By: Jim Pyatt, WNCC Archivist & Historian

Rev. Cher Lue Vang

The Rev. Cher Lue Vang was born in Xiang-Khuang, Laos. Cher Lue received his Cert Pastoral from Chieng MaiSem in 1979, his Diploma Mission from Asian Center in 1980 and his M. Div. from Drew University in 1989. Received into the Northern New Jersey Conference in 1985, Cher Lue transferred to the Western North Carolina Conference in 1992, where he organized the Hmong congregation in Charlotte. His appointments in the WNC Conference have included Spencer Memorial Associate (Charlotte)/ Hmong Congregation 1992-94; Hmong Mission (Charlotte) 1994-2006; Myrtle-Lowell/Smyre (Gastonia) 2006-10; GBGM Missionary to Thailand 2010-13; Center (Catawba) 2013; Oak Grove-Palm Tree-Pleasant Hill 2013-14; Oak Grove (Charlotte) 2014-15; Smyrna (Monroe) - Wingate (Wingate) 2015-16; Personal Leave 2016-17. The Rev. Vang retired in 2017.

With regard to conference leadership Cher Lue served as a member of the WNC Conference Commission on Religion and Race from 1992-2002, serving as Chair from 1996-2000. He subsequently served on the Committee on Asian American Ministries from 2005-12, serving as Chair from 2005-08. He also served on the Committee on Equitable Compensation as Treasurer 2016-20.

In addition, the Rev. Vang was a contributor to the United Methodist Hymnal. In 1987, while serving as Associate Pastor at Bound Brook UMC, he translated the Laotian hymn, “Come, All of You,” into English. (#350 in The United Methodist Hymnal)

Be sure to read the other biographies written by WNCC Archivist & Historian Jim Pyatt:

Rev. Amos Taj, when Rev. Amos Taj became a clergy member of the WNC Conference, he was the only Asian American clergyperson in the WNC Conference.

Rev. Samuel Om, grew up Buddhist before becoming United Methodist in the WNCC in 2004.

Lucy Henderson Owen Robertson, the first president of the Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society of the WNC Conference.

Juanita "Nita" Tillman Henderson, the first woman to Chair the WNC Conference Council on Ministries, a position which she held from 1980 to 1988.

Rev. Dr. Nancy Burgis Rankin, the first woman in our conference to serve as Senior Pastor of a church with more than 1000 members.

Roberta Blackwell, served in the Charlotte District were as District Director of Church and Society 1979-84, member of the District Committee on the District Superintendent 1980-93, and as a member of the Charlotte District Trustees 2010-12.

Rev. Dr. Arnetta E. Beverly, the first African-American woman to serve as Director of Nurture and Ethnic Ministries, to serve as a District Superintendent in the WNC Conference, and to serve as a Director of Connectional Ministries in the Southeastern Jurisdiction.

Rev. Dr. James Walter Ferree, Sr., involved in realigning the North Carolina-Virginia Conference into what is now the three separate North Carolina, Western North Carolina, and Virginia Conferences.

Rev. Cecil Harvey Marcellus, Jr., the first African-American elected to the Reidsville City Council, where he served for three full terms and part of a fourth term.

Dr. David Dallas Jones, the president of Bennett College from 1926-1955.

Rev. William Hornbuckle, a Native American ordained Deacon in 1928 and Elder in 1931.

Daphine Strickland, part of the Task Force that led to the organization of Triad Native American Church, the first Native American congregation in our Conference outside of Cherokee.

Thomas Queen, the Director of the Cherokee Mission from 1973 until his death in 1992.

Jeremiah Wolfe, the first Native American to be elected a delegate to General Conference from the WNCC in 1976.