MISSION AMONG THE POOR International, Inc.

HOUSTONIAN CHRONICLES OF

ASIANISM

(A Study Inspired by San Antonio Baptist Association/Texas Great Commission Initiative)

Johnson Thomaskutty

In its current 'City Search and Reach' (CSR) Project, MAP INTERNATIONAL has taken up the concerns of the growth of Asian religions in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas-Fortworth, and Austin, the four major city areas in the state of Texas with great interest. In its study about 'other' religious segments, it came up with an array of new information. In this issue, we discuss primarily about the growth, establishment, and organizational set up of major Asian religions and movements in the larger Houston area. Our studies about the cities of San Antonio , Dallas-Fortworth, and Austin are in progress. Throughout this article, Houston or Houstonian is used mostly to refer the 'extended' or 'larger' Houston city area. Similarly, Asian is referred to mean the larger Asian continent. The usage Asianism is employed to imply the general 'worldview' of the extended Asian context. This study is mostly empirical in nature. I have used the methods like interviews with religious and secular dignitaries, site visitation and observation, demographic analyses, web-research, library research (especially Rice University, University of Houston, and Houston Baptist University libraries), and continuous interactions with various walks of people groups in the larger Houston area. The ideas behind this work were crystallized due to the active participation in the Texas Great Commission Initiative (TXGCI) held at Midlothian and at Trinity in Texas . The main purpose behind this research paper is to make the Great Commission Churches informed about the need of Christian witness, mission and evangelism in an ethno-linguistically diverse context.

In March 2003, I had delivered a biblically-rooted missiological sermon at St. Olav's Church, Serampore (in the Hooghly district of West Bengal, East India ) on the topic, "A Soporific Church Causes Christianity Sinking". The sermon's highlight was the need of executing the Great Commission Initiative by the contemporary church. Later, I realized that soporific nature is not a problem of the Indian church alone, but it is a universal issue. The adjectival expression, "soporific" means making somebody want to go to sleep. That further implies 'being dormant' or 'moving inactive'. The dictionary meaning is an antonym to "insomnia", which reveals the condition of being unable to sleep. If this expression is used to qualify the nature of the contemporary church, then only one can conceive the real stature. Church, as the manifestation of the Kingdom of God has a primordial duty to fulfill in the live context of the existing world, which is 'becoming' in its very substance. A church, which deprives in continuing the mission of Jesus or succeeds to the detriment of the Great Commission initiative, has to be reckoned as a 'soporific' one. The paucity of today's Christianity in executing the Great Commission initiative is lucidly revealed and that catapulted the church into the death-knell of the Christian culture. In the eastern hemisphere, Christianity is considered by 'other' religious communities as a 'persecuted sect' or even treated as a 'minority religion'. But in the west, Christianity has a tendency of inclination toward or absorption into alien religious phenomena.

The founding fathers of United States established the nation on Christian principles. The nation is internationally known as a 'Christian country'. It is an accepted fact that Christianity is the established culture or -ism of US. The country has a biblically oriented 'worldview', which is entirely different in substance from other worldviews. The immigrant communities from Asian countries in US have diverse perceptions, worldviews, beliefs, practices, and comprehension about God, human and world. In the contemporary context, Christianity is at the crossroads, where it is challenged by various imported, non-biblical, and consciousness-oriented religious and philosophical movements. For the enhancement of a mission-theology targeting the Asian people groups, the church has to take active steps circumscribed around anthropocentricism and ethno-linguistic concerns of current scenario. While anthropocentric concerns are meant to learn the 'heart language' of the people groups, ethno-linguistic concerns enable us to identify the cultural elements. A missional approach that does not take 'people and culture' orientation might not make much impact in today's Christian witness, mission and evangelism.

The plurality of religious traditions and cultures has come to characterize every parts of the world today. Diana Eck points out four main thinking to begin with pluralism: firstly, pluralism is not diversity alone, but the energetic engagement with diversity; secondly, it is not just tolerance, but the active seeking of understanding across lines of difference; thirdly, it is not relativism, but the encounter of commitments; and lastly, it is based on dialogue (On Common Grounds: World Religions in America, Colombia University Press, Revised 2006). There are more than 50 Muslim religious centers, over 30 Jewish centers, over 20 Hindu centers, about 25 Buddhist centers, 2 Jain Shrines, 3 Sikh Gurudwaras, 1 Zoroastrian temple, 1 Bahai Community Center, and representation from Shintoism, Taoism, Confucianism, and various other religious centers only in the larger Houston area. In such a multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-linguistic, and pluralistic context, the contemporary church must take active steps to build relationships with other ethnic communities with an intention of the Christian witness, mission, and evangelism.

There are various religiously rooted meetups proliferating, like, Tai Chi, Meditation, Yoga, Consciousness Theorists, Conversations With God (CWG) Group, Vegetarianism Group, Spiritualism Group, Energy Healers Group, Reiki Share Group, Shamanism Group, Adventure in Philosophy Group, Metaphysics Group and others in different parts of the city. It is conspicuous that there are Korean Shamanism (a religion based on the ancient beliefs) meetups in certain areas of the city. The oldest religious ideas in Korea are called Shamanism today. These are beliefs that the natural world is filled with spirits, both helpful and harmful, that can be addressed by people with special powers called shamans. Herbal medicines, dances, chants and other ceremonies mark the work of shamans, most of whom are women. Though few people believe in the religious ideas today, they do accept old ideas about the natural world and use many ancient herbal remedies. On the same street in Houston , the Vietnamese Buddhist temple, the Korean Catholic church, the Southren Baptist Church , the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Muslim Community Center , the Indian Pentecostal Church , and the Hindu Temple are all located in the same neighborhood. This is certainly diversity, but without any engagement or relationship with one another it may not be an instance of pluralism.

In 2000, Houston had 1.9 million people. Now, it is projected that by 2030 the city of Houston could be 3.5 million people or more, with an additional 5 million people in the Houston region (for a total of 8.5 million people). Its rapid growth is fueled by immigrants who move by the hundreds to Houston each and every day. The economy continues to expand in cutting-edge areas. Houston is becoming a national and international economic force. Rice University 's Center on Race, Religion, and Urban Life (CORRUL), through research, student training, and outreach, aspires to understand urban life and improve relationships between the many racial, ethnic, and religious groups that make cities their home. CORRUL advances knowledge in three dynamic, interconnected dimensions of 21st century society-race, religion, and urban life. Rice's Houston School of Urban Study is under development in the field of urban studies in more advanced ways (http://www.rice.edu ). Moreover, Rice has an extended Asia Studies Program. The Asian American Studies Center (AASC) founded in 1995 at the University of Houston , grew out of the vision and dedication of students, faculty, administrators and the support of Houston 's community leaders. The AASC was established in recognition of the many cultural, social, historical, economic, political and linguistic contributions made by Asian Americans to this country. Charged with the responsibility of creating partnerships between the University of Houston and the Asian/Asian American communities, the AASC is integrally linked with the development of Asian International Study Programs (http://www.uh.edu ).

The metropolitan nature and the massive representation of people groups from allover the world may surprise us in several respects. Houston , the fourth largest city in the US , has the biggest Asian population in the South. In South Houston area, Chinatown is a place of good food, Chinese groceries, films, souvenirs, and the offices of the Chinese Merchants Association. Driving down Bellaire Boulevard between Boone and Fondren, we will see Chinese street signs, booming shopping and business centers, and plenty of restaurants to feast on. There are many attractions in Houston on Asian heritage, like, Houston Chinatown Plazas, Hong Kong City Mall, Jade Buddha Temple, Dim Sun at Ocean Palace, Splash Art Gallery, Chopin's Corner Library, Forbidden Gardens, and Japanese Gardens in Herman Park. In Missouri City , Stafford, Sugar Land , Pearland, Pasadena , Woodlands, Spring, Katy, Humble, North Shore , and Galvastone areas, there are thousands of Indians and their Temples , Mosques, Pagodas, Gurudwaras, and Churches. The Pluralism project of Harvard University (as of August 2006) estimates the religious centers in US as follows: Interfaith centers, 604; Jain centers, 94; Sikh centers, 244; Hindu centers, 714; Buddhist centers, 2150; and Islamic centers, 1583). Houstonian context is complex as in the case of cities like New York , Los Angeles and Chicago .

From September 11-15, 2006, I had attended the First Phase of Texas Great Commission Initiative (TXGCI) at Hoblitzelle Conference Center , Midlothian , Texas . As one of the resource persons, Dr. James Slack, an ethnic group researcher and missiologist of International Mission Board, was focusing on the missiological patterns to outreach the Panta Ta Ethne communities. In that phase, he emphasized the basic elements of the latest in global missiological thinking, considering issues like worldview, heart language, syncretism, oral learning, and people groups. According to James Slack, "there is a current and common misunderstanding of who the 'nations' (i.e., Matt. 28: 19; Lk. 24: 47) are? In reviewing a number of documents, only a few explained that 'nations' are not countries, but people groups." Slack further comments, "a typical missionary or pastor in the pew today thinks the 'nations' in the Great Commission refers to countries or governmental entities that are defined and identified by geographical boundaries. They do not understand that the Ta Ethne in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, and especially in the Great Commission is the ethno-linguistic people groups then and now." This information presents a fantastic understanding concerning the perspectives of the biblical authors about people groups. Bible's focus on the people groups was not an end in itself; but it continues through the history of the church. It may surprise the readers, if I notify the fact that the diverse ethnic communities of the city of Houston are not at all identified with a missional outlook. In today's missiological thinking, the people groups must be identified and targeted for the great commission initiative.

The Second Phase of the Texas Great Commission Initiative was held at Trinity, Texas from February 12-16. In that session, Dr. Terry Lassiter of International Mission Board was leading the sessions and discussions. The main emphasis was circumscribed around the theme, "Reaching out the Panta Ta Ethne communities". In the light of the discussions, we have viewed the movie Hawaii (i.e., a film based on the novel by James A. Michener, and was directed by George Roy Hill), and that helped boost our missional approaches contextually and categorically. The movie is all about an attempt to convert 19th century Hawaiian natives to Christianity... but the imported missionaries found themselves ill-equipped to endure the tribulations of paradise. Surging with the excitement of windstorms, firestorms, shark attack and magnificent island scenery, Hawaii shines as passionatively as the island paradise itself. In the movie, two cultures (or worldviews) collide in a vast, lavish, and truly spectacular way. The worldview of the Hawaiians was entirely different from that of the Christian worldview.

Hawaii clearly points out that the missional approaches must be attuned with the worldviews of the people groups to whom we are targeting. The movie enabled the attendees to understand the worldview issues with regard to the mission involvements. IMB's training module defines 'worldview' as "the way individuals and groups of individuals within a family, community, society or national configuration, ethno-linguistic or sociological, view their setting and whatever part of the world they regularly relate to". It further explains, "A person's or group's worldview is the way they instinctively, and distinctively, as a result of being a part of their people group, live, think, act and behave" (IMB, Worldview Identification, Printed Material, P. 1). An ecclesiology of advancement with a lot of characteristics instead of the traditional approach was the highlight of Dr. Terry's discussions. In his discussions, he was directing the attendees very closer to their aptitudes and foresights of the postmodern church.

The concepts like 'multiplicity' and 'plurality' are not strange terms as far as my life is concerned. The societal system which raised me up is multifarious (i.e., multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-linguistic and pluralistic) in its very existence from times of yore. Even today, the Indian society remains on such a diversified and plutocratic foundation. Societies of that kind develop 'dos' and 'don'ts' at the disposal of the elites. Such kind of bifurcation is obvious in almost all areas of life including the matters of religion and spirituality. The rapid growth of Asian Indian religious philosophies like Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism in different parts of USA is marked by the elements of syncretism. Recently, the kick-off registration meeting of Hindu convention was held in New York City . K. G. Manmadan Nair, a catalyst in the Hindu movements in the city of New York , in his inaugural address urged the community to go ahead with the inherent values and cultures of Hinduism. While delivering his felicitation, also Swami Siddhanandaji of Chinmaya Mission evoked the attention of the audience by saying that the current generation of humanity must consider the values of Hinduism that which is beyond the boundaries of Hinduism itself.

Houston is renowned for its diversity. All of Asia is represented in Houston-Chinese, Indians, Vietnamese, Koreans, Pakistanis, and Philippinose, among others. Asian communities speak dozens of languages, practices 3 major religions and dozens of other religions. A systematic survey of the city's Asian community by Rice Sociology professor Stephen Klineberg states that, "the four large segments of Houston 's Asian community-the Vietnamese, Chinese, Indians and Pakistanis, and Philippinose-cited different reasons for coming to Houston and America . The vast majority of Vietnamese respondents said they emigrated due to political oppression or in search of freedom. The Chinese were far more likely than other groups to mention educational opportunities, while Indians and Philippinose said their primary reason was economic and work advantage" (Klineberg, Houston's Ethnic Communities, 1996). The remarkable fact about Houston nowadays is not its Texas glitter, its NASA space-age image, or its huge Southern Baptist churches, but its substantial Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu populations. A Christian mission-theology of accommodation (i.e., a method of identification, not to be absorbed into theirs; but to invite their attention) is rather more required than anything else in today's context.

Adherents of all the religions of the Asian continent-including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Muslims, Jews, Taos, Shintos, Zoroastrians, Bahais, Confucians and Christians-are now at home in America, creating a new religious landscape and requiring new religious adaptations to pluralism. New modes of rapid communication and modern mobility create transnational communities and networks that intimately link the United States with Asian countries and instigate transformations in diverse context. In Houston area, there are about 315 different people groups (ethnic communities) scattered allover from different parts of the globe. According to the census and various demographic and ethnic analyses, there are over 80,000 Asian Indians staying in the larger Houston area. Among these, there are about 25 identified linguistic groups find their residences in the city. Among these, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kashmiri, Konkani, Marathi, Oriya, Parsee (Parsi), Sindhi, and Urdu have strong foundation in the city. The linguistic groups like Sikkimese, Assamese, Manipuri, Khasi and Garo also represent in a nominal way. Other Asian communities like Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Philippines , Burmese, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Iranians, Guatemalans, Laos , Taiwanese, Indonesians, Palestinians, Israelis, and others made their presence very strongly.

There are a great number of Chinese centers that attract people from diverse walks of life. Established in 1979 as a Chinese Language School , the Chinese Community Center (CCC) of Houston , located in Town Park , today serves nearly 5,000 families each year through educational, cultural, and social service programs. It is titled as "a multi-ethnic organization serving all Houstonians". Another prominent organization called the Houston Chinese Culture Center that is located in West Office Drive provides educational and cultural services to the Chinese and Taiwanese communities. The culture center is also a hotbed for various Chinese, Taiwanese events and activities. The Chinese Civic Center at Sovereign Drive is a non-profit organization providing facilities and services to the larger Houstonian community. There is a Chinese-English bilingual library with over 30,000 titles of books, magazines, and video tapes. The center also provides year round Chinese folk dancing, Kung-fu, music instrumental programs, painting and language programs for children and youth. It is conspicuous that in early 2002, Asia-Houston network was formed. It was formed to build strong links between Asian-Americans and people of other cultures. Its president Gigi Lee says, "We have great hopes to build positive relationships between Asian-Americans and other groups in our city. We are accomplishing this goal by offering interesting and educational events" (http://www.asiahouston.org ).

The Buddhist population of Houston is almost as large, with an estimated 50,000 Buddhists and about 25 Buddhist centers at last count, nine of them Vietnamese. There are over 20 Hindu temples and organizations including the spectacular Meenakshi Temple in the southern suburb of Pearland. The Hindu population of Houston is estimated to be 40,000, with an annual summer camp sponsored by the Vishva Hindu Parishad and a city-wide celebration of the birthday of Krishna in the George Brown Convention Center attracting 6,000 to 10,000 people. In the current context, the churches in North America count the Hindu temples, Islamic mosques, Buddhist pagodas, Sikh Gurudwaras, Jain shrines and other religious centers as the picnic spots. This tendency encourages, either directly or indirectly, the alien religious communities to grow and establish their faith and practices. Surprisingly, the Hindus of North America are not behaving in the way the Indian Hindus are behaving toward the 'minority' Christians in the homeland. This is true with the case of all other religions. This aspect of their behavioral change itself is an example to understand the real intent of their being in US context. They extent warm welcome to all those who visit their temples, engage themselves in charitable works, and walk shoulder with the Christians.

Houston is the only city in the country with a comprehensive Islamic plan for the zones and neighborhoods of the city. The Islamic Society of Greater Houston has divided the city into eight zones, with a main mosque and satellite mosques in the various regions of this sprawling city. The southwest zone has dedicated a new mosque, which is the showpiece of Islamic Houston , accommodating more than 1,000 for Friday prayers. Not all the mosques in Houston are part of the ISGH regional plan, for there are more than fifty Islamic centers in all -- Sunni, Shi'a, Ismaili, and African-American. According to reliable information, over 10,000 Muslims crowd into the George Brown Convention center for prayers on the Id festival days. In 1970 there were fewer than 1000 Muslims in Houston ; today there are estimated to be 60,000 (Hoda Badr's "Al-Noor Mosque: Strength Through Unity" in Helen Rose Ebaugh and Janet Saltzman Chafetz' Religion and the New Immigrants, New York : Altamira Press, 2000:193-227).

Badr's work is thorough in observing that "On the far north side of Houston , lying inconspicuously behind the trees the largest mosque in Texas - The Al-Noor Mosque (Mosque of Light) of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH). Built by community members with community funds, it stands as the proud symbol for Houston Muslims and mirrors the diverse and changing face of the Houston Muslim community, which has over 50 mosques and storefronts serving a population estimated to be over 60,000. Southwest Houston , the primary Muslim newcomer settlement area, is teeming with Muslim immigrant shops, businesses and restaurants. More established immigrants reside in north and northwest Houston . Makkah Masjid (Dairy Ashford Street), Houston Masjid of Al-Islam (Bellfort), Masjid Muhammadi in Houston (Kirkwood), Al-Muhiymin Masjid (Cleburne), Al-Noor Masjid (Prestwood), Bissonnet Masjid (Bissonnet) and First Talim Masjid Muhammad are the prominent Islamic centers in Houston. Islamic movements like Ahmadiyya Movement, Aga Khani Movement, and Boahri Movement, and organizations like American Muslim Task Force for Disaster Relief (AMTFDR), and American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI) in Houston are also making considerable impact in the Houston community life.

There are a good number of Hindu religious centers in the cities like Austin , Dallas , San Antonio and Houston . In Houston area, most of the Hindu centers are located in Stafford, Pearland , Missouri City, Sugar Land , Katy and Pasadena . Among the Hindu centers, Chinmaya Mission in Synott Road, Hare Krishna Dham in West 34th Street, Meenakshi Temple in Pearland, Sai Baba Temple in Hillcroft, Swami Narayan Temple in Synott Road, BAPS Temple in Stafford, Houston Durga Bari in Schiller Road, Hindu Worship Society, and Sri Vallabh Priti Seva Samaj are the prominent ones in the larger Houston area. Sri Meenakshi Temple Society in Pearland is the third oldest traditional Hindu temple in US, which was started by students of University of Houston . The extremist groups like Vishwa Hindu Parishat (VHP) and the ISKCON movement have their representation throughout the city. International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) of Houston , sometimes referred to as Hare Krishna Dham, was incorporated in 1972 as a non-profit organization. In 1974 the temple was moved to a bigger facility on Rosalie Street . Mostly western devotees were participating in the temple services. This temple was supported mainly by money from book distribution. In 1984 the current building, an old church, was purchased and the temple was moved from Rosalie Street to 34th Street . It can host 1000 members during festivals and other form of gatherings. A center like ISKCON makes much impact among the westerners. In 1998, while I was visiting the city of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh state, North India (Hindus consider it as the birthplace of Lord Krishna), I was able to visualize the flow of Westerners from Europe, US, and Australia visiting the temple for worship.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Houston, is a Hindu temple in Stafford , Texas . It was the first traditional Hindu Mandir (temple) of stone and marble to be constructed in the US . The Mandir was created entirely according to ancient Hindu architectural manuscripts known as the Shilpa-Shastras, but also meets all modern regulations. The Mandir was created by BAPS Swaminarayana Sanstha, an international Hindu organization belonging to the Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism. Another temple named Shree Vallabh Priti Seva Samaj was started back in 1984 in the garage of a devoted Vaishnav's home. In this garage, Dahiben Desai (Dahiba) served as the very first Mukhyaji (priest) of the Haveli. She maintained her position as a priest until 1991, when the construction of the current Haveli was completed.

Houston Durgabari carries the distinction of being the only Durgabari in the continent of North America . Houston Durga Bari Society (HDBS) was formed with the main purpose to have a permanent place for Maa Durga. The journey began on December 1995 with the first meeting proposing the concept. Now, it is an established center. Under Durgabari's roof, there have been conducted yearly Durga pujas, Kali pujas, Saraswati pujas, and Laxmi pujas. In addition to these pujas, every Sunday pujas are held; these pujas are set in accordance with the "Panjika" (religious calendar). Another Hindu center, Chinmaya Mission Houston (CMH), known as "Chinmaya Prabha", was established in 1982. It has since evolved into a dynamic Hindu organization serving several hundred families. CMH is dedicated to spreading the knowledge of Vedanta and other Hindu scriptures. CMH conducts weekly discourses (Satsanga-s) and study groups for adults and classes for youths (Yuvakendra) and children (Balvihar). Their aspiration is "to provide maximum happiness to the maximum number of people for the maximum time".

Neo-Hindu groups like Ramakrishna Mission, Hare Krishna followers and itinerant gurus' groups like Mahesh Yogi, Nirmala Devi, Osho Rajneesh, Mata Amritanantamayi, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Shirdi Sai Baba, Satya Sai Baba and many others. In South Indian states like Kerala, Mata Amritanantamayi attracts thousands of Americans as her devotees. Though she makes no claims herself, she is recognized as an extraordinary spiritual leader by the United Nations (UN) and by people allover the world. At last count more than 30 million people had been given her blessing through her hugs. Known as "Amma", or "Mother" (i.e., "the hugging saint of India ) to millions of devotees around the world, she is famous for spending up to 18 hours a day hugging her followers. There are millions of native Europeans and North Americans, including Houstonians, travel to India on a regular basis to get her bliss. The followers of Shirdi Sai Baba and Satya Sai Baba increasing day by day in the American cities. Also, there are Osho Rajneesh (for him sex was at the center of spirituality) devotees in the city.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is considered by many as a spiritual master of extraordinary simplicity, wisdom, and unconditional love. As a boy resplendent with radiance, he was recognized by the enlightened saints of the time as crowned with the divine. He has established numerous non-profit educational & charitable organizations in over 90 countries throughout the world including, Art of Living Foundation and Prison SMART. He has pioneered the following programs: ART EXCEL for the teens, Parenting the Angels for children, 5H Program for rural areas and has initiated project 'Human Values and Human Rights in the Year 2000' with ex-Chancellor of Germany and the UN at the world exposition in Germany . He has served on the advisory board of Yale University Divinity School . Also he was a featured speaker at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the UN, the International Conference on Buddhism in Japan , International Women's Conference in Beijing . His gift and techniques to the world include 'Sudarshana Kriya` TM (Proper vision of one self), Hollow and Empty TM, Meditation, Yoga, Meditation in Motion TM, Sound & Purification TM, and much more. The Art of Living Foundation was founded in 1982, has active members in 146 countries. He is a regular visitor of Texan cities like Houston , Dallas , San Antonio , and Austin (http://www.indigosun.com ).

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), an international form of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS, a Hindu militant group in India ), aims to organize the Hindu community in order to preserve, practice and promote Hindu ideas and values. Sangh is inspired by the idea that the whole world is one family and conducts activities across the US in order to spread this message widely. Sangh in the US started in the early 1989's and today has over 100 weekly meeting centers (shakhas) across the country. Each chapter of HSS is known as 'Shakha'. Its activities include: Yoga, games, Balagokulam (children's program), intellectual activities, Yuva Sangham (youth activities), Sangh Shiksha Varg (training camp), Hindu Heritage Camp, Festival Celebrations, Sewa (service), Hindu Sangham, Hindu Women's Conference, Kaun Banega Ramayan Expert, Hindu Education Foundation (HEF), and Exhibition on Hindu Culture and Dharmic Traditions of India. HSS is a tax-exempt, 501(c) 3 non profit organization registered in New Jersey . Its Keshav Shakha ( Houston ), Madhav Shakha ( Sugar Land ), Katy Sakha (Katy), Meenakshi Shakha (Pearland), and Gayatri Sakha (spring) are best known in the larger Houston area (http://www.hssus.org ).

Vishva Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA) is a dynamic, vibrant Hindu society inspired by the eternal values of Dharma (http://www.vhp-america.org ). VHPA's mission is to promote unity among Hindus, provide a forum for and represent all Hindu organizations and institutions for Hindu interests, raise Hindu awareness, provide community service through building a team of Parishad active members, cultivate the spirit of self-respect, create opportunities for imbibing Hindu values, establish world-wide contacts with Hindus, and raise funds for Parishad mission. Hinduism Today is VHPA's official magazine. According to the Parishad, Hindus are all those who believe, practice, or respect the spiritual and religious principles and practices having roots in Bharat ( India ). Thus Hindus include Jains, Bauddhas, Sikhs and people of many different sects within the Hindu ethos. VHPA's Houston chapter is one of the predominant ones in the national level. The voice of Sanatan Hinduism radio program's tenth anniversary was celebrated at a function at the Shri Radha Krishna Temple in Houston .

The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston (JFGH) was originally founded in 1936 as the Jewish Community Council to provide for Jewish social welfare and philanthropic works. Since that time, the Federation has generated and distributed more than $100 million to meet the wide-ranging needs of the Jewish community by working with numerous community partners, both locally and globally. Its mission is to preserve and enrich Jewish communal life through innovative and visionary leadership that is responsive and responsible to Jewish communities locally, nationally, in Israel , and around the world. JFGH fulfill the mission in a variety of ways: (1) by providing financial resources to help meet short- and long-term community needs, both locally and globally; (2) by providing educational resources for children, adults, educators, and families; (3) by working with the media, policy-makers, and other influencers on behalf of various community constituencies; (4) by keeping the community informed about relevant and pertinent issues; and (5) by creating "transformational experiences" through programs and services that change the way people view the Federation, the local Jewish community, the global Jewish community, the larger world, or more importantly, themselves.

Under the strong banner of JFGH, more than 30 synagogues and religious institutions-representing virtually every denomination-serve the Greater Houston Jewish community, including its suburbs and outlying areas. The Jewish centers like: Congregation Beth Jacob in Avenue E, Galvestone; Congregation Beth Yeshurun in Beechnut; Congregation Brith Shalom in Bellaire Blvd.; Congregation Or Ami in Walnut Bend Lane; and Congregation Shaar Hashlom in El Camino Real are counted as the conservative centers. The Reform congregations like Congregation Beth El in Missouri City; Congregation Beth Israel; Congregation Beth Shalom; and 14 other centers are scattered all through Greater Houston in cities like Missouri City, Central Houston, Woodlands, Spring, Bayton, Galvestone, and Humble areas.

More than these, there are Orthodox Jewish centers like Bais Chofetz Chaim in Meyerwood; Meyerland Miniyan in Braes Valley Drive ; United Orthodox Synagogue in Green Willow, and Young Israel of Houston in Ludington. Non-denominationalists like Jewish Information Center of Houston; Reconstructionists like Houston Reconstructionist Havurah; Shephardic like Congregation Beth Ramban in Braes Bridge; Lubavitch like Chabad House at the Texas Medical Center at University Blvd., and Chabad Lubavitch at Fondren; General type like Torah and Outreach Resource Center of Houston (TORCH) in West View; and Gay and Lesbian like Mishpachat Alizim are also established Jewish centers.

The Jewish Foundation of Greater Houston is organized into six service areas: (1) Bureau of Jewish Education; (2) Planning and Allocations; (3) Community Relations Committee; (4) United Jewish Campaign; (5) Marketing and Communications; and (6) Houston Jewish Community Foundation. JFGH has strong partnership with local agencies and institutions, day schools, Jewish University student services like Hillel Foundation of Greater Houston, Jewish Foundation of Greater Houston, and Youth Groups. Moreover, they have strong alliance with Jewish national and global partners (http://www.houstonjewish.org ).

During the Texas Great Commission Initiative training in Trinity, we the attendees together went to the Vietnam Buddhist Center to learn about the Buddhists in Houston . That visit enabled us to learn more about the diverse ethnic communities in the city of Houston . For centuries, Buddhism has been the dominant religion of the Eastern world. Today it remains the predominant religion in China , Japan , Korea , and much of Southeast Asia . With the rise of the Asian population in the U.S. , Buddhism has made a tremendous impact. Presently, there are over 300,000 Buddhists in the U.S. It remains the dominant religion in the state of Hawaii and many prominent Americans have accepted this religion, including the former governor of California , Jerry Brown (Walter Martin, Kingdom of the Cults. Minneapolis : Bethany House 1985, p. 261).

The entire major forms of Buddhism, like Southern (Theravada), East Asian (Mahayana), and Northern/Tibetan/Tibeto-Mongolian (Vajrayana) Buddhism have representation in Houston . There are various sub-divisions of Buddhist forms like Tibetan (Karma Kagyu, Shambhala-secular, Bon, and Gelug), Chinese (Mahayana, and Zen), Vietnamese Mahayana, Japanese, Korean Zen, Thai, Thich Nhat Hanh (mindfulness practice), and General type Buddhism have devotees in Houston area. The Buddhism Association in University of Houston is one of the largest Buddhist student movements in the country.

There are hundreds of thousands of Buddhists in the greater Houston area, and about 25 Buddhist Pagodas (i.e., Temples ). The Vietnam Buddhist Center in Houston is located on a spacious 12 acre plus tract of land in the South-west region of the city. The three-door gateway symbolized by four carved solid granite pillars, the perfume-water pond, the 72-feet precious statue of the Loving Mother Quan Am, a 20,000 square feet space land called Front Courtyard, Lumbini Garden (i.e., an artificial garden created to commemorate the birthplace of Buddha), Bodhaya (located in front and at the right of the Main Sanctuary), Deer Park (on the left of the Front Courtyard, created to commemorate the place where Buddha turned the wheel of Dharma the first time, making the beginning of his dharma discourse), Sala Forest (i.e., at the left of the Front Courtyard, commemorating the site where the Buddha passed into Nirvana). Thus, the Birth-Enlightenment-Delivering Dharma Discourse-and Passing into Nirvana, the four most significant accolades of the 80 years of the life of Buddha in this world are symbolically presented in naturally intertwined terms.

In my interaction with Ching Hui Ying, a Taiwanese Buddhist monk who is also a research student in Rice University , comments: In the Houstonian context, under Mahayana, include Chan/Zen, Pure Land , Chinese, Tibetan, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese; under Theravada, only Thai Theravada is represented, which also includes Inside Meditation and Vipassana Meditation. Note that countries which practice Theravada also include Sri Lanka , Cambodia and Burma . Buddhists in Taiwan are quite multi-faceted. Most of them practice Pure Land and Chan Buddhism (originally from China ). There are also other Buddhist schools including Tien-tai and Hua-yen (also from China ).

In addition, there are Buddhist teachers from Tibet and Thailand (perhaps Sri Lanka too) who are teaching Tibetan Tantric Buddhism (including Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug) and Theravada Buddhism. From my experience at our meditation center in Houston , the number of people who are interested in learning meditation as well as Buddhist teachings is definitely growing. Houston is a much diversified city. Every year there are different festivals (Asian Festival, International Festival, etc ...) held at different areas of the city. In addition, there are also various ethnic shopping districts naturally formed in Houston . The big ones include China Town , Vietnamese Shopping Centers , Indian District, Korean Town , etc.

Vietnam Buddhist Center is the common center for all the Buddhist Sangha and practitioners, regardless of sect, locality, and nationality. This is the place of ceremonials and prayer services, a center for cultivation and propagation of the Buddha Dharma, an education center of the Vietnamese culture in harmony with others. The center is continually conducting cultivation sessions, retreat days, Dharma teachings, organizing ceremonious services, and broadcasting radio programs. The center is open every day from 10 AM to 10 PM. Every Sunday, they conduct Buddhist service (i.e., chanting the Sutras and honoring various Buddhas, sermon, praying for peace and performing the requiem service for the deceased). Moreover, they serve free vegetation lunch to the public. They also have youth activities, Buddhist study classes, computer/internet classes, recitation of the Sutras (i.e., chanting and interpretation of the Scriptures), Buddhist retreat day, meditation, question and answer session, and invoking the Buddhas' names by the Assembly of Practitioners.

Quan Am's (a goddess in Buddhism) statue in the Vietnamese Buddhist Center is largest of all other statues in the larger Houston city. This is also the largest statue of Quan Am in the whole of USA . As per the information, she has been placed here to face east over the city to bring the city good luck. In my observation, while I walked around the Quan Am statue, I found the inscriptions like, "Bow respectfully Quan Am... deliverer of all beings from suffering... destroyer of all demons... one who quench the flames of distress... companion... one who is with great loving kindness... power of joy and giving... one who practices equality for all... one who eliminates 3 evil realms... one who delivers from all bondage of affliction... one who leads humanity to the Pure Land... and one who save people universally..." Quan Am is adored by thousands of Buddhists in Houston area on a regular basis. According to the known Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias, "it (Buddhism) is often very simplistically defined as a religion of compassion and ethics. The truth is that there is probably no system of belief more complex than Buddhism. While it starts off with the four noble truths on suffering and its cessation, it then moves to the eight-fold path on how to end suffering. But as one enters the eight-fold path, there emerge hundreds upon hundreds of other rules to deal with contingencies" ( Ravi Zacharias, Jesus among Other Gods: The Absolute Claims of the Christian Message. Nashville : W. Publishing Group, 2000: 90).

In the Buddhist pagodas, the statue of Quan Am is placed along with Siddhartha the First Buddha. As a missionary-theologian who worked both in the Eastern and Western context, I found certain resemblances between Quan Am and Artemis whom Paul and his companions confronted in the city of Ephesus as a real obstacle for evangelization. In the city of Ephesus , the goddess called Artemis was worshipped, her idols were carved out of the silver, and the shrines were erected in her name. The whole city and the larger provinces were sunk into the Artemis cultic worship. People shouted in unison, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians". In Acts 17: 16, Paul was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. The whole city was the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image (cf. Acts 19: 23ff.). Similarly, the people of the city of Athens were very religious.

Paul says, "we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone-an image made by man's design and skill. In Revelation, the city of Pergamum is labeled a place where Satan has his throne or where Satan lives (2:13). J. Ramsey Michaels, in his commentary on the Book of Revelation states, "one of the important reasons for this statement is that Pergamum housed a famous temple to Asklepius, the Greek god of healing, symbolized by the figure of a snake" (J. Ramsey Michaels, Revelation. Illinois : Inter Varsity Press, 1997: 75). It seems that Quan Am's statue over the city of Houston has resemblances with all these biblical images of idolatry.

There are mainly two Jain centers in Houston area. They are: (1) Jain Society of Houston in Arc Street , and (2) Jain Vishwa Bharati Institute of Preksha Meditation Center in South Houston . The mission of Interfaith Institutions of Jainism is: (1) to provide exchange of religious views with the other major religions of the world and promote harmony, tolerance and peace with them; and (2) to make people aware of Jain teachings and actively promote Jain way of life. The Sikh community of Houston is one of the largely growing communities. The Sikh center in Prairie Drive , Houston was founded in 1972 by several Sikh families in the city, and the building was completed at the end of 1973. Soon afterwards a small school was registered, teaching community children a standard curriculum along with Punjabi and classes on Sikhism and Sikh history, and bringing up children in Sikh traditions. Youth instruction is very important to Houston Sikhs. Two popular programs run by the Sikh center are the free computer classes and the Sikh radio programs, which broadcasts devotional music and lectures.

Bahai faith is the youngest of the major world religions. There are more than five million Bahais in 235 countries and territories throughout the world. The Houston Bahai community has Bahais from a wide variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds. They are dedicated to serving humanity through the teachings of Bahaullah, the founder of Bahai faith. At the heart of Bahaullah's teachings is the principle of Three Onenesses: One God, One Humanity, and One Religion. Their activities in Houston include devotional meetings, children's classes, and Study circles. Their religious center is constructed in Fannin Street , Houston . Its principles include, the oneness of God, mankind and religion, the independent investigation of truth, the equality of women and men, harmony of science and religion, elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty, universal peace, a world commonwealth of nations, a universal auxiliary language, spiritual solutions to economic problems, and universal education. It stressed the importance of unity, honesty, chastity, generosity, trustworthiness, purity of motive, service to others, deeds over words, and work as a form of worship (www.bahai.com ).

In January and March 2007, local individuals were invited to convene a Houston Taoism meetup group. Taoism describes a union with the ultimate, indefinable, one reality, the "Way". Being married to this dynamic, creative force permits harmony, spontaneity, and grace to flow through a person. Taoism teaches man to trust in his own innate, intuitive intelligence, as the laws of change is innate in all things. Taoists observe nature and agree with the Buddhist that all things, events, people, and ideas are impermanent and transitory. The three branches of Taoism (philosophical, Vitalizing, and religious) focus on maximizing the power. Philosophical Tao teaches ways to use the power one has most effectively. Vitalizing Tao teaches methods to increase one's allotment of power. Religious Tao gathers the cosmic energy and deploys it for the people's welfare. There are also many Japanese Shinto believers in Houston , but no Shinto-center is identified.

Houston is a city of hundreds of Asian organizations like the India Development and Relief Fund (IDRF), the Asian Pacific American Heritage Association (APAHA), Asians Against Domestic Abuse (AADA), Indo-American Political Action Committee of Greater Houston (IAPACGH), Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH), Indian Association for Human Values (IAHV), Indo-American Charity Fund (IACF), South Asian American Bar Association of Houston (SAABA), Hindu Students Council (HSC), the Indian Doctors' Association (IDA) of Houston, Punjab Education Initiative (PEI), Pakistani Welfare Organization, and American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI). Asian communities develop and revitalize their national or continental folklore, dance, music, art and culture in the American context too.

Asian Indian national festivals like Holi, Dipavali, Onam, Durga Puja, Ramzan and others are celebrated and observed with great enthusiasm and patriotism. The Asian American Studies Center (AASC) founded in 1995 at the University of Houston , grew out of the vision and dedication of students, faculty, administrators and the support of Houston 's community leaders. The AASC was established in recognition of the many cultural, social, historical, economic, political and linguistic contributions made by Asian Americans to this country. Charged with the responsibility of creating partnerships between the University of Houston and the Asian/Asian American communities, the AASC is integrally linked with the development of Asian International Study Programs.

Not only the religious movements have their footing on the American soil, but also the atheists have their strongholds in an established way. The group called 'American Atheists' is a rapidly growing organization allover USA . Atheism is a doctrine that states that nothing exists but natural phenomena (matter), that thought is a property or function of matter, and that death irreversibly and totally terminates individual organic units. This definition means that there are no forces, phenomena, or entities which exist outside of or apart from physical nature, or which transcend nature, or are "super" natural, nor can there be. Humankind is on its own.

Houston Free Thought Alliance is an effort to collaborate and communicate between Houston area atheists, Humanists and other free thought organizations for the benefit of their memberships. Its statement of principles include: (1) commitment to freedom of thought and expression, as well as human rights and equality; (2) healthy skepticism, physical evidence, the scientific method, and naturalistic philosophy-unfettered by faith, mysticism, the supernatural, or any other forms of superstition; and (3) pursuit of moral excellence, ethical integrity and social responsibility based on humanity's needs and happiness in this world and not an alleged "afterlife". The member groups include: The Humanists of Houston (HOH), The Houston Church of Free thought (HCOF), Humanists at Montgomery County , Isaac Asimov Chapter (HAMCIAC), and Houston Atheists Meetup.

There are over 45 Indian churches (which comprise Catholics, Syriac Orthodox, Jacobite, Knanaya Catholic, Knanaya Orthodox, Syriac Mar Thoma, Church of South India , various Pentecostal Churches , Indian Baptist, Brethren, Evangelical, and Bible Churches ) in the Houston area, but majority of them have their services in Malayalam language. Many larger Indian languages do not have church representation in the city. None of the Indian or other Asian churches has a specific mission plan for these people groups. The reasons may be categorized as: (1) lack of missional training targeting these religious communities; (2) the inferiority complex that developed in the homeland (i.e., Christianity is a persecuted sect in the Eastern context); (3) the lack of knowledge of 'other' cultural languages; (4) unavailability of financial resources, and the like. The same is true with the Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, or Philippinose churches in the city.

In the contemporary context, the Asian communities are rapidly growing in Houston . Pluralism is appeared in its fruition in every aspect of life. Sally Hinzie of Union Baptist Association (UBA) remarks that, "I am not sure that the perspectives of American Christianity have been changed at all. I am afraid that the American church is still living like we have a 'Christian nation'". She states about the growth of other religions that, "I am a native Houstonian... I grew up in this city when the culture was Christian... It is interesting to see articles in the Houston Chronicle featuring the other religions and their holidays... and to see the architectural landscape change with new temples and mosques growing up everywhere. To see former Christian churches now owned by Hare Krishnas and Muslims, where the true God is no longer worshipped, saddens me... The city is seeing new temples and mosques being built faster than we can build churches". She further comments about the missional and evangelistic urgency in the following way: "I believe our churches need to learn about effective evangelism from our foreign missionaries. What worked in a country with a 'Christian culture' will not work with Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. We must be willing to learn new ways to spread the gospel. We literally must become 'foreign missionaries' in our own country". There is ample evidence to prove what Sally says true in the present day Houstonian as well as the larger US context. Christian churches must take this challenging situation, to cash in on the missional aspects like inter- and intra-faith dialogue, and koinoniac and diakoniac in its Great Commission initiative. The city has some centers for inter-religious activities. The institutes like, The Institute of Interfaith Dialog (IID) in Winsome Lane , Jewish interfaith center at South Braeswood , and Interfaith Ministries (IM) at Montrose Boulevard bring people of diverse faith traditions together for dialogue, collaboration and service. There are also interfaith family meetup centers, events and clubs throughout the city.

Houston 's landscape, culture, spirituality, and co-habitation have drastically changed within the past ten years. The different religious and denominational communities are in existence within their own frames created by themselves. It is a noticeable fact that there is no interaction, inter- or intra-religious dialogues between different religious or denominational communities in a wider sense. A Manipuri tribal pastor from India , named Thien, who lived about twenty years in different US cities, comments that "Houstonian church, in comparison to the churches in cities like New York , Los Angeles , and Chicago , is 'far away' from other religious or ethnic communities. There is a felt gulf between religions, ethnic groups and denominations". Norman Wood, Professor of Houston Baptist University states that "there is no attempt from any quarters of Christianity to develop ethnic missions among 'other' segments of people groups in the city". Josh Ellis, a people group researcher of UBA from the city has more or less the same opinion. He says: "the churches do not show any interest to develop mission and evangelism among 'other' segments of people groups". It is conspicuous that both the native and immigrant churches alike do not have any specific mission strategies toward the Asian communities. An Asian-Indian Christian writer in the city, Sunny Thazhampallom feels that the Indian churches in the city are following traditional Indian patterns in their church practices and remain unable to make any impact in their 'shallow' mission programs. Binny Abraham, aother Indian missionary comments, "there is a wide gap between 'western' and 'eastern' in the city...the eastern churches are developing in their own traditional ways...and the Anglo-churches in the typical Texan ways...There is no innovative or timely missional approach toward the non-Christian communities in the city". It is obvious that there is a vacuum developed in the city due to the lack of interaction, intra-religious and inter-religious dialogue, not only between different religious communities, but also between different Christian denominations. Churches of multifarious cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and denominational backgrounds must come together to interact with other religious communities. The term 'interaction' does not mean to assimilate ourselves or syncretize, but to 'make impact' among other religious communities for a positive or constructive Great Commission initiative.

Rice University professor, Brian Nichols states that " Houston has a large population of Asian immigrants and that they have established many non-Christian religious institutions... It is my impression that the Asian groups in Houston, Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs and so on generally keep to themselves and do not exert a very great influence on non-Asians or Christians... Buddhism and some forms of Hinduism have attracted some people who are Christians to attend their services, lectures and so on... The Hindu-based group with the largest influence on non-Indian Americans is the ISKCON or the Hare Krishnas ... Other than that there are many places which teach yoga... There are Buddhist groups who hold meditation classes and sessions and some of these attract Americans who may have Christian backgrounds. The degree to which Christians who become involved in those groups are influenced in their faith is something that will differ from case to case". What Professor Nichols says have to be taken with caution. While it seems that other religious communities exert themselves into their own, they remarkably gain results by inculcating their doctrines and teachings, by attracting the attention of the masses toward their architectural institutions, and philosophical teachings. Nichols further says: "If the Christian faith is found to be weakened amongst certain groups, this would have to do more with modern, secularist ideas rather than competing Asian religions. It has been found that some non-Buddhists for example have benefited from Buddhist meditation or yoga and have become strengthened in their own faiths. In other words, I would suggest that Asian religions have not had such a great impact in Houston outside their own immigrant communities".

Professor Nichols' statements have to be further viewed in the light of what Sunny Thazhampallom, a Christian writer says. According to Thazhampallom, "The Christian communities in different American cities, especially in Houston , are attracted toward the magnificent architectural centers of other religions. While Christian communities in the city remain without strategizing the mission plans, other religions have far-reaching advancements for influencing Christians. Christians of contemporary society must take active steps to sway other religious communities toward Christ, instead of being influenced by their religions, temples, and activities". Father Manon Thomas Philip, a Malankara Indian Orthodox Church priest (also the former president of Indian Christian Council of North American Keralites) who lived more than 25 years in the city of Houston comments that, "Christianity in today's context seems to follow an 'all inclusive' pattern, forgetting to distinguish between 'this' and 'that'". He further says, "Other religious communities are receiving high regard from governmental institutions". Jacob George, a priest of the Church of South India who lived more than 30 years also has the same view.

According to Ron Burton, a Baptist minister in Houston , "We all don't look alike anymore, nor do we have the same beliefs. Immigrants are bringing their cultures and their beliefs with them. Instead of us as 'American' Christians trying to get the immigrants to 'do as we do and have done for years', we need to 'go' and meet them where they are, determine their needs and worldview, find a person or persons of peace, and share the Good News of Jesus Christ in their heart language. We, as American Christians, must understand that the Gospel does not change, but we need to be more flexible in our presentation and application of it". He continues saying that, "We, as Christians, are becoming more like the world; rather than the world becoming like us. Instead of sitting in our church buildings and wait for the community to come and visit us, we need to "go," as the Great Commission commands us, into our neighborhoods and communities and "let our light shine." We need to be more mission-oriented and service-oriented. Churches need to develop a love and a passion for others to 'seek and save the lost', the way Jesus did. Mission is always in the direction of the other and away from ourselves. Our churches should become 'missional churches', which means we should be 'reproducing communities of authentic disciples, being equipped as missionaries sent by God, to live and proclaim His Kingdom in their world'.

In the postmodern Houstonian context, religious and philosophical ideologies, cultural aspects, and diverse lifestyles from allover the world have their representation to name the city a bed of "Unity in the Midst of Diversities". Asian religions like Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Taoism, Bahai, Hare Krishna, and Christianity in its Americanized form have coalesced in amazingly pluralistic way. Moreover, the philosophies and movements like Gandhism, Ahmediyyanism, Shri Shri Hari Shankaranism, Amritaism, Shirdi & Sai Babaism, and the like have strong roots in the Houstonian soil. It is observable that the religions and popular philosophies from the Asian context do not go akin with their Asian 'mother' heritage. In the US context, they appear more in the 'Americanized' format. In Church's missional approach, the new generation of the Asian religions who have strong roots in the American soil must be understood and handled in an entirely different way. In the kerygmatic (i.e., in the action of mission-proclamation) approach, the church has to take the following seven steps: (1) understand 'other' religious aspirations and concepts in their original format; (2) learn about the general Asian religio-cultural context to share the 'kingdom concerns' emphatically; (3) observe the Americanized (or Houstonized) form of the Asian religions; (4) develop the connecting bridges between the diverse 'worldviews'; (5) feel the 'heart language' of the people groups; (6) categorize the 'Americanized Asianism' for developing the strategies; and (7) from the general category of people groups, find out the sub-categories on the basis of religion, region, caste, class etc. and advance toward peculiarly developed missional approaches accordingly.

• BOOKS:
  
• Eck, Diana. On Common Grounds: World Religions in America . Colombia University Press. Revised 2006.
• Hoda Badr. "Al-Noor Mosque: Strength through Unity" in Helen Rose Ebaugh and Janet Saltzman Chafetz' Religion and the New Immigrants. Nen York: Altamira Press, 2000.
  
• International Mission Board. Worldview Identification. Printed Material. P.1.
  
• Klineberg, Stephen L. " Houston 's Ethnic Communities, Third Edition: Updated and Expanded to Include the First-Ever Survey of the Asian Communities". Houston : Rice University , 1996.
  
• Martin, Walter. Kingdom of Cults . Minneapolis : Bethany House, 1985. P.261.
  
• Michaels, J.Ramsey. Revelation. Illinois : Inter-Varsity Press, 1997: 75.
  
• Zacharias, Ravi . Jesus among Other Gods: The Absolute Claims of the Christian Message. Nashville : W.Publishing Group, 2000: 90.
   
• RESOURCE PERSONS:
  
• Brian Nichols, Professor of World Religions, Rice University , Houston
  
• Norman Wood, Professor, Houston Baptist University , Houston
  
• Ching Hui Ying, Taiwanese Buddhist monk and Rice University Research scholar
  
• Sally Hinzie, Missionary to the City, Union Baptist Association, Houston
  
• Josh Ellis, Demographic Researcher, Union Baptist Association, Houston
  
• Syed Ali, An Islamic lay person in Houston
  
• Alvin, A Vietnamese Buddhist monk in Houston
  
• Manon Thomas Philip, Malankara Indian Orthodox priest in Houston
  
• Sunny Thazhampallom, A Pentecostal Evangelist and writer in Houston
  
• Jacob George, Priest of Church of South India in Houston
  
• Ron Burton, Executive Pastor, Easthaven Baptist Church , Houston
  
• Mathew Maliakal, An Indian Catholic lay person in Houston
  
• Mani Kuruvila, A Syriac Orthodox lay person in Houston
  Tim Chan, A Chinese Church priest in Houston
  
• Binny Abraham, A South-Indian Baptist Missionary in Houston
  
• Thien, A Burmese/North-Eastern Indian Pastor in Houston
  
• James Slack, International Mission Board
  
• Terry Lassiter, International Mission Board

• WEBSITES:

• http://www.pluralism.org/directory
  
• http://www.cs.colostate.edu
  
• http://www.vhp-america.org
  
• http://www.iskconhouston.org
  
• http://www.iskcon.com
  
• http://www.amritapuri.org
  
• http://www.indigosun.com
  
• http://www.hssus.org
  
• http://www.bahai.com
  
• http://www.media.rice.edu
  
• http://www.asiahouston.org
  
• http://www.atheists.org
  
• http://www.houstonfreethoughtalliance.org
  
• http://www.dovetailinstitute.org
  
• http://www.imgh.org
  
• http://www.councilofhindutemples.org
  
• http://www.indoamerican-news.com
  
• http://www.houstonjewish.org
  
• http://www.rice.edu
  
• http://www.uh.edu