Wilbur Wong Yan Choy
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Wilbur Wong Yan Choy is a retired Bishop of the United Methodist Church, elected in 1972.
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[edit] Birth and Family
Wilbur was born 28 May 1918 in Stockton, California, the son of Lie Yen and Ida Lee Choy. He married Grace Ying Hom 26 September 1940 (she died 26 December 1977). They have four children: Randolph W., Jonathan W., Phyllis W. (Mrs. LeRoy Seibert), and Donnell W.
[edit] Education
Wilbur earned the A.A. degree from Stockton Junior College (1944); the B.A. degree from the College of the Pacific (1946); and the Bachelor of Divinity degree from the Pacific School of Religion (1949). Bishop Choy also holds honorary doctorates from the Pacific School of Religion and the University of Puget Sound.
[edit] Ordained ministry
While a college and seminary student, Wilbur served as Associate Pastor of the Chinese Methodist Church in Stockton. He was ordained Deacon by Bishop James Chamberlain Baker in 1946. Following seminary Wilbur was ordained Elder by Bishop Donald Tippett, joining the California-Oriental Provisional Conference, continuing to serve the church in Stockton.
In 1954 Rev. Choy was appointed to serve St. Mark's Methodist Church, Stockton, in the California-Nevada Annual Conference. He later held pastorates in Woodland and Sacramento, California, as well. In 1967 he served as Chaplain of the California Senate. In 1969 Rev. Choy was appointed Superintendent of the Bay View District.
[edit] Episcopal ministry
Rev. Choy was elected to the Episcopacy by the 1972 Western Jurisdictional Conference of the U.M. Church. He was assigned to the Seattle Episcopal Area, serving eight years. He was then assigned the San Francisco Episcopal Area, where he served for four years. He was President of the Council of Bishops of the U.M. Church, 1983-84. He retired in 1984.
[edit] References
- InfoServ, the official information service of The United Methodist Church. [1]
- The Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church[2]
