The author of “The Joy Luck Club” will speak at the milestone event of a northeast Fresno church where her father was pastor.
Amy Tan will speak at 6 p.m. Saturday at a dinner celebrating the 125th anniversary of First Chinese Baptist Church, 6080 N. Angus St.
Through the efforts of Fresno First Baptist Church, the congregation began as a mission in 1884, catering to the Chinese community.
Tan’s father, the Rev. John Tan, was pastor of First Chinese Baptist Church from 1951 to 1953. After leaving Fresno, the family lived in several California communities before the Rev. Tan died of a brain tumor in 1958.
“She’s coming to honor her father,” says event organizer Lena Chin.
“The Joy Luck Club,” published in 1989, explores the lives of four Chinese women and their daughters. A movie based on the book was released in 1993. Amy Tan was last in Fresno in 2007, when the book was the subject of Fresno’s Big Read and she took part in an event at Fresno City College.
The dinner costs $35 and reservations are required.
The church’s celebration will continue Sunday with a special 11 a.m. service and the unveiling of an anniversary painting by Michael Garcia, followed by a Chinese lunch. First Chinese Baptist Church has grown to more than 300 members and earned a reputation for its overseas mission work.
About 20 members will visit Thailand, Myanmar and China in February to offer free medical, dental and optical services.
“We are very blessed that we have so many health professionals in our congregation,” says Chin, adding that the church’s current pastor, the Rev. Danny Jack, encourages mission projects.
“He pushes this congregation to go beyond these church walls.”
Details: (559) 438-0303.
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