Learn about Inheritance

For the love of community
in a trying world

Inheritance Magazine shares Asian American and Pacific Islander stories that invite readers into compassionate and critical engagement with themselves, their faith, and the world.

Our Story

Since 2010, Inheritance magazine has been a platform for publishing Asian American and Pacific Islander stories that affirm AAPI identity and contribute to a more multi-faceted understanding of Christian faith.

In 2024, Inheritance embarked in a new direction with a question: How might we look back upon our community and history with curiosity and compassion as we cultivate new voices that will expand our experience of God?

We want to share stories so that the people we love — the families, churches, and enclaves that raised us — can step into deeper critical engagement with themselves, their faith, and the world. Inheritance has built an archive of Asian American Christian stories for over 15 years. We will continue to add to that while pushing the conversation forward with new exciting voices.

Our History

In 2008, Inheritance magazine was launched by the Evangelical Formosan Church’s denominational publication, “EFC Journal” (傳揚). Its primary objective was to cater to Asian American Christians. The core team included Sean Lin as the publisher, Will Tseng as Editor-in-Chief, Joy Wong as Managing Editor, and Daniel Chou as Art/Creative Director. Despite the Taiwanese/Taiwanese church-related background of the team and its parent company, the publication was committed from the outset to diversity, featuring contributors from various genders and ethnicities. The inaugural issue was published in March 2009 and was distributed quarterly.

Under Will’s leadership, the first five years of the magazine focused on testimonials that explored “the intersection of faith and culture,” aiming to amplify the voices of next generation Asian American Christians. The vision was for Inheritance to become the voice for all Asian American Christians.

In 2014, Daniel took over as Editor-in-Chief and emphasized adopting a narrative framework to better address complex themes and subjects. Drawing inspiration from parables, the goal was to first tell compelling stories and then, for more discerning readers, to reshape imagination. Inheritance expanded its focus to encompass a broader Asian and Pacific Islander contributor base, and its diversity standards also broadened on sexual orientation and other religious backgrounds.

Introducing the 2025 Cohort

Inheritance will feature a cohort of new writers every year that will speak to the moment with powerful, timely, and thoughtful pieces to challenge our community.

Raised along the Pacific Rim (Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan), Barnabas Lin (he/him) has over a decade of ministry experience (with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship) which drove him to investigate the theologies and philosophies undergirding evangelical ministries. A PhD candidate in Theological Ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary, Barnabas is a practitioner at heart, continuously motivated by the needs of hurting people. Currently, this is focused at Bethel Community Presbyterian Church where Barnabas ministers as the Theologian in Residence, where he wonders with the church how Christianity can be rehabilitated to be again the loving presence of Jesus in a world understandably at war.

Nate Lee (he/him) is a third gen Chinese American who lives in San Francisco, CA. He loves noodle soups, the Warriors, and Buy Nothing groups. He is a pastor at an immigrant church in SF Chinatown.

Timothy Sean Ignacio (he/him) is a 2nd Gen Filipino-American from California. In 2018, he moved to Quezon City, Philippines to live alongside and serve a working-class community with the Non-Government Organization, Servants to Asia’s Urban Poor. As a creative and musical artist under the name “ITM” (reiteration of the Tagalog word, “itim” meaning “dark”), he also uses his creative work to express his musings and advocacies around his decision to move to his family’s Motherland. You can follow him on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Spotify @sobrangitm.

Sarah D. Park (she/her) is a second generation Korean American born in Los Angeles, CA. Her work reflects her value for finding abundance in community and the power of telling our own stories. She’s currently based in NYC and spends her time eating cheeseburgers, creating community spaces, and enjoying her son.

E. David de Leon (he/him) is a child of Pilipino immigrants and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. He currently resides in New York City with his wife and two sons, and is a PhD candidate at Fordham University studying Christian systematic theology and its intersections with Pilipino/Pilipino American history, colonialism, and decoloniality. He loves carbs (baked and eaten) and running (long distances, but slowly). IG/threads: @emmanueldl