wfn.org | ABC/USA ECUMENICAL COORDINATOR NAMED

[RICH.SCHRAMM@ecunet.org]

AMERICAN BAPTIST NEWS SERVICE 
Office of Communication  
American Baptist Churches USA 
P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851 
Phone: (610)768-2077 / Fax: (610)768-2320 
Web: www.abc-usa.org
Richard W. Schramm, Director 
 E-mail: richard.schramm@abc-usa.org

CHHANGTE NAMED ECUMENICAL COORDINATOR  
FOR AMERICAN BAPTIST CHURCHES USA
 The Rev. Rothangliani R. Chhangte, pastor of Woodland 
Baptist Church and executive director of the Asian American 
Youth Association in Philadelphia, has been named ecumenical 
coordinator for American Baptist Churches USA, effective 
Oct. 17.
 The appointment was announced by the Rev. Dr. Cheryl 
Wade, associate general secretary and treasurer of American 
Baptist Churches USA.  Chhangte will work in the Office of 
Cooperative Christianity in promoting the ecumenical 
relationships and ministries of American Baptist Churches 
USA.
 Chhangte has led Woodland Baptist Church since 1994, 
revitalizing a dying inner-city congregation in southwest 
Philadelphia with an outreach ministry to Asian Americans.  
The multicultural congregation now is comprised of 
Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians, African Americans and 
Liberians.  
 As executive director of the Asian American Youth 
Association since 1992 Chhangte has been responsible for a 
ministry to children, at-risk youth and their families.  She 
has recruited and supervised a staff of 15 and 50 
volunteers, organized community meetings for Asian parents, 
and conducted cultural awareness and sensitivity workshops, 
among other activities.
 She previously was administrator/coordinator of the 
Oxford Conference on Christian Faith and Economics and held 
several assistant or interim pastorates in the Philadelphia 
area.
 Chhangte has been active in the Philadelphia Baptist 
Association, where she serves as secretary, has been a board 
member since 1995 and is completing a two-year term as vice 
president of the region's Ministers Council.  She also 
served as a senator-at-large to the Executive Committee of 
the national American Baptist Churches USA Ministers Council 
from 1995-1999. 
 She holds a B.A. degree from Bethel College, the 
M.B.A. degree in economic development from Eastern College 
and the M.Div. degree from Eastern Baptist Theological 
Seminary.
 In announcing the appointment, Wade noted, "Rothang's 
familiarity with interfaith dialog and her own experience as 
a pastor in a multicultural congregation as well as her 
entrepreneurial style makes her an exciting person to staff 
the ecumenical office of American Baptist Churches USA."

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