master of Theological Studies student at Emory University. Born and bred in the heart of the Orange Curtain, he’s passionate about researching how Asian American Christians can witness authentically in the midst of racial capitalism. Joseph is also a fourth-year admissions consultant, which has taught him that talking down teenagers from SAT spirals is about as pastoral as he ever wants to get. Somehow, he managed to finesse his way through a BA in History at the University of Southern California.

Outside of the classroom, Joseph enjoys writing for Imagine Otherwise, baking lemon basil strawberry cookies, and having late-night conversations with his housemates at the L’Arche Friendship House – sometimes all at once.

Claudia brings a rich background in program coordination, qualitative research, and intercultural leadership. She holds a Master of Arts in Christian Studies from Regent College and a BA in English Literature from the University of British Columbia. Born and raised in Vancouver, Claudia was shaped by parents who filled her life with books, family stories, music, films, and trips to East Asia. As a second-generation Chinese-Canadian,, she carries layered cultural belonging. Her course-based mini-study, Beyond Stories of Migration, affirmed her belief that ongoing storytelling is vital for Asian North Americans to understand themselves, feel connected, and cultivate belonging across generations.

Tohuli Lohe is currently pursuing a Master of Theology (ThM) at Princeton Theological Seminary. She was raised in Nagaland, a state in Northeast India characterized by a Christian majority. Her perspectives have been profoundly shaped by her upbringing in a Christian family, with roots that extend to her great-grandfather, who was a pioneering figure within their community. In addition to her academic pursuits, Lohe has gained valuable experience through her work in church ministry and internships with non-profit organizations. She is deeply committed to the theological development of her community, which possesses a distinct culture, language, and ethnicity that differentiate it from the broader Indian society.

Sean Tsai is an illustrator, writer, and videographer based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He takes special interest in sharing Biblical narratives through modern-parables and common human experiences. Born in Taiwan and raised in Minnesota, his work contains influences from both Eastern and Western cultures. His videography work has helped document and share the stories of elder immigrants who came from Taiwan to Minnesota. Through interviews with the next generation of Asian immigrants and Asian Americans, he desires to further his understanding of Asian American faith and contribute to the larger discourse of faith in the United States. He also enjoys baking cookies and many forms of cooking.

Edward Cheng is a lifelong champion of mission-based organizations that promote Asian Pacific American history and culture, and is an adviser to the Friends of the National Asian Pacific American Museum and the National Asian Pacific American Museum Commission. Born in mainland China, Edward’s parents escaped civil war and fled to Taiwan. They were the only ones in their families to emigrate to the U.S. in the 1960s and build a life for themselves in America.

As an award-winning journalist and now oral historian for museums, Edward is fascinated by the power of the first-person interview to be an opportunity for healing, especially for Asian Pacific American communities where there may be unprocessed trauma. Edward enjoys playing mahjong in his spare time. His story of how the game connects to Asian American identity is one of 100 vignettes that will be published in an upcoming book Tiles that Unite: Portraits of Mahjong Players Across the U.S.

My name is Brian Fu and I am from Washington State. Through an odd set of circumstances, I found myself in church, eventually at Seattle Pacific Seminary, and now as the Director of Discipleship and Care at Bothell United Methodist Church. I often ask myself and God, “Who am I?” so unraveling the story about my identity through understanding culture, ancestral heritage, and life experiences has been a grounding journey. I hope one day to pastor in a community that ministers and speaks distinctly to Asian Americans navigating life. Although I’m still learning to get outdoors more in the grey and drizzle of Seattle, I enjoy things that involve sitting: biking, playing video games, driving, and having coffee with friends.

Ben Jonathan Immanuel is a theologian, educator, and pastor, currently serving with the India Sunday School Union, and Ashraya Fellowship in Coonoor, India. Ben holds a ThM from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ, and a BD from United Theological College, Bengaluru. His academic and vocational work is shaped by a deep engagement with the life of the church, Christian education, and theological interpretation of Scripture in contemporary contexts. His research interests span systematic theology, early Christian thought, theology and technology (including AI), and contextual theologies, with particular attention to Indian Christian theology and South Indian culture and practice. Outside his academic work, you’ll find Ben playing music, writing for and leading liturgy at church every Sunday and going on drives soon after. Ben finds grounding and joy in family life with his wife Sonia, their young daughter, and soon-to-be second born.

Betsy Sunny, CMP is an independent consultant partnering with multi-site churches and para-church ministries. She was born and raised in New York to a South Indian immigrant parent, an upbringing that shaped her curiosity about spiritual belonging, cultural identity, and the invisible systems that form faith communities. She desires to explore how Asian American and White Evangelical churches embody the Homogeneous Unit Principle and how those dynamics influence congregational wellbeing and pastoral experience. Now based in Chicago, she works with churches and organizations to strengthen their strategies and deepen their formation practices. Outside of consulting and research, she’s an avid Dungeons & Dragons player, feel free to ask about her Paladin.